Ford Thailand built this Ranger pick-up truck to go racing

Most Filipino pick-up truck owners tend to lift their vehicles and fit all-terrain tires to go off-road or to navigate easily-flooded streets of Metro Manila. Over in Thailand, however, they do things a bit differently.

Rather than going up, their pickups are a bit closer to the ground. They’re also built to go fast around the race track. Just take a look at this race-prepped Ford Ranger for example. Better yet, it was built by Ford Thailand themselves as they officially entered the local Thailand Super Series for the first time.

Based on a Ranger Double Cab, Ford Thailand says that the frame of this Ranger is made of lightweight materials. They also modified the exterior to help it become more competitive and improve the truck’s aerodynamics. As such, a lip spoiler, an aggressive rear diffuser, and a large rear wing were fitted. Though it’s hard to tell, the body is also wider than standard. 

Meanwhile, an Ohlins suspension was fitted to help improve handling. Interestingly, this Ranger appears to use leaf springs at the rear still unlike the Ranger Raptor which has a multi-link setup. Larger brakes on all four corners help bring the truck to halt. Meanwhile, lightweight wheels and grippy tires have been added.

Under the hood, the race-spec Ranger is powered by a 3.2-liter Duratorq engine which has been tuned for better performance. Unfortunately, no official power figures were provided. For reference, the standard non-modified engine already produces an impressive 197 PS and 470 Nm torque. Meanwhile, a 6-speed manual transmission sends power to the ground. Behind the wheel of this pick-up truck is 25-year-old Thai-Norwegian racer Sandy Stuvik. 

If you happen to over in Thailand, you can catch this race-prepped Ranger together with a Mustang under the Trans Asia V8 Class at the 2020 Thailand Super Series season opener at the Chang International Circuit happening from October 31 to November 1.