--- title: "The New Ford Raptor Dakar Truck Is the Coolest Blue Oval in Years" date: "2024-07-12" modified: "2024-07-12" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-new-ford-raptor-dakar-truck-is-the-coolest-blue-oval-in-years" categories: - "Ford News" - "News" - "News by Brand" --- # The New Ford Raptor Dakar Truck Is the Coolest Blue Oval in Years ![]() Remember when every new car debut was cool and exciting? I miss those days. It's mostly [old nameplates coming back as EVs now]()—even worse, they’re electric crossovers. When I read the press release for [Ford's new Dakar truck]() I thought, "Cool." But when I saw the photos of Ford's new Dakar truck I thought, "Holy … !" I'll get to the [Ford]() Raptor T1+ details in just a second, but I’m not done gushing just yet. Regardless of brand, rally trucks have always been pretty awesome, but this is on another level. [Audi's RS Q e-tron]() from recent years has been, hands down, the coolest Dakar buggy around, but I truly think this eclipses it. It's big, it's mean, it looks like it could flatten a mountain if it needed to. Or at the very least, it could just jump over it. With that said, it doesn't look like a tank or too truck-ish. It looks like a sleek rally car with a massive suspension lift because technically that's what it is. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The livery is spot-on, too. As much as I sometimes bemoan Red Bull's involvement in everything from cliff diving to motorsports, there's something to say about the Red Bull logo making a machine look like a proper race car. The various shades of blue along the fenders and the rest of the body, the 17-inch orange wheels wrapped in [37-inch BF Goodrich tires](), and even the font used for the "FORD" messaging along the rear fenders are all one-hunnit. Lastly, there's the fact that this Raptor T1+ isn't based or related to anything else on the road. Ford's previous Dakar racer resembled the global Ranger truck, but this one certainly doesn't. Yes, the grille and DRL signature at the front scream “Ford truck” (F-150 or Ranger), but as my colleague Caleb Jacobs points out, this Raptor is its own thing. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The drivetrain powering this rig is just as impressive as its looks, if not more so. Looking to give legendary rally racers Carlos Sainz and Nani Roma the best the Blue Oval has to offer, there's a Coyote-based 5.0-liter V8 engine powering the T1+. The Fox-designed double-wishbone suspension features three-way adjustable coilovers and four-way adjustable external bypass dampers with remote reservoirs. When it's all said and done, the whole thing weighs just 4,400 pounds (that's only 400 pounds more than a BMW M3) and there are nearly 16 inches of ground clearance to make sure it conquers whatever terrain it faces. The Ford Raptor T1+ is headed to three major races over the next few months: the Baja Hungary in August, the Rallye du Maroc in October, and the grueling Dakar (which now takes place in [Saudi Arabia]()) in January. But before it does that, it'll partake in the world's most important race up someone's driveway, otherwise known as the [Goodwood Festival of Speed](). There, it'll hustle up the hill and past the 11th Duke of Richmond's house on its way to the finish line. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()