Raptor toughens up: Ford Ranger Raptor Desert Pack revealed to pummel Toyota Hilux GR Sport, Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain, Kia Tasman X-Pro
1 week ago
Lukas Foyle
Contributor
Partnership with Ford and ARB births 500 exclusive Ranger Raptor Desert models sporting decal pack and sports bar
The Ford Ranger Raptor just got even tougher.
Limited to 500 units, the Ranger Raptor Desert Pack is developed in collaboration with aftermarket specialist ARB and Ford Australia.
“The Desert Pack celebrates [the Ranger Raptor’s] racing heritage while delivering authentic off-road enhancements that our most enthusiastic customers have been asking for,” said Blue Oval marketing director Ambrose Henderson.
Available for an additional $5990, the Desert Pack brings the entry price of a Ranger Raptor to a staggering $96,680, before on-road costs. It includes an ARB sports bar, four ARB ‘Nacho Quatro’ driving lights mounted to a bespoke roof bar, and ‘all weather’ floor mats.
The Ranger Raptor Desert Pack also brings an option-specific decal pack, which rounds out what Ford calls a ‘trophy truck inspired’ look.
Note that Ford’s Desert Pack has made no changes to the suspension, engine, or tyres of the Ranger Raptor, nor does it include additional underbody or driveline protection.
Closest rivals to the specced-up Ranger Raptor with Desert Pack include, but are not limited to,the $74,310 Toyota Hilux GR Sport, $73,000 Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain, and new-kid $74,990 Kia Tasman X-Pro. Prices shown are before on-road costs.
Ranger owners who wish to option either the ARB sports bar or driving lights to their vehicle will have the ability to do so through their Ford dealer. Both ARB options will become available once the 500 Desert Packs have sold.
Ford has advised that Desert Pack optioned Ranger Raptor models are available to order now for MY26, with deliveries expected to commence in coming months. These models will lose the standard Raptor’s powered roller shutter tub cover due to compatibility issues.
GWM wants to buy iconic Holden Lang Lang Proving Ground from Vinfast
1 week ago
The massive property in regional Victoria allows vehicles to be developed for Australian roads away from prying eyes
Chinese car manufacturer GWM could soon own one of Australia’s most storied automotive test tracks.
GWM has confirmed it is in live talks with Vietnam’s Vinfast, the current owner of the Lang Lang Proving Ground in Victoria.
Lang Lang used to serve as the sprawling home of Holden’s vehicle development program, and was the birthplace of generations of Commodores among other name plates.
Global chief technology officer of GWM, Nicole Wu, confirmed to Chasing Cars and other media that discussions are active.
“We are negotiating about the price,” Wu said. “It is not expensive compared to what we have in China and other countries (but) we just need to evaluate the business (case).”
Lang Lang has been a constant in Australian automotive history since 1957 when General Motors built the complex to replicate local Aussie road conditions away from prying eyes.
Over six decades, nearly every Holden – from the FC to the final VF — was honed there to varying success, with late model VE and VF versions regarded for world-class ride and handling.
Lang Lang offers 44 kilometres of test loops including tarred and gravel road simulations, as well as a 4.7-kilometre high-speed bowl that was comprehensively resurfaced only seven years ago.
GM offloaded the nine square kilometre site to Vinfast in 2020 for a reported mid-$30 million price, three years after shuttering local Commodore production.
The Vietnamese newcomer used the facility only briefly before putting Lang Lang back onto the market in 2021 and then again in 2024.
Linfox, the logistics company of billionaire Lindsay Fox and owner of the Australian Automotive Research Centre in Anglesea, Victoria, has previously been linked to a bid for the site.
GWM isn’t approaching Lang Lang from nought. The conglomerate has already leased sections of the facility for testing and media activities, joining fellow manufacturers including Mitsubishi who have done the same.
The current-generation GWM Haval H6 is presently having its suspension and steering retuned at Lang Lang for the 2026 model year.
“We are considering purchasing (Lang Lang Proving Ground). Even if we don’t buy it, we can (still) use it — but if we buy it, it will be an advantage,” said GWM CTO Wu.
The property received a major $7.2 million resurfacing of its banked bowl in 2018 and roughly $16 million in broader road/facility upgrades before Holden departed.
Adding weight to the plan is GWM’s recent recruitment of ex-Holden dynamics guru Rob Trubiani as project engineering manager. Trubiani, who shaped the on-road character of late-model Commodores, is retuning existing GWM models and feeding into future programs.
Wu, in Melbourne this week for a media tour, said GWM will keep using Lang Lang for local tuning regardless of whether the mooted sale goes through.
