Ranger

Make
Ford
Segment
Sports Car

Former Top Gear and current The Grand Tour host Richard Hammond is having a self-proclaimed mid-life crisis. The guy is turning 50 and his love for American vehicles is greater than ever. Did he buy a new muscle car? No, but rather a pickup truck. Ironically, it's the one pickup truck we want most in America but Ford, at least so far, refuses to oblige.

Hammond's birthday present to himself is none other than the Ford Ranger Raptor, the overseas-only diesel-powered off-roader that can go just about anywhere while still offering its occupants plenty of comfort. It even has four doors, as Hammond so obviously points out in this new video, which could easily also serve as a 4-minute commercial for Ford.

The automaker didn't exactly hire Hammond for this task, but it looks like it was involved in with the video in various ways. And you know what? That's just fine. Advertising is advertising, and Hammond certainly has an ability to help sell vehicles he fancies. But at least the Ranger Raptor is an insanely cool truck.

Powered by a new 2.0-liter bi-turbo diesel with 210 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, the Ranger Raptor has five off-road driving modes, two on-road modes thanks to its advanced Terrain Management System. Its suspension system was designed to tackle rough terrain at high-speed for, you know, racing purposes.

Now, Hammond is certainly no stranger to racing. In fact, two racing incidents in particular nearly cost him his life. Perhaps he should take it easy, more or less, and stick to far easier off-road tasks. The guy lives in the countryside, after all. But chances are Hammond won't be able to fight the urge to let his Ranger Raptor loose. We'd do the same. Oh, that's right. We can't. Ford doesn't seem to think Americans want one.