Forbidden Fruit: Shop Builds a Midsize Ford Raptor SUV From a Ford Everest
When you can’t just buy a Bronco Raptor, you make your own off-road Ford SUV with whatever you can get your hands on.
For any Americans looking at this rig like a confused puppy, other countries get a Ford SUV called the Everest. It's based on the same T6 platform as the Ford Ranger with turbodiesel engines and a two-speed transfer case, but it isn't available in the United States. Fans in Australia and Asia have long wondered what a Raptor version would be like, so a shop in Thailand decided to find out by building one. Sort of.
Shana E-sport in Chon Buri, Thailand, built an Everest to have flared fenders and a wider track like an F-150 Raptor R. It also has a lifted ride height, more aggressive all-terrain tires, a Raptor R front end, and plenty of decals. It essentially shows us what it would look like if Ford decided to Raptor-ize an SUV that isn't the Bronco.
Admittedly, this is only a Raptor in appearance. While it certainly looks tough, it doesn't have the Fox Live Valve suspension like a proper Raptor does. That's just as much a part of the formula as tall tires and wide fenders, and there's no chance it could run wide-open across the desert, soaking up every whoop like an authentic baja machine built by Ford Performance.
There's also no word on what sort of powertrain this build uses. Normally, the Everest packs either a 2.0-liter, twin-turbocharged, four-cylinder diesel or an optional 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6. Both lumps get a ten-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive, and a two-speed transfer case. It's still pretty capable off-road, then.
This isn't the only shop in Thailand turning different Fords into Raptor lookalikes. At least one other specializes in making midsize Ranger pickups resemble their full-size F-150 brethren and even Super Dutys. Because they don't get all the same trucks we do, Thai enthusiasts have to get crafty if they want anything other than the Ranger Raptor. That truck is no slouch, of course, but its looks just aren't enough for some people, apparently.
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