Hey, Hilux, watch out! Ford Ranger to tackle Dakar in 2024 with SA’s technical expertise

Ford Performance is polishing its motorsport credentials. Its return to Dakar follows announcements as an engine supplier to Red Bull's Formula One team and a return to The 24 hours of Le Mans with the Mustang GT3. 

Dakar is one of the few motorsport arenas where Ford Performance hasn't been involved, but that will all change at 2024's Dakar Rally when a Ranger enters the famous race. 

"To lead the charge at one of the ultimate global off-road events – the Dakar Rally – has been our goal," said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director, Ford Performance Motorsports. "We cannot underestimate the enormity of the challenge ahead of us."

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Although Ford Performance has its headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, its first foray in Dakar will be peppered with a very South African flavour. Behind the scenes, the locally-assembled Ford Ranger, which currently competes in the South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC), has been co-developed by Neil Woolridge Motorsport and M-Sport. This combination marries decades of NWM's off-road racing expertise with M-Sport's WRC know-how.

The team has implemented a series of development phases throughout 2023 and continues testing with the Ranger T1+, based on the previous generation global Ranger, with a 3.5-litre EcoBoost engine. Test races are expected to include Spain's Baja España Aragón and Morocco's Rally du Maroc in July and October, but drivers have yet to be named.

Expectations for 2024 are modest, with it being described as a 'finish and learn process' with bigger ambitions set for 2025. It's yet to be clarified if the team, or indeed the Ranger, will retain all the same technical partners and mechanical architecture for