Ford will race a Raptor-branded off-roader in the 2025 Dakar Rally

Ford is serious about expanding its racing program. The brand unveiled a Mustang Dark Horse-inspired Funny Car that will hit the drag strip later in 2024, it's developing a Formula One power unit with Red Bull, and it announced a Raptor-branded entry into the 2025 Dakar Rally.

Previewed by Ford Performance during its 2024 season launch event, the truck looks nothing like the Ranger-like model competing in the 2024 edition of the race. Its full design hasn't been released yet, but the teaser image shows a grille with red "FORD" lettering flanked by C-shaped LED lights and, if you look closely, pronounced wheel arches. "Raptor" is a vague term; is it a Bronco, an F-150, or a Ranger?

The answer may be "none of the above." While the truck will wear Raptor badges, it will be developed jointly by Ford Performance and a British racing engineering company called M-Sport specifically for the Dakar Rally, so it won't be based on a production model. It will notably compete in the T1 category, which is open to prototypes that comply with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's safety and technical regulations. Beyond that, the rules are fairly open: T1-spec cars feature a tubular chassis, but the drivetrain is up to the team racing them.