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As Americans, we get almost all of the cool trucks. It’s hard to complain when we have the Ford F-150 Raptor R, Ram TRX SRT, and Chevy Silverado ZR2, among others. But that doesn’t mean the Ford Ranger Super Duty would never be welcome here—especially in its new 6×6 configuration.
The Ranger Super Duty is exactly what it sounds like: A midsize truck with harder-working hardware underneath. It’s rated to tow 9,920 pounds and carry 4,370 pounds of payload in stock form, thanks to upgraded suspension that pairs nicely with a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6. Markets like Australia eat that up, but the six-wheeler you’re looking at here was actually developed for the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense’s Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) program.
Enhance! Strangely enough, those look like six-lug wheels. The “normal” Ranger Super Duty wears eight-lugs. Ford
Ford already sells a tray-bed variant of the truck, but this takes it a step further by adding an extra axle. “We engineered Ranger for conversion from day one,” explained Jim Baumbick, president of Ford Europe. Specifically, the Blue Oval designed the Ranger Super Duty 6×6 for duty as both a troop-carrying vehicle and a battlefield ambulance.
The truck’s cab is ready to work in these applications, too. It sports a 12-inch screen, and while wireless Apple CarPlay probably isn’t that crucial to the job, the display allows operators to easily control “third-party tactical mission software,” as Ford explains. It also has pre-wired auxiliary switches that can be used for emergency lighting, communications, or whatever the heck.
Ford
From what I can tell, there’s no guarantee yet that Ford will supply these to the UK Ministry of Defense. They were created to compete for the government’s LMV program, so it’s possible that another vehicle might get the honors. Regardless, I think Ford should build these and sell them to the public. Including me. For work, of course.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com
From running point on new car launch coverage to editing long-form features and reviews, Caleb does some of everything at The Drive. And he really, really loves trucks.
