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Ford Ranger Gets $250,000 Engine in the U.S. for Desert Racing

Published on 02/04/2025 at 16:19
Updated on 02/04/2025 at 16:35
Ford Ranger, motor
Foto: Reprodução
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In The United States, Speed Enthusiasts Took A Ford Ranger To The Next Level. The Group Invested Heavily In An Engine Valued At R$ 250 Thousand To Transform The Pickup Into A Desert Racing Monster

A group of Americans decided to do something quite crazy: they put an expensive engine, worth about R$ 250 thousand (US$ 50 thousand), in an old Ford Ranger that cost only R$ 2,500 (US$ 500). All of this was to participate in a race in the Mexican desert.

The team from the Donut channel, famous on YouTube, bought a 1993 Ford Ranger for a very low price. The idea was to turn the vehicle into a high-performance model to face the Norra 500, a tough race filled with sand and rocks.

They Changed Everything, Even The Engine Of The Ford Ranger

The original engine of the Ranger was weak, with only 152 horsepower. Therefore, they decided to install a super powerful V8 engine, the same type used in sports cars. This new engine can deliver up to 500 horsepower to the rear wheels.

In addition, the team also replaced the suspension, the brakes, and made improvements inside the vehicle. The goal was simple: to make the vehicle ready to withstand the heat, the bumps, and the challenges of the desert.

Oh, this is going to be super easy,” joked one of the hosts. The other responded sarcastically: “I can already sign up for the retired association,” referring to the age of the new engine.

Before The Race, Came The Scare

When they tested the car for the first time, nothing went as expected. The fuel started leaking and the engine wouldn’t even start properly.

Desperate, they asked a friend engineer for help, who managed to identify the problem: it was a failure in the ignition coils, an essential part for the engine to work. With the right replacement, the engine finally started.

Power Almost At The Limit

After solving the problems, they put the vehicle on the dynamometer, a machine that measures the engine’s power. The goal was to reach 500 horsepower. The result was 453 horsepower — very close.

Even without hitting the target, the vehicle impressed. From a simple and cheap model, it turned into almost a racing machine.

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Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Journalist specializing in a wide variety of topics, such as cars, technology, politics, naval industry, geopolitics, renewable energy, and economics. Active since 2015, with prominent publications on major news portals. My background in Information Technology Management from Faculdade de Petrolina (Facape) adds a unique technical perspective to my analyses and reports. With over 10,000 articles published in renowned outlets, I always aim to provide detailed information and relevant insights for the reader.

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