It was inevitable, wasn’t it? Now that the Ford Ranger is again offered in the United States, the folks over at Hennessey Performance have created a … VelociRaptor Ranger.

Yes, Hennessey has handed the US-spec Ranger more power, hiking the turbocharged 2,3-litre EcoBoost petrol engine’s peak outputs from the standard 201 kW and 420 N.m to a somewhat more enticing 260 kW and 522 N.m.

This hike in oomph comes courtesy of Hennessey’s engine management software upgrade, as well as increased air flow through a new high-flow air induction system and a less restrictive (and apparently “better sounding”) stainless steel exhaust system.

Of course, the Texas-based firm has also handed the Ranger a few choice off-road goodies, including a stage 1 suspension upgrade that lifts the vehicle by more than 100 mm. Add special 17-inch alloy wheels and chunky BFG off-road rubber (in 285/70 R17 size), and the VelociRaptor Ranger stands around 150 mm inches taller than standard.

Hennessey has furthermore upgraded the front bumper with LED lights and an optional winch, while a roof-mounted LED light bar is also offered as an extra. An aggressive body kit (complete with flared arches) has also been added.

“We are so excited to introduce our 2019 Hennessey VelociRaptor upgrades for the 2019 Ford Ranger truck,” said company founder and CEO, John Hennessey.

“The demand for our VelociRaptor upgrades for the Ford Raptor truck has been incredible over the past 10 years. We are thrilled to be able to offer increased power, performance – on and off-road – all packed in our exclusively branded VelociRaptor package.”

Production will be limited to 500 units for the 2019 model year.

Original article from Car