The Rap Pack: long jumps in a Ford F-150 Raptor and Bronco Raptor

JR: I’ll just stop you there, before your gloating gets out of hand, because if I’m not mistaken your truck has the engine from a blue-collar Mustang, whereas mine has the heart of a supercar. The same, OK mildly detuned, engine as the Ford GT supercar, and that my friend is called pedigree.

Photography: Mark Riccioni

JB: Yes, you have a smaller and much dumbed down version of the very weakest part of the Ford GT. Cool. A mighty 3.0-litre V6 – admittedly twin-turbocharged – with 412bhp. Pushing, what, 2,600kg? Whereas, the Raptor R has a 5.2-litre supercharged V8 with SEVEN HUNDRED HORSEPOWER. Would you like to just leave now? We don’t have to do this... 

JR: True, we are in the land where cubic capacity is king, but the neanderthal part of my brain insists on turning everything into a competition, so I’ll fight on. The Bronco Raptor, or Braptor if you’re in a hurry, is basically a mini monster truck – 37-inch off-road tyres, underbody protection, Fox active dampers, track width to rival a tank and therefore wheelarches for days... and all for under $90,000 in the US. You cannot tell me this thing doesn’t look good.

JB: Can’t believe you didn’t take the out I offered up. OK, the Braptor does look really good. Maybe even better than the Raptor R. And my pickup is more expensive, too. This thing starts at $109,145. However, it also has 37-inch tyres, Fox shocks, does 0–62mph in 3.9 seconds and runs the quarter mile in 12 seconds dead. Plus, V8. Basically, the R has everything the Braptor has, plus an additional 300bhp.

JR: Let’s change the topic! What about this place, eh? We’re in Johnson Valley OHV (off-highway vehicle) area a couple of hours northeast of Los Angeles – a 96,000-acre paradise of sand dunes, dry lake beds, rocky trails and views to tell your grandkids about. You’ve been here before, haven’t you?

JB: Yep, I actually drove a standard F-150 Raptor here. The one with the Ecoboost engine as fitted to your toddler’s SUV. It’s an incredible place. Can you imagine the concept of a national park-sized area specifically designated to arse around in cars, trucks, buggies and on motorcycles in the UK? For free? God bless America. If you can keep up, I’m happy to be your guide. What flavour of stupidity do you fancy?

JR: I was thinking a bit of aimless sliding and bombing about to get to know our vehicles then... something a bit livelier. You see, I’ve still got my J plates – never before have all four wheels of a car under my control left the earth’s surface. Not on purpose at least. Given both our cars advertise themselves as Baja racers with numberplates and we find ourselves in the most lawless place in America, I thought we could catch some air in our 2.6-tonne-plus trucks? I’m ready to be shown the way of the jump.

JB: Luckily, jumping requires literally no skill. Just commitment. And if you think a ramp looks like you’ll fly at 50mph... it’s always 70mph. And it’s never 70mph. It’s always 90mph. So to be absolutely sure, let’s call it 100mph. Does the Braptor do 100mph?

JR: Top speed of 112mph, we’re good. Right, so I can properly flail about in the F-150’s wake, we’ll need to be in Baja mode, the ‘2H’ rear-wheel drive setting and turn the ESC completely off. Shame we can’t transplant the engine too because while there’s enough poke to properly hammer about out here, the V6 is a bit of a character vacuum. Probably doesn’t help that I’m being bathed in glorious V8 noises from the F-150 out in front, and constantly reminded that while we’re ostensibly doing the same things – gratuitous drifts, flat-out passes, generally monstering any obstacle in front of us – Jethro’s definitely having more fun. I can see his grin through the back of his head.

JB: What really impresses me is the ease with which the Raptor R does all that stuff, and how it doesn’t feel at all abusive. This thing feels built for this sort of behaviour. The engine is incredible. I should admit that at low revs the torque isn’t quite what you might expect, but it rips to the limiter with so much energy and the noise is pure theatre. That mix of almost shocking ability out here, layered with the intensity of the engine and then the sort of knowing humour of the whole package is irresistible. Honestly, a Raptor R shouldn’t be my sort of vehicle, but it’s awesome fun and allows you to push beyond your own comfort zone and still reward and support you. Wow, that was deep.

JR: Steady on, dangerously close to some useful information there. Meanwhile, not all is well from the Bronco’s driving seat. While it has the stance of a girthy bungalow and a look of complete invincibility from the outside, on the inside it appears to be made out of crisp packets. Flimsy is the word, which is worrying given we’re about to launch it skywards and pray it lands in one piece. Any joy locating a suitable ramp Jethro?

JB: You would think locating a jump in 96,000 acres would be relatively easy. But, weirdly, it’s been a struggle. Maybe doing the recce at 100mph and getting tunnel vision on what’s dead ahead wasn’t so wise. But, yes, I have found The Jump. The run up is rocky and a little too winding, but I think these things will carry plenty of speed. And it’s blind. So a great test of commitment and for you to get that rising sense of panic just before takeoff.

JR: Sounds ideal. You’re going first, obviously, I’m going to retire to a safe distance and check my life insurance policy... and make sure there are no trophy trucks coming in the other direction. In your own time.

JB: There is no great science to this, it’s more about belief, willpower and the unbending knowledge that these vehicles belong to somebody else. Having said that, it’s best not to brake just before takeoff as you’ll nose dive horribly and potentially cause damage. A steady throttle keeps the flight nice and level. The Raptor R is very definitely built for this. It’s so much more substantial inside than the Braptor, it seems to ride the bumps with more composure and it feels so bloody big that safety is conveyed in its very being. Takeoff speed? Can’t say. I just go full throttle from the starting point, then back off a bit and hold a steady position with my right foot for takeoff. It works. The Raptor R flies.

JR: JESUS! I know you do this sort of stuff with your eyes closed (not literally presumably?) but do you realise that was two jumps for the price of one? The recoil on landing put fresh air under all four wheels, again. My word, the mass and momentum of something that size flying past you is unreal, you feel the shockwaves in your lungs. You’ll notice I’m doing some Premier League babbling right now, all to try and distract my brain from the fact that it’s my go next...

JB: Momentum is your friend. It’s scary to witness but imagine the force driving you forwards to a safe landing. You literally cannot mess this up! Unless you have some sort of physics-bending anti-talent. And I have faith in you. Embrace the fear, pin the throttle and enjoy the ride. This is it, Jack. The Bronco Raptor is about to take you to places you’ve never been.

JR: My major problem here appears to be sweaty hands. Purchase on the wheel is low, but determination is high. Funny how a short upslope looks like a brick wall, with nothing but sky beyond, when you’re scrabbling towards it at 60mph. Remember this was your idea Jack, trust the process, imagine the photos... throttle back on approach then accelerate at the base of the jump and we’re airborne, all is serene, just the recoil spitting me into the scenery on landing to worry about now... we’re good! The Bronco laps it up and stays mostly screwed together. Bungee jumping, sky diving and now this – same post-adrenalin, endorphin-soaked high. Objects this hefty should not be able to do that.

JB: Wow! Nailed it. No hesitancy at all, loads of speed and even got a big old bounce on the landing, too. It actually does look vaguely terrifying from the outside, but also rather serene and magical. I think I’m dehydrated. Anyway, that was much, much better than expected. I have to say the Bronco does look a little bit suspect when all of its body panels are flapping in different directions, but the landing didn’t make any nasty noises and I assume you’re still in one piece. Great result all around.

JR: I’m alive, and so is the car. God that was good fun – feeling the fear and doing it anyway never fails to deliver. The real joy here though is using a car to the extremes that its engineers intended – a proper hot lap in a supercar, traversing inhospitable terrain in an off-roader, filling an MPV to the rafters with kids and stuff – letting a car prove what it can do could be the true root of automotive satisfaction.

JB: America loves a ‘take away’ from every situation. A moment of profound clarity. Our time in Johnson Valley isn’t quite therapy but it does feel cathartic. Ford understands that trucks and SUVs can be about pure recreation and the Bronco Raptor and the F-150 Raptor R are the ultimate expressions of that mindset. They are absurd, ridiculous, overblown, over-tyred and, yes, overweight. But they’re also incredibly capable, they have character in abundance and they show a great love for simply having fun on four wheels. So often we feel shamed for being enthusiasts. Well, if that’s the way it’s got to be, there are worse places to find refuge than in a Bronco or Raptor R. Those who would disapprove won’t be able to follow out here, anyway. Not at 100mph over yumps, rocks and silt beds.