The Ford Ranger MS-RT’s journey began in Australia, where the MS-RT design team and Ford Ranger design team collaborated to design and engineer the Ford Ranger MS-RT. A product of collaboration and global expertise, the Ranger MS-RT showcases the best of Ford’s ruggedness and sporty design ethos of MS-RT and the rally heritage of the M-Sport rally team. Find out more about MS-RT here. The development of the Ranger MS-RT involves several steps, each contributing to the final product’s superior style and performance. Here’s an inside look at the key stages of its journey from conception to completion.
INNOVATIVE COLLABORATION
Ford’s Australian design teams brought a wealth of experience and expertise to this project, having honed their skills in developing tough, capable vehicles designed to handle the harshest conditions. This region’s diverse and demanding terrains have shaped the ruggedness of the Ranger, making it a solid base for further enhancements.
The collaboration between MS-RT and Ford’s Australian design team ensures that the Ranger MS-RT maintains the inherent qualities of the original Ranger while setting the stage for the aesthetic and performance design qualities that define the MS-RT identity. Collaboration with the design team in Australia led to the use of new and innovative technologies that helped boost innovation and development while bridging the distance gap between the two countries.
Virtual reality software was a prominent feature in the development process allowing the MS-RT design and engineering team to view the Ranger MS-RT in a fully immersive 3D environment. This allowed designers and engineers to visualise and refine intricate details, from the aerodynamics of the body styling to the ergonomics of the interior layout, without the need for physical prototypes. These VR simulations enabled real time adjustments of design modifications, ensuring optimal performance and aesthetics were achieved before production, while the two teams were on either side of the globe. In the words of our design and engineering director, Dr James Kerr, “The innovative VR technology allowed us to make real time modifications while seamlessly communicating with a team on the other side of the world. This transformative approach not only fostered a collaborative environment but also allowed us to visualise and iterate our designs more effectively. We achieved a level of efficiency and creativity in our projects that was previously unimaginable”.
To finalize the engineering and design process, the Australian Ranger team meticulously crafted a full-scale clay model of the Ranger MS-RT. This hands-on approach allowed the designers and engineers to physically sculpt and refine every curve and detail, ensuring that the vehicle’s bold, aerodynamic styling was perfectly aligned with MS-RT’s performance-driven vision. The clay model served as a tangible representation of the final product, allowing for precise adjustments and a closer examination of the vehicle’s proportions and aesthetics before moving into full production. By combining traditional clay modelling techniques with advanced digital tools, the team was able to achieve the perfect balance between the ruggedness of the Ranger and the motorsport-inspired enhancements of the MS-RT. This step was critical in bringing the Ranger MS-RT’s unique design to life. To finalise, MS-RT’s engineer and design director, Dr James Kerr, flew over from the UK to physically sign the design of the Ranger MS-RT off.
SOUTH AFRICA PRODUCTION
After the design and engineering phase is complete, the next stage takes place in South Africa, where the Ford Ranger is manufactured. Ford Silverton assembly plant in Pretoria serves as the hub to produce this global model. The plants high tech production line produces the Ford Ranger with precision and efficiency, ensuring that each vehicle meets Ford’s stringent quality standards before it moves on to its next phase.
At this point, the Ranger is a well-rounded, high performing pickup, but it’s not yet the MS-RT version that fans know and love. It is built to handle the toughest environments, offering reliability and power in equal measure. This stage serves as a foundation for what will soon become a more refined and stylish variant when it arrives in the UK for its transformation into the Ranger MS-RT.
DAGENHAM TRANSFORMATION
Once the Ranger completes build in South Africa, it heads into the heart of Ford’s Dagenham facility where the distinctive MS-RT transformation begins. Forged in a collaboration with M-Sport, the Ranger MS-RT takes inspiration from class leading WRC rally cars. From the wider more aggressive arches to the two bold rear spoilers, the Ranger MS-RT has all the styling cues to make it stand out on the road. One significant step forward in the collaboration between MS-RT and Ford is allocation of MS-RT specific vehicles from Ford’s factory. This means that the Ranger MS-RT is not simply a standard Ranger that undergoes a series of aftermarket modifications; instead, it is designated as an MS-RT product from the very beginning of its production journey.
A GLOBAL EFFORT IN INNOVATION AND CRAFTMANSHIP
The Ford Ranger MS-RT is a result of a truly global effort, from its design roots in Australia to its production in South Africa, and finally, its transformation into a performance machine in the UK. Each step in the process is essential, with every team contributing their expertise to ensure the Ranger MS-RT is a pickup like no other – offering strength, style and sophistication. The collaboration between Ford and MS-RT has created a vehicle that captures the essence of motorsport excitement while maintaining the rugged capabilities of the original Ranger, making it an exceptional choice for those who crave adventure with a touch of performance and refinement.