WATCH: New Ford Ranger Raptor totalled in South African joyride

Ford has recently launched the all-new Ranger Raptor with one of the most powerful engines ever to be stuck into an off-road vehicle.

The power outputs of the new 3.0 litre V6 petrol engine have nearly doubled compared to the previous generation Ranger Raptor.

The new model produces a mind-blowing 292 kW and 583 Nm of torque, which makes it one of the fastest off-road bakkies that South Africa has ever seen.

Is this power too much?

Although the Ford Ranger Raptor has a performance suspension with Fox shocks with electronic damping, there are obviously limits to what these off-road vehicles can do.

If anyone knows anything about gravity, it’s that vehicles with a low centre of gravity hold the road better, an example of this is Formula one cars that are so low to the ground that you see sparks coming out of the rear when they hit bumps.

WATCH: Beastly new Ford Ranger Raptor makes strong statement

Unfortunately for the Ford Ranger Raptor, suspension setup is tailored for off-road use and the suspension has even been raised to give drivers extra clearance when crawling rocks.

This lifted suspension presents its own challenges though, which comes in the form of body roll, and if you have watched videos demonstrating the Moose test, you would know how dangerous it is for off-road vehicles to quickly do the slalom type test.

SA drivers already showing what irresponsible drivers they are

Footage has been circulating on social media of proud new Ranger Raptor owners being reckless with their newly purchased vehicles.

What is it with Ford owners? Reminds me of the Mustang and pedestrian days. pic.twitter.com/rxHwLztfuw

— Waynethelame (@Waynethelame1) March 1, 2023

One owner with a beautiful orange Ranger Raptor pulled away from the robots at a speed and an onlooker who liked the tone of the exhaust system took this video.

Another owner of a white Ranger Raptor tried to do a figure 8 on an open grass area and his joy ride ended in tears when his vehicle rolled due to the body roll.

High performance driver training

What these new vehicle owners don’t understand is that when you drive a high performance vehicle, whether it’s an off-road or on-road vehicle, there are rules and responsibilities that come with it.

Most car manufacturers offer advanced driver training to customers who purchase their vehicles, some even go as far as making it compulsory.

These training programs also save you on your insurance costs because you receive certification that you send to your insurer to lower your premium.

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Not the first time drivers lose control of off-road vehicles

On 23 October 2006, South Africa got the news that popular singer Lebo Mathosa, had died at the age of 29, in a car accident on the N3 when her driver lost control of her Toyota Prado in the early hours of the morning.

Another example on more international shores is artist Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, who died on 26 April 2002 when she lost control of a rented Mitsubishi Montero (Pajero). She was allegedly speeding when she lost control.

Drivers of these high performance off-road machines should be extra cautious of how they drive these machines in communities because the sheer size of it already make them a small truck.

A bigger car means more weight, which means the car takes longer to stop, and even with high performance brakes, you could imagine what this monster would do to the front of a little Datsun Go.

This serves as a warning to the reckless Ford Ranger Raptor drivers that we see out there, be responsible and avoid a case of manslaughter.