Top 5 things to know about the NWM Ford Ranger
KZN-based Neil Woolridge Motorsport has long been at the cutting edge of rally-raid vehicles.
The NWM Ranger, built by KZN-based Neil Woolridge Motorsport, competes in the South African Rally Raid Championship and other events around the world, and right at home in Pietermaritzburg.
NWM has a storied history of off-road championship success, including a third place in the T1 class with a Mitsubishi Pajero Evo at the 1999 Dakar rally for founder and owner Neil Woolridge, a Super Production title with a Ranger in 2006, a promising 22nd overall in the 2014 Dakar Rally with a NWM Ranger piloted by Argentinian duo Lucio Alvarez and Ronnie Graue, and back-to-back Class T SARRC titles for Lance Wooldridge and co-driver Ward Huxtable in 2018 and 2019 with a V8 Ranger.
The same locally-built NWM Ranger took wins in events worldwide including Australia, Brazil, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Portugal and Spain, and in 2023 under the new T1+ ruleset the team scored another championship win in South Africa.
It’s ALMOST stock
Well, at least the engine is. Unlike the range-topping Ranger Raptor bakkie’s 3.0-litre turbo petrol V6 that makes 292kw and 583Nm of torque, the NWM Ranger uses the same 3.5-litre turbo petrol V6 found in the F150 Raptor that is only available in North America. As per FIA regulations for the Ultimate class of Rally Raid vehicles, peak power is 264kW and maximum torque is 600Nm, though the torque curve is carefully tuned through a Motec management system.
Completely custom shell
There’s 150m of chromoly tubing used throughout the NWM Ranger to make the chassis as strong as possible along with 1.8km of wiring, 15kg of welding rods and 10kg of chassis paint. All of these extra components conspire to add plenty of weight, the enemy of vehicle performance, but there’s also 110 square metres of carbon-fibre employed that makes up the body panels, doors and passenger cell. This results in the NWM Ranger meeting the FIA’s 2 010kg minimum weight requirement for this class.
It’s all in the suspension
Each wheel is supported by a single 76mm damper specially designed for the NWM Ranger by BOS suspension that provides 350mm of travel. These, along with the 37-inch tyres allow the Ranger to take on rough terrain at high speeds. The suspension set-up matches those previously used on racing Rangers from NWM, but the 2024 Ranger damper cooling efficiency allows for more consistency on a race weekend. Each wheel and tyre combination weigh a hefty 48kg, and the NWM Ranger also has two full-sized spares onboard.
Almost half a tonne of fuel
Rally Raid events require the driver, navigator and car to cover long distances on timed stages and then only refuel on certain liaison sections. The NWM Ranger carries a 480-litre fuel cell made by UK-based Aero Tec laboratories – the same company that supplied fuel tanks to Formula 1 teams.
Next level cooling
As rally-raid events happen in gruelling conditions, such as the two-week Dakar Rally that takes place in the Saudi Arabian desert, the NWM Ranger is equipped with air conditioning to help combat the cabin temperature that can spike to 50°C – which helps not only the driver and navigator but also keeps the onboard-electronics at a working temperature. There are also 10 coolers to keep the engine, gearbox and differentials running optimally.
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