Richard Hammond Introduces Teen Daughters Off-Roading in a Ranger
Ford Ranger Raptor is the perfect vehicle for going through a midlife crisis in four-wheel drive.
The Chevrolet Corvette is known as “America’s Sports Car.” Unofficially, it’s also known as the stereotypical go-to car for guys who are going through a midlife crisis. But what if you’re Richard Hammond, noted automotive authority? Hammond, who once starred in Top Gear and now can be seen on Amazon Prime’s The Grand Tour, also is a part of the DriveTribe automotive social media platform. What do you get when you’ve driven all sorts of insanely fast cars and face-flatteningly-quick sport bikes? If you go by what this lighthearted spot shows, you get an extreme truck like the Ford Ranger Raptor.
Even though Ford doesn’t offer the ultimate off-road version of the Ranger here in the good ol’ USA, it’s not hard to imagine what the Ranger Raptor has. Picture Ford’s midsize truck with an F-150 Raptor-style grille, flared fenders, Raptor rear fender decals, and serious rubber. While you’re at it, add a rear sport bar out back and a twin-turbo 2.0-liter diesel engine up front. As Hammonds puts it in British English, “This is a very serious bit of kit.”
Being a married father of two teenage daughters (co-stars Isabella and Willow), Hammond sets out to show just how family-friendly the Raptor-ized Ranger is by taking his girls shopping. On the way to their favorite stores, Hammond touts how green the Raptor’s engine is. His daughters seem more interested in their music and smartphones.
Once they arrive, Hammond decides to wait in the Raptor while his girls shop their little hearts out (and rack up charges on his credit card). He drums his fingers on the steering wheel, which features a red centerline at 12 o’clock. He eventually resorts to playing cards by himself and writing a love letter to his wife on the Raptor’s hood.
Finally, the girls arrive carrying food court drinks and bags full of their newest finds. During the trip home, Hammond points out that the Raptor has stability control and roll mitigation technology “in case you’re one of those dads who has a reputation for…sometimes getting into a spot of bother in a car,” he says. Through his years of hosting and test- and stunt-driving he has nearly died in violent crashes of a motorcycle, a dragster, and the Rimac Concept One electric supercar. As he rattles off other feature names, Isabella silently continues to drink her organic smoothie.
Hammond soon comes to a crossroads and decides to take a shortcut. Even if it turns out to be the wrong way to his house, it’s the right way for him to go in a Raptor. Hammond flies down a dirt road, then puts the Fox shocks to the test on a rutted path. He even gets the chance to engage the Raptor’s Hill Start Assist feature.
By the time Hammond and his daughters get back home, the Raptor is covered in mud and muck…and Isabella is literally wearing her nutritious drink. Hammond sees the yellow havoc his impromptu trip through the forest wrought and tells his girls, “Let’s not tell your mother about that.” We’re sure they didn’t. They seem to be champions of the quiet game, and possibly future off-roading fans.
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