I had the incredible opportunity to test drive Ford's £2 million Dakar Rally truck in a private forest, an experience that only a select few have been trusted with. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get behind the wheel of one of the toughest and most exclusive vehicles on the planet. But here's where it gets controversial... I didn't push it to its limits, and I'm glad I didn't. This Raptor is a beast, and it deserves to be treated with respect. With a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine, 360bhp, and a 6-speed sequential gearbox, it's a purpose-built desert racer designed to win the Dakar Rally. The suspension travel is so generous that you could sit a baby elephant on the front corner and it wouldn't bottom out. The fuel tank is a massive 500 liters, ensuring the machine can last the marathon stages of the Dakar. But it's not just about power and endurance. The Raptor is an engineering masterpiece, highly adjustable, and easy to drive fast. It handles and changes direction like a WRC Fiesta on stilts, making it tremendous fun to drive. However, the Dakar Rally is no walk in the park. It's an epic challenge unlike any other in motorsport, with 13 marathon speed tests crossing a variety of desert surfaces, including sand dunes the size of tower blocks. It's essentially an entire WRC season in two weeks, and Ford is taking it seriously, sending eight trucks to the Arabian Desert in search of its first outright win. So, can Ford topple Toyota, Dacia, and others to win the Dakar at only its second attempt? Let's see. But for now, I'm just glad I got to experience the thrill of driving this incredible machine.
