One Epic Desert Adventure as 23 Ford Ranger Raptors Conquer the Sahara

COLOGNE, Germany – Ranger Raptor is designed to conquer extreme terrain, so to prove just how capable the pickup is, a convoy of owners headed to the Sahara earlier this month for an epic off-road adventure.

The event, called the Desert Raptor Experience, was based in the Erg Chebbi area near Merzouga in Morocco, and saw 23 Raptors and 45 guests spend seven days driving in sand in what was described as an “unforgettable experience”.

Organised by Masia Pelarda with the support of Ford Spain, it follows a similar event held last year where the objective is to show guests how to safely enjoy the full potential of Raptor’s advanced traction and stability systems.

Antonio Chicote, communications manager, Ford Spain, explains: “The trip started with a lot of theoretical training on driving in sand, focusing on the most basic safety tips, because with a car like this, you can drive very fast without being aware of the traps of the desert. The instructors of Masia Pelarda gave expert advice on how to read and conquer the dunes using the just the right speed and trajectory.”

Day #1 say the drivers tackle more than 40km of technical dunes to better understand their Raptor’s capabilities. The rest of the week saw them take on a combination of dune and open desert stages in Hammadas, Chots, Sand Rivers, Stone Mountains and Sand Tongues, combining tourism, fun and training in truly stunning locations.

David Nadal, CEO of Masía Pelarda and Motor Aventura, said: “No doubt this model has just shown that at last a brand (Ford) has believed in the needs of the user. Thanks to its, power, suspension, comfort, safety and sporty concept, Ranger Raptor has created a community of users who will certainly want to discover the world and live adventures with this Ford.”

Antonio Abril, Facilities & Tooling engineer at Ford Valencia, attended the event. He said: “As a brand lover and member of the Ford family, I find it incredible to see how this event is consolidated and how the Raptor community in Spain is growing. Last year we were 11 cars, this year we had 23. I would like to extend it to users from other countries in Europe as well as our Bronco customers. This is my next challenge."

The team of Masia Pelarda is already working on another adventure to be held in 2026, as well as organising additional meetings and training at their facilities in 2025.