Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Work, Ford, Off-Road
What the U.S. Federal Government wants, the U.S. Federal Government gets. And what the Customs and Border Protection division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security wanted were at least 10 Ford SVT Raptor pickup trucks to patrol the area where Arizona borders with Mexico. Only problem is that Ford puts a standard leather interior in all its Raptor trucks, which is evidently against the ordering preferences of the Feds.
So, what to do? Put in an extra-special order with Ford, make a few phone calls (give us what we want… or else…) and patiently await delivery – a truckload of specially liveried pickups that Autoblog reader Matt happened photograph and send in to us. We went ahead and contacted Ford to be sure that it managed to deliver the authorities the Raptors it wanted, and we got an affirmative… sort of.
Ford would need the actual Vehicle Identification Numbers of the trucks to confirm individual equipment levels, and we’re not about to march on down to Southern Arizona to grab them. But Ford says the Feds did order Raptors without leather and that the Blue Oval Bosses complied. So we’re going with a definite probably. Have a look for yourself below. Thanks for the pics, Matt!
Gallery: U.S. Border Patrol Ford SVT Raptor shipment
Reader Spy: U.S. Border Patrol finally gets its leatherless Ford Raptors originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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What’s not beefed up is the turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBoost inline four-cylinder engine, which is used in the hot-hatch Focus ST where it produces 247 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. Keeping the driver comfortable and in check are a Recaro racing seat, Ford Racing six-point harness and fire-suppression system.
This car’s first appearance in competition will be at the 2011 British Touring Car Championship, but it will also circle tracks in China and at the 24-hour race at Nürburgring in Germany. Even more importantly, Ford says the upcoming 2012 Focus ST will benefit from the experience gained by racing its track-developed sibling.
Every now and again, we come across news that a vehicle has eclipsed the one million mile mark. The vehicles are typically very old, and they’re often pickup trucks. That’s only partly true for Phil Marsella, who uses his relatively new four year-old Ford F-250 to deliver greyhound dogs to racetracks and families across America. Marsella reportedly drives his gas F-250, “Betsy,” between 7,000 and 10,000 miles per week, or more miles than many drivers log in an entire year. And it appears as though Ford never expected the F-250 would surpass one million road miles, as the digital odometer stopped working once the milestone was reached. Marsella says that he’s tracking the miles, though, with another 12,000 miles or so since one million.
After all, the modern conveniences of day-to-day life just don’t mix with such uncivilized activities as seeing how much air you can put between your truck’s skid plates and solid ground.
