Ford's Very Gay Raptor Ready For Goodwood Action

Just under a year ago, Ford created the 'Very Gay Raptor' in response to a comment made about the Ford Ranger Raptor's Performance Blue color. In essence, that car was designed to make the loudest and most homophobic of Ford's critics uncomfortable while showing support for the LGBTQ+ community. Ford decided it should make one after a rendering of the truck went viral on Twitter, and here we are.

This year, the Very Gay Raptor (VGR, as Ford calls it), is making a comeback for the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it will debut alongside an all-new electric Ford Supervan with the aim of "reaffirming Ford's long-term commitment to LGBTQ+ allyship."

Ford will also be holding live sessions of its YouTube series "Tough Talks" with host Gareth Thomas, the first openly gay rugby union player. The series is centered around "how the automotive industry can foster a culture of inclusion and allyship for the LGBTQ+ community."

Thomas speaks with multiple members of both the automotive and LGBTQ+ community and discusses the things we should be talking about, including tough topics like workplace harassment of transgendered people. These are necessary conversations as well. The comments section on one of the Tough Talks videos is filled with appalling homophobic comments from users.

Ford hasn't gone into great detail on what we'll be seeing from the Ranger Raptor at Goodwood, saying that it'll be tackling Goodwood's off-road track in between runs up the famous hillclimb. That might be a tease for Americans. The Ranger Raptor is set to appear in America for the 2023 model year, and anticipation around that launch is already building.

Why wouldn't there be anticipation? Over in England, the current Ranger Raptor produces 284 horsepower and 362 lb-ft of torque. It's priced relatively affordably, coming in at an estimated $44,500. And hopefully, it will deliver on all the promises we expect from the truck and look fabulous doing it.

Regardless, we're looking forward to seeing this truck go up the hill at Goodwood, as well as tackling the off-road course. That will hopefully give us a better idea of what this truck is capable of, as Ford looks to irk more homophobes in the process.