In June 2024, local armoured-vehicle specialist SVI Engineering whipped the wraps off an AK47-resistant Volkswagen Golf GTI, a bulletproof hot hatch designed for rapid-response applications. Now, the company has turned the Ford Ranger Raptor into a bulletproof rapid-response vehicle. Here’s what you can expect…
According to SVI Engineering, thanks to its in-depth knowledge of the Ford Ranger, the “bespoke” B4 armouring kit with which the pinnacle Ranger is equipped sets a “new standard” in the vehicle-armouring industry. So, what does the “discreet” B4 armouring solution comprise of? Providing “comprehensive” protection against handguns of up to the .44 Magnum variety, the package includes “precisely” cut-and-bonded Kevlar sheets for the Ranger Raptor’s body, with armoured steel plates fitted vulnerable, yet smaller, areas, such as the pillars, of the vehicle.
In addition, critical powertrain components are protected by armour that is concealed in the front wheel arches, while several items found below the double-cab bakkie’s bonnet have also received bullet-resistant protection. Bulletproof glass, measuring 21 mm thick, is also present.
The Ranger Raptor is an unparalleled base for a rapid-response vehicle with high-speed off-road capabilities.
SVI Engineering says that, thanks to the Ranger Raptor’s “mighty” power and torque outputs, the “lightweight” B4 armouring kit has a “virtually imperceptible” impact on the performance-focused double cab’s acceleration times and dynamic performance. As a reminder, the new Ranger Raptor ’s 3.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V6 petrol powertrain is endowed with 292 kW and 583 N.m, sent to all four corners via the Blue Oval brand’s familiar 10-speed automatic cog swapper.
So, how much does it cost to convert your Ranger Raptor to an armoured rapid-response bakkie? Well, the B4 armouring kit will set you back R545 121, which excludes VAT and, of course, the price of the donor vehicle. As a reminder, locally, the Ranger Raptor is priced from R1 226 700. According to SVI Engineering, it takes “approximately” three months to complete the conversion.
“As South Africa’s most powerful bakkie, the Ranger Raptor is an unparalleled base for a rapid-response vehicle with high-speed off-road capabilities. Fitted with our Ford-backed B4 armouring package, this solution also offers proven ballistic protection, making it the ideal choice for South Africa’s private security firms,” said Nicol Louw, Business Development Director at SVI Engineering. “This, then, is surely both the fastest and the safest rapid-response bakkie out there.”