MELBOURNE, Australia, October 3, 2023 – Ford has released the second episode of The Inside Scoop - a new video series that takes viewers behind the scenes to learn more about the company and the people that create vehicles and technologies that are designed to help customers do more.

Hosted by Dr Neil Lewington, Ford Technical Specialist and Aerodynamics Supervisor, this episode focuses on the importance of aerodynamics in truck design and the role aerodynamics plays in the new Ranger Raptor’s performance and on-road refinement.

Dr Lewington joined Ford in 2007 after five years with the McLaren F1 team, and part of his initial brief was to apply the technology and understanding he gained in Formula 1 to Ford’s passenger cars and trucks.

“There are a lot of parallels between the Formula 1 mindset and what we do here at Ford. In fact, my job is no different,” Dr Lewington said. “In Formula 1, we were chasing lap time. In Ford, I'm chasing the best outcome for drag and the best outcome for fuel economy.”

Dr Lewington explains that the basic pickup shape is not the easiest to work with when it comes to refining aerodynamic efficiency but as more and more customers choose pickups for work, family and play, designers have had to improve pickup design to match customer expectations on efficiency and refinement.

The new Ranger and Ranger Raptor underwent hundreds of hours of virtual and physical aerodynamics testing with cutting-edge computational fluid dynamics to manage airflow around the truck to improve its high-speed performance and on-road refinement.

“The benefits of aerodynamics may seem imperceptible to some of our customers, but hopefully when they're filling up less at the petrol station, they appreciate the effort we've put in,” Dr Lewington said.

Inside Scoop will build into a series will feature interviews with experts, designers, engineers, and other key players who bring Ford vehicles and services to life.

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