I installed NL3Z-3600-PB this week which is the orange stripe Raptor steering wheel in my 24 F-250 XLT. It has paddle shifters and bought a harness from Boosted GreyGoose for the 23+ SD that enable the paddle shifters. The full leather wheel is a huge upgrade from the plastic oem wheel..
Who ever thought the Ranger Raptor needed more gray colors needs to be fired. Why in the world would Ford drop Red from the color choices on the Ranger Raptor is just crazy. Rudy Red one of Fords best Reds would have been a great color on the Raptor Ranger instead they gave us an ugly color Marsh Gray that looks like a primer color. What is up with NA management they also deleted the grab handles and the rear air vents from the truck when they brought it over here, that was really a mistake. Those grab handle for the driver is a must, it would help getting into the tall Ranger Raptor. The Aussie and Euro Ranger Raptors have the grab handles and every F150 in NA have them. I did not like the Hot pepper red it was orange not red and now they add Rudy Red to all the other Rangers but the Raptor Ranger gets no red choices. If they based it on Hot Pepper Red take on orders in 2024 its because it is not Red but orange. Please give us Rudy Red on the Raptor Ranger it would look great on the truck I would buy it like wright now. Again fire that color blind person who keeps adding all the grays they are out sync with your customers.
The Ford of Europe big shots used the word "iconic" several times to describe what kinds of new passenger vehicles they intend to offer in Europe
"The next generation of Ford vehicles in Europe will be software-defined, offering our customers a superior digital and driving experience, with differentiated, iconic Ford design"
"Ford’s vision for its future European business is defined by A successful and profitable passenger vehicle business, competing in select segments with iconic vehicles that are distinctively Ford."
If Ford wants to be seen as premium, as the ultimate in enthusiasts brands and passion products, I say go for it. Just learn from botched attempts like the Capri on what people do, and don't want.
Yea, cost control isn't in Ford's vocabulary. As for them Chinese automakers, some of them have the combination of latest technology at relatively low prices that European customers want. It's not just the Porsche head honcho who admits this. Ford's head honcho does too. He said:
China made this commitment more than a decade ago, far before any of the Western countries fell in love with pure electrification.
They have IP that the rest of the world has not developed.