As a standard raptor owner, I don’t mind that looks the same 😉
Seriously though, I also think there should’ve been a little bit more differentiation than red Rs. I’m sure they’re not going to spend money on changing the fender so that basically leaves the grill, hood, and perhaps a different tailgate applique.
Perhaps it’s intentional they are the same. Maybe they view it as a Raptor is a Raptor regardless of the motor. I do think the small changes they made to the 2024 give it a cleaner look than my 22.
All of my Raptors basically look the same, black with no graphic, painted to match fender flares and rear bumper, aftermarket wheels and front bumper. If I had an R you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference other than that sweet, wonderful sound coming from the exhaust.
me neither, could the Navi (maybe with some tweaks), a Aviator version before a decision to change it? I don't know
I see a bit resemblance with the Corsair grille
but then again you might be right with your analysis
Ford basically was copying GM and reinvented the wheel with CD6 at great expense and that’s why anything beyond Explorer/Navigator was harder to justify… although the CD6 Edge/Aviator replacement made it all the way to prototypes seen driving with camouflage stripes.
Had Mulally embraced the global RWD idea with the Aussie Falcon/Territory thrown into the pot, the economics may have sufficient to justify a full product cycle but in 2008, he was more interested in saving money and making full use of the vehicles that Ford already had in North America.
I think time was up for RWD cars as their volume began to waste away in the twenty teens, even FWD/AWD cars eventually gave way to utilities and Ford just saw it as too easy to follow that path with existing FWDs and just evolve Mustang as required.