At the 2025 Detroit Auto Show, Ford CEO Jim Farley didn’t just make a statement, he made a damn declaration. “Rule No. 1 at Ford: no boring products.” This isn’t corporate fluff. It’s a declaration of war while enemies hide behind EV initiatives and boardroom doors. Farley isn’t just running Ford; he’s in the trenches, making sure every vehicle that rolls off the line is built to thrill, to dominate, and to leave the competition choking on its stock price.
Farley isn’t just talking, he’s backing it up with 11 Ford performance models. He’s keeping the V8 alive while others kill it. He greenlit a $300,000 street-legal Mustang GT3, because why the hell not? He put the Mustang back in endurance racing, proving that Ford’s muscle isn’t just for the streets, it’s built for the world stage.
Farley lives and breathes horsepower. When he’s not making bold moves in the auto industry, he’s ripping up asphalt worldwide, racing vintage beasts like his ‘65 Ford GT40, ‘66 427 Cobra, and ‘78 Lola 298 to their limits. A relentless competitor and die hard collector, he’s not just “a car guy,” he’s a corporate Steve McQueen.
Now, he’s gunning for the off-road crown, and he’s bringing an army. The 720-horsepower F-150 Raptor R. The 418-horsepower Bronco Raptor. The 405-horsepower Ranger Raptor. This isn’t a lineup… it’s a declaration of war on every other so-called domestic and foreign truck manufacturer out there.
“We Want to Be the Porsche of Off-Road”
The Ram 1500 TRX was supposed to be the king of the off-road jungle; a supercharged, 702-horsepower middle finger to everything else on four wheels. And for a brief moment, it was. But instead of doubling down, Ram quietly pulled the plug, sending its halo truck to the automotive graveyard while Ford kept swinging with the 720-horsepower Raptor R.
Sure, the TRX had all the power, all the noise, and those cute little fender bulges that screamed aggressive. But when it came time to prove it was more than just a straight line monster, Ram completely dropped the ball. Instead of going all in on real off-road capability, they slapped on Bilstein Blackhawk shocks. Bilstein. Not FOX. Not King. Bilstein.
Are you picking up what I’m putting down? Ford and Jim Farley get that true off-road dominance isn’t just about horsepower, it’s about what’s above the axle. That’s why the F-150 Raptor launched with FOX shocks in 2010, and why every Raptor in Ford’s fleet still rides on FOX shocks today. Ram had a chance to pull real off-road enthusiasts into their showrooms, and instead, they settled for mediocrity.
The TRX wasn’t built to conquer the desert, it was built to win drag races. And now? It’s just another dinosaur that went extinct.
Speaking of extinct, has anyone seen GM in the off-road market? Because last I checked, Ford is out here swinging with a full Raptor lineup, while Ram at least took a shot with the TRX before rolling over. And GM? They’re busy tinkering with AEV to birth whatever the Colorado ZR2 Bison is supposed to be. Overlanders might appreciate the effort, but for the price, you could just buy a Toyota Tacoma, build it exactly how you want, and still have better resale value in the end.
“We want to be the Porsche of off-road,” Farley said. Translation? Ford isn’t playing games. As long as he keeps pushing power, suspension that can take a beating, and the kind of rugged luxury that blue oval fanatics crave, one thing is clear: Jim Farley knows how to make friends among auto enthusiasts… WIN.
