► Ford Transit Custom van and Ranger pick-up get MS-RT treatment
► Bestselling commercials get visual and spec upgrades
► E-Transit Custom MS-RT gets power boost
The Ford Transit Custom and Ford Ranger have been given a thorough going over by performance specialists MS-RT. The result is two vehicles aimed firmly at the small business that wants to catch the eye of the whole neighbourhood while they are parked outside your house on a job and get away sharpish.
The Ford Transit Custom MS-RT and Ranger MS-RT take an otherwise sensible van and pick-up truck and douse them liberally in motorsport kit, including striking external paraphernalia, LED light strips, widened arches, huge alloys and daring colours.
Unlike some range-topping versions of the past, though, these are more than just visual updates, with upgrades to power and suspension also included.
Power and paintjob for the Ford Transit Custom MS-RT
The MS-RT-version of the UK’s best-selling van, the Ford Transit Custom, is available in all three powertrain variants – diesel, electric and the forthcoming plug-in hybrid.
The rear-wheel-drive electric version gets the most notable upgrade, with a 285hp power output – a huge step up from the 218hp of the standard Sport model. This makes it the most powerful Transit Custom yet.
Ford does say that you can dial this back to 215hp in Normal mode or 134hp in Eco to make the most of the range. It hasn’t clarified exactly what this range is yet, but it may well dip slightly from the official maximum of 203 miles of the standard version.
The plug-in hybrid and diesel power outputs remain unaltered, at 232hp for the PHEV and either 170hp for the all-wheel-drive automatic model or 150hp for the front-wheel drive manual model.
Outside they all get a bespoke front bumper with integrated spoiler, sports side skirts, and a rear bumper with integrated diffuser. There is also a motorsport-inspired rear spoiler with a split in the middle so each half opens with the rear side-hinged doors. The electric model also gets an LED light strip between the headlights.
The wheels are 19-inch alloys that are half an inch wider than standard and help shed half a kilogram of unsprung weight at each corner. They sit in wider arches and are shod with Goodyear Eagle Sport tyres and there are blue painted brake callipers hiding beneath.
Inside it gets MS-RT seats with side bolsters, logos and blue stitching (below).
A sports steering wheel also comes with more blue details and stitching. The bright colour palette includes a start yellow green and an MS-RT blue.
The Ford Ranger MS-RT – the ‘ultimate street truck’
By dubbing the Ford Ranger MS-RT the ‘ultimate street truck’, Ford isn’t hiding away from the fact that this is not a pickup that is likely to be heading down the tracks at your local quarry.
It too comes with the most powerful diesel engine from the standard Ranger, the 240hp 3.0-litre V6, and adds four-wheel drive and a range of equipment.
This includes a front fascia that is inspired by the Ford Thailand Racing that take part in the Thailand Super Pickup Series. This includes a honeycomb grille with integrated front splitter.
The profile gets side skirts while the rear features an integrated diffuser on a bespoke bumper. There is also a ducktail spoiler and another spoiler on the top of the cab, which combine to boost aerodynamics to enhances stability at speed.
The alloy wheels are the largest ever fitted to a Ranger at 21 inches and they feature low-profile tyres. These sit in widened arches that boost the overall width of the vehicle by 82mm front and rear.
The suspension has been optimised for the MS-RT model, with firmer dampers up front and a retuned setup at the rear. This results in a 40mm reduction in ride height and a claimed boost to stability in corners.
Inside you get similar seat and steering wheel upgrades as in the Transit Custom MS-RT.
How much will the MS-RT models cost and when can I buy them?
The new Ford MS-RT Ranger is available to order now, with deliveries expected to begin in the summer. Both are set to start at around £49,000 before VAT is factored in.