Bronco Raptor country: Spills, thrills ‘n’ crazy drivers across the Arabian Desert

Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2026

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — At over 400,000 square miles, the Empty Quarter in the Arabian desert is the world’s biggest continuous sand ecosystem. It’s the natural habitat of the Detroit-born Ford Bronco Raptor, where the off-road beast can really flex its V-6 muscle, all-terrain tires and sophisticated suspension.

And its state-of-the-art safety systems.

I got a behind-the-wheel taste of the Raptor’s sand-storming capabilities here — including a mouthful of air bag when I miscalculated a dune. I have raced cars all my adult life and hammered off-road vehicles across extreme off-road environments from the Rubicon Trail in California to Utah’s Moab rock to Holly Oaks ORV Park, but the desert is unique for its high speeds, disorienting landscape and extreme temperatures.

The Ford Bronco Raptor takes on the Empty Quarter dunes in Saudi Arabia.

The Ford Bronco Raptor takes on the Empty Quarter dunes in Saudi Arabia. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

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