Ford CEO Jim Farley is committed to delivering something he believes no other automaker currently comes close to.
In short, Ford believes there is no clear off-road competitor – and Mr Farley says that’s where the opportunity lies. Lecture at this year’s Dakar RallyHe said the global off-road vehicle market is wide open and Ford intends to dominate it.
“If you want to be the Porsche off-road, you have to win the Dakar,” Farley said bluntly in the bivouac – or mobile city – following the Dakar Rally through Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Farley said the company’s goal is not just to compete in the off-road vehicle space, but to dominate it in the same way Porsche has defined on-road performance for decades.
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Just as the Nurburgring is an unofficial proving ground for so many performance car brands – including Porsche – it is the desert sands and rocks of Saudi Arabia that are the proving ground for what is quickly becoming the centerpiece of Ford’s lineup.
Mr. Farley believes there is no single, undisputed leader in enthusiast off-road vehicles; No brand has the same loyalty, the same standards and the same technical authority as Porsche or Ferrari on the road. And he sees this absence not as a problem, but as an opportunity.
“Unlike on-road enthusiasts, there is no obvious off-road leader in the automotive industry,” he said. “If someone loves the joy of off-road driving and wants an enthusiast product, they will choose to buy from Ford and they will also root for Ford to win.”
Ford’s plan to fill that gap depends on a fundamental rethinking of how racing fits into its business.
Under Mr Farley, motorsport is no longer viewed as a marketing activity, but as a direct input into product development – particularly in off-road racing, where durability, suspension and real-world robustness are more important than showroom specs.
This philosophy has made the Dakar Rally central to Ford’s global identity.
Mr. Farley has described Dakar as the company’s “North Star” in motorsports – the ultimate proving ground for the characteristics he wants to convey to his customers in vehicles such as the Ranger Raptor, the Bronco and future off-road “halo” models.
“We not only want to dominate racing, but also translate it into what we offer our customers for sale as an enthusiastic off-road brand,” said Mr Farley.
To support this goal, Ford has restructured its recently renamed Ford Racing division (previously called Ford Performance) into a more independent organization whose mandate extends beyond competition to road-going production vehicles.
To Mr. Farley, Ford’s old strategy – in which racing was primarily about generating excitement and headlines – no longer makes sense.
“For a long time racing in our industry was done primarily for marketing purposes and we don’t look at it that way anymore,” he said. “Racing is no longer just an expense, it’s what we do – it’s our business.”
The goal is to create a tighter feedback loop between what Ford drives and what it sells.
Ford has already involved its own engineers in racing programs such as Dakar and its upcoming return to Formula 1 (as an engine supplier to Red Bull) to ensure a direct line to the rest of its product development team.
According to Farley, it’s all about ensuring customers can “enjoy a piece of Dakar when they drive their Ford.”
This approach reflects the playbook of brands like Porsche, where motorsport credibility and road vehicle appeal are closely linked.
But Mr Farley is clear that the Ford version will be designed for off-road capability, not track lap times.
“We believe there are enough customers buying enthusiast products – both off-road and on-road – that this can be a vibrant part of our company’s business,” he said.
Crucially, Mr Farley sees this as a long-term brand transformation rather than a single product play.
He argues that Ford no longer has to serve every price in every market. Instead, it can focus on enthusiast-led segments where emotional connection, technical credibility and success in motorsports are mutually reinforcing.
And in the off-road world, Mr. Farley believes the biggest prize is still up for grabs.
If Ford can win the Dakar, translate that success into purchaseable vehicles and build a loyal global following around off-road performance, Mr. Farley’s vision could well become a reality – even if that’s a pretty ambitious goal at the moment.
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