Ford recently filed three trademark applications for the Thunder name—one for each of its U.S.-market pickup trucks. It's a hint that new variants of the F-150, Maverick, and Ranger are on the way.
Applications for the F-150, Maverick, and Ranger Thunder have been filed individually with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and Motor1 spotted similar filings for Canada. While Ford hasn't given any indication of its plans for the Thunder name in North America, it previously sold a Ranger Thunder in Europe.
Launched in 2020, the Ranger Thunder was a limited-edition pickup, with just 4,500 trucks produced, Motor1 noted. It combined styling elements from the European-market Ranger Wildtrak with the twin-turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel inline-4 from the Ranger Raptor.
European-market Ford Ranger Thunder
While the next-generation Ranger Raptor is coming to the U.S., that doesn't mean Ford is planning something similar for this market. Automakers often trademark names without specific plans to use them. Ford may just be trying to keep its options open.
It's also unclear how Ford would apply the Thunder name to the Maverick and F-150. Having just launched for the 2022 model year, the Maverick lineup is still fairly trim, leaving room for a new off-road variant. But that's not the case for the F-150, which already has a long list of trim levels and multiple off-road models.
Off-road variants of Ford's full-size pickup already include the F-150 Raptor and F-150 Tremor, with more on the way. An F-150 Rattler joins the lineup for the 2023 model year, and there's also an F-150 Raptor R with a V-8 engine due out later this year.
So, the Thunder models could incorporate off-road elements with an increase in power, likely below Raptor versions. We'll have to wait and see just how Ford will implement the Thunder name.