Ranger

Make
Ford
Segment
Sports Car

When the last Ford Ranger Raptor was unveiled with its twin-turbodiesel 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, there were sighs of disappointment from some die-hard fans. That's just one reason why it never reached America. But to prevent this from happening with the all-new generation, which we already know will be using the company's V6 powertrain, the brand could be looking at creating a V8 option for its performance-minded customers.

Speaking to Cars Guide, Trevor Worthington, the company's vice-president of global product development, and Mark Rushbook, Ford Performance motorsports global director dropped some details regarding a possible Ford Ranger Raptor R which would be the ultimate iteration of the model line. Motivation for this project is being sourced from the success the brand has seen with the Ford Bronco Desert Runner.

Admittedly the Desert Runner is a customer racing recreation of the SUV which has been put together for those who wish to compete in tournaments such as the Baja 1000. This model uses the firm's Coyote 5.0-liter V8 and is supported by an off-road suspension that has been put together by the experts at Multimatic, who also had a hand in developing the Ford GT.

Worthington, who formerly held the position as an engineer for Ford Australia, stated that a Ranger Raptor that reflected the Bronco Desert Runnerr definitely has potential for markets where there are "lots of places to have fun". He added: "There is a lot of that Bronco Desert Racer that is standard Bronco, and the underpinning of the standard Bronco and the underpinnings of the Ranger we're just in the process of releasing is the same architecture."

Rushbrook gave a simple nod when he was asked if a V8-powered Ranger had any appeal in a market such as Australia and agreed that there was a strong crossover potential for the Bronco Desert Racer and proposed Raptor R. He says: "There would be a lot that would transfer," when asked how much of the components used on the Bronco would fit on the platform being used by the upcoming Ranger.

No official plans of commitments have been made regarding a Ranger Raptor with V8 power but if that were to be the case, Worthington assures that there would be a market for it, even if it boasts a large price tag. He adds: "But at the end of the day, it's got to be sensible and work for the business. I'd love to think we could do something like that. No plans at the moment, but we want to work on it."