The Ford Ranger may have recently returned to the American market, but this truck has been offered for several years in overseas markets, giving them a great midsize truck to drive.
Recently, we’ve learned of a change being made to the Ford Ranger Raptor, which is sold overseas only, to make it a nearly unstoppable off-road truck that can be enjoyed. The Australian division has enlisted the assistance of an engineering firm to put the V8 engine from the Mustang in the Ranger to make it one of the most powerful models in the truck lineup from the Blue Oval brand.

How will the Ranger Change Take Place?

Interestingly, the change to the Ranger Raptor won’t take place at the Thai factory where these trucks are built. Instead, the trucks will be sent to the engineering firm in charge of the project and the four-cylinder engine will be taken out of the truck. The Ford Ranger Raptor models will then be made ready to receive the 5.0-liter V8 engine that makes 460 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque. This means the Ranger Raptor will be the most powerful truck in this class when the change takes place.

The Comparison of Power

The standard Ford Ranger Raptor uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel engine that makes 213 horsepower and 368 lb.-ft. of torque and the F-150 Raptor has a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 that produces 450 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque. This means the Australian arm of Ford is secretly building the most powerful truck in the Ford lineup to give you a truck that has the name and the build that can be impressive and seriously enjoyable when you take it out for a drive if you ever visit this country or move there.

Will We See this Modification?

Because it’s extremely early in the process, we don’t know what changes are being made to the engine bay of the Ranger to accommodate a massive V8 engine. We also don’t know if any visual changes have to be made to allow this truck to be made. The price of this modified truck will be nearly $60,000 and it will have the same warranty as a regular truck while being sold at the Ford dealers in the area. This makes for an interesting conversation regarding this truck without any assurance that we will see this modified version in the US.

How Could this Change the Ranger We Have?

One reason we don’t have the Ford Ranger Raptor offered in the US is that it uses a diesel engine and it might not pass emissions inspections. The gasoline-powered V8 engine changes this conversation and allows this truck to have an engine that we already see and use in the US in the Mustang that we love to drive. Will we see a Ranger Raptor, modified or otherwise, in the US? This question continues to loom large, but you can bet it would be a huge success if Ford were to offer us one.

One thing is certain, though. If you want the power and performance of any Ford Ranger model, get to your local Ford dealer and put them to work. They’ll show you the Ranger model you want, and provide all the details on pricing, Ford Extended Warranty, and all the owner benefits that come with driving a great truck.