Ford struck a chord with the market when it revealed the Ranger Raptor in Australia, and the US gets even more Raptor love thanks to the F-150 and Bronco.
But there might be even more coming, if insider reports from the home of the Blue Oval are solid.
According to a report from Car and Driver, insiders at Ford HQ say there’s a “mindset to Raptorize everything” and the Mustang isn’t excluded from that.
Though the US publication doesn’t specify when we can expect to see Ford drop an off-road focused Mustang into the wild, it does present some points regarding what to expect, including that the Mustang Raptor will go all-wheel drive.
It will utilise a centre differential, the report says, instead of an off-road style transfer case, though that and a 10-speed automatic gearbox will probably be approximately where the similarities to the Ranger’s drivetrain end.
Car and Driver reports the Mustang Raptor currently being considered will keep the 5.0-litre Coyote V8 with up to near 370kW.
Fox off-road racing dampers – like those on the Ranger Raptor – and a 2.0-inch lift will be the key ‘Raptorisation’ of the Mustang, while underbody protection will further set it apart from a road-going Pony.
It’s not the first time the idea of a Mustang Raptor has come up, the rendered car from FordAuthority in the main image of this story is one of many lifted ‘Stangs dreamt up over the years, but the insider info from Car and Driver is the first time anything seems to have come from within Ford’s own walls.
Keyword: A factory Mustang rally car? Insiders say Ford wants to 'Raptorize everything' including the Ford Mustang - reports