A report out of the US overnight claims an off-road, high-performance Ford Mustang Raptor is under serious consideration for showrooms but is not yet over the line.
The idea of a Ford Mustang Raptor could have been perceived as an April Fools joke had the latest reports out of the US emerged on the first day of this month.
However, respected automotive publication Car and Driver has reported overnight that the US car giant is considering a high-performance, off-road and all-wheel-drive Ford Mustang Raptor.
Although the magazine does not cite sources or print any unattributed quotes from an anonymous insider, the publication claims “there’s a mindset to Raptorise everything” within Ford’s headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.
The report, which went live overnight Australian time, says the Ford Mustang Raptor is being developed for the models’s 2026 model line-up – joining the Raptor family which includes the Ranger, F-150 and Bronco.
While a Ford Mustang Raptor may seem to be a far-fetched suggestion, it is technically possible given the platform has been “package protected” for all-wheel drive.
A Ford Mustang Raptor – if it went into production – would follow in the tyre tracks of other high-riding sports cars such as the Porsche 911 Dakar (below) and the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato.
Elsewhere in the report, Car and Driver said the Ford Mustang Raptor could be powered by the muscle car’s existing ‘Coyote’ 5.0-litre V8 engine, which develops up to 373kW – or 500 horsepower – in the upcoming ‘Dark Horse’ flagship variant.
Car and Driver claims the six-speed manual transmission currently available in the Ford Mustang won’t be carried over to the Raptor variant, with all examples of the off-road coupe using a 10-speed automatic gearbox.
The 10-speed auto will reportedly be paired with an electronically-controlled centre differential to make the Ford Mustang Raptor all-wheel-drive – though it will lack the low-range capabilities of the Ranger Raptor.
Additional changes under the Ford Mustang Raptor’s body include Fox electronically controlled variable compression dampers, longer springs, a five-centimetre (two-inch) ride height lift and bash plates to make sure the critical components are protected when driving over bumps and jumps.
According to Car and Driver, the Ford Mustang Raptor could launch in 2026 with a $US90,000 price tag before on-road costs – equivalent to more than $AU134,000 in Australian currency.
The eye-watering price would also make the Ford Mustang Raptor approximately $US32,000 ($AU47,800) more expensive than the track-focused 2024 Mustang Dark Horse, and almost $US13,000 ($AU19,400) more than the F-150 Raptor pick-up.
While the report also claims there could be a Ford Ranger Raptor R – powered by the 522kW supercharged 5.2-litre V8 from the Shelby Mustang GT500 and F-150 Raptor R – this information seems to be more speculative than fact.
Do you think a Ford Mustang Raptor will make it to showrooms, or this is a late-breaking April Fools joke? Let us know in the comments below.
The post Off-road Ford Mustang Raptor rumoured, and it’s no joke appeared first on Drive.