Ford Confirms a Mustang-Powered Raptor Is Coming

The Raptor Experiment

Sixteen years ago, Ford rolled out its very first hot-off-road vehicle, the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor. Since then, the Raptor brand has reached new heights, first with the Ranger Raptor for global markets and with the Bronco Raptor. Ford had unlocked a new kind of niche with factory high-performance off-roaders, and many of its rivals have gone on to build their own.

Needless to say, the Raptor experiment has been a success for Ford, and we probably wouldn't have 4x4s that can go as fast as sports cars and go dune-busting had it failed. However, Ford wants to kick things up a notch with the Raptor name, and it might just be the ultimate representation of the brand.

A Dakar Racer with a Warranty

During the Australian Grand Prix, Ford CEO Jim Farley told the press that the company is working on a very special kind of Raptor model. It will be inspired by its Dakar Rally racer, and added that "it will break all the rules."

With that in mind, Ford is preparing what is essentially a road-going version of the Raptor T1+, which made its competition debut last year. It didn't go so well that time, but the Raptor T1+ bounced back this year with a double podium finish, finishing second and third in the 2026 Dakar Rally.

Now that it has actual success behind it, it gives all the more reason to build a version of it for regular folks. It's also worth pointing out that Ford said it will build more Raptor models, and Farley's declaration is a step in the right direction.

Key Details

CarExpert listed some interesting details about the bespoke Raptor model. The Australian publication quoted Farley saying, "I want to go too much into it, other than to say Kumar [Galhotra, Ford chief operating officer] and the team really understand the invisible line between off-road and on-road supercars is blurring. And with partially electric powertrains and digitally controlled damping – and torque vectoring technology – you can now imagine a digitally enabled super vehicle that is equally capable off-road and on-road."

Think of this, then, as Ford's interpretation of the limited-run Porsche911 Dakar and the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato. It's also touted to get an uprated 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine just like the race car. As Farley mentioned, the off-road supercar will be a hybrid, likely to satisfy regulations abroad.

The executive did admit that the final look of the car is still up in the air. However, it could get some elements from the Raptor T1+, but toned down a notch. We're not expecting the low-slung, wide-fender look in the showroom version. Given the features mentioned above, it will likely be the most expensive Raptor vehicle to date.

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