--- title: "Ford Must Build a Mustang Raptor" description: "It's just as stupid as it sounds. And that's precisely why it would sell out instantly." date: "2020-07-10" modified: "2020-07-10" authors: - name: "James Gilboy" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/james-gilboy" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/34703/why-ford-must-build-a-mustang-raptor" categories: - "Ford News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Coupe" - "Ford" - "Mustang" - "sports car" --- # Ford Must Build a Mustang Raptor ![]() *\www.thedrive.com\* Nothing, not even Shelby badges, do a better job selling Fords than the word "Raptor." On its own, it evokes a predatory dinosaur, and on a truck, it calls to mind a gallivanting vehicle that's as at home being driven hard on the road as off it. So far, the name has only appeared on the F-150 and its little brother the Ranger, [whose Raptor variant Ford cruelly decided won't be sold here](). It has yet to grace anything other than a pickup truck, though it seems almost a given that it'll eventually find its way onto [the new Bronco](), and after that, maybe even other models, like the Mustang. That could sure as hell use a Raptor variant of its own. Yes, this is an argument for a Mustang Raptor. Lay down those pitchforks and, for a brief moment, entertain the idea. Now, anyone who knows a thing about off-road trucks can give you a few reasons why a Mustang Raptor *isn't* a good idea. It doesn't have the ride height to skip over obstacles like an [F-150](), its unibody won't flex enough to shrug off big impacts, and being exclusively rear-drive, it would be good for pulling dusty drifts and little else. The suits will also point out that there's no production capacity for such a vehicle in any of Ford's plants, and that its business case would be similar to the [Ford GT]()'s: absurdly expensive to engineer and produce, and all for a market that's maybe a couple thousand people worldwide. But as that same suit would also be forced to admit, the GT supercar was more a branding exercise than anything else; a project meant to help change how people thought about Ford. And if [the amount of media exposure that the apparently forgettable GT got]() says anything, it's that people still love a good hype project, and it's harder to imagine a vehicle more worthy of that title than a Mustang Raptor. A lifted, carbon fiber-clad pony car, with fender flares big enough to make Liberty Walk kits look like add-ons, and a partial cage in place of the rear seat. Let it also encase a lump of lithium-ion batteries that power an electric motor on each BFGoodrich-wrapped front wheel, with rear-axle power coming from the Shelby GT350's howling, 5.2-liter Voodoo V8. With independent throttle bodies, of course. Just imagine the headlines—*Ford's Building a Goddamn Mustang Raptor*, or *The 2025 Ford Mustang Raptor is Our Favorite Car Ever*. And those aforementioned mechanical obstacles aren't nearly the problems a cynic would make them out to be. Ford already has the tooling in place for Mustang unibodies and powertrains, and while assembly and Raptor variant-specific engineering would prove costly for Ford, it could save itself the effort by contracting the job to a third party, like it did for the [Multimatic]()-built GT. The fact that this would all be outrageously expensive wouldn't matter for a car Ford could literally sell just 100 of for $300,000 apiece, call it quits, and bask in the hype for decades. This all goes without mentioning the Raptor potential of the Mustang's futurist little brother, the Mach-E. The value of zero-rpm torque doesn't need an explanation to the rock crawlers out there, and those who prefer their off-roading at higher speeds can take comfort knowing that [prototypes of the Mach-E already look awfully fast](). Again, lift the thing, and wrap it in carbon fiber, but instead of trading the back seats for batteries, throw a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 back there, and [use it as an oversized range extender like the Canadians do](). The Mustang is already a crossover, now; you know someone wants to go the extra mile with it. Should all this sound too fragile for Raptor duty, it'd be relatively easy to toss either unibody onto a Ranger frame. Mishmashing truck chassis and car bodies is [already how people build odd-job off-roaders](), and if a Good Ol' Boy can do it in a collapsing barn, Multimatic can sure as hell make one in its labs. And as long as we're dreaming, Ford could ice the cake by making either vehicle a Ranchero-style ute. Granted, that wouldn't make much sense if Ford ends up using that name on [the little Focus-based pickup that rumors says is coming to America](), though recent reports suggest the Courier and Maverick names are more likely candidates. One can't help imagining, though, that Tom Cruise wouldn't be seen behind the wheel of a roughly Focus-shaped truck. One shaped like a Mustang? That's more like it. Now I need Ford to only take notice of my very good idea and put it into (limited) production. Ford can even waive my normally generous consulting fees here; sometimes seeing their ideas manifested is all people need to be satisfied in life. Offering a week in the realized Mustang Raptor would be a solid way of saying thanks, though. *Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com* ## Author James is a former staff writer for The Drive. He has changed the conversation around electrification, debunked misinformation online, and become a prominent hunter of what he calls "automotive cryptids." ### Author social links [Instagram]()