Ford may be giving the Ranger more firepower.

In Australia, where the Ranger was originally developed, the pickup is offered in an off-road performance version called the Raptor that’s similar to the F-150 Raptor sold in the U.S., just on a smaller scale. That includes the engine, which is a turbocharged four-cylinder diesel, rather than a twin-turbo V6.

But WhichCar reports that Ford has secretly hired an outside engineering firm to figure out how to swap the four-cylinder for Mustang's 5.0-liter V8, which would more than double its horsepower to 460 horsepower. That’s also 190 horsepower more than the U.S. version of the Ranger, which is only available with a turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine.

The contractor hasn’t been uncovered, but Ford currently offers a 700-horsepower Mustang R-Spec in Australia that is a collaboration with Herrod Performance and has worked with smaller outfits on several special edition models over the years. Unfortunately, even if it comes to fruition, the midsize muscle truck won’t be offered in the U.S., because the version sold here has been significantly re-engineered to meet local safety standards and consumer preferences.

However, an all-new Ranger is expected to debut in the U.S. in 2022, and a Raptor version is expected to be added to the model mix, but we'll have to wait until then to see what's under the hood.

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