Those Aussie blokes really know how to party. For years as the world drifted away from rear-wheel drive, big V8s and sedans in general, Holden and Ford kept the flame alive with their Commodore and Falcon models, respectively. While the Falcon had its wings clipped years ago and the Commodore is on the way out, Oz still has a taste for eight cylinders.
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That leads us to a highly intriguing report from Wheels. The Australian magazine reported on Thursday that the Ford Ranger Raptor is supposedly in for a V8 engine swap. Not just any V8 swap, but the Mustang's 5.0-liter V8 engine. It'd be a considerable upgrade compared to the diesel-sipping turbo-four engine on offer today. Ford did not return a request for comment.

While Ford decided against the current Ranger Raptor for the US (yes, there's a chance we'll see a next-gen one), it's very much a thing elsewhere. Since the F-150 Raptor is not an offering down under, a V8-powered Ranger Raptor appears to be a remedy. Although the report claims this is absolutely a Ford Australia-sanctioned project, a local engineering outfit is supposedly undertaking the engine swap work.

If and when this mighty Ranger Raptor arrives, it's said to pack a full warranty and be on sale at local Ford dealerships in Australia. Essentially, Ford farmed out some of the work. Should the 5.0-liter V8 make its way under the hood, we're talking about a Ranger that could pack around 460 horsepower. The current Mustang GT makes as much, though the F-150 Raptor is good for 450 hp. I'd say it's likely power comes in lower just to ensure it doesn't step on the F-150 Raptor's toes globally. Nevertheless, I'd absolutely take the Ranger Raptor V8 as our F-150 Raptor's soundtrack just doesn't compare with its twin-turbo V6.

It's worth noting Australian companies have a record of performing jobs like this. Firms swap left-hand drive cars to right-hand drive for sale locally, and recently, Ford sanctioned a special edition Mustang for Oz with help from another local firm. If it all pans out, this beefy Ranger Raptor should be ready in 2021.