The 2019 Ford Ranger Raptor sailed into our off-road dreams in a fury of spraying dirt and splashing mud. And then those dreams were subsequently smashed because we also learned that the version we’ve seen wouldn’t be coming to the U.S. market. So if you’re driving around (likely in Michigan) and you see a 2019 Ranger Raptor, do not get your hopes up. That’s

To all the Americans who were excited—nay, thrilled—for the 2019 Ford Ranger Raptor, I have some…

Now, let me clarify: I don’t mean a future Ranger Raptor. I just mean a 2019 Ranger Raptor. The one that other markets have but we don’t. Keep that in mind before you fire off an email to us with a photo of one attached and some line about but Jalopnik saaaaaid...

Because, yes, there is apparently at least one (1) 2019 Ranger Raptor running around Michigan, wearing Michigan manufacturer plates, which an eagle-eyed reader spotted and sent in to us. Most likely, this vehicle just belongs to Ford. It’s not a mule and it’s not a prototype.

This is pure speculation here, but what’ll likely happen is that Ford will bring the Raptor nameplate to the U.S. with the new, built-for-America Ranger once that comes out in, like, three or four years. Per the update in our last post:

The Ranger we’ll be getting shortly has been around in other countries for a few years now, and it’s likely there will be a whole new one re-engineered from the ground up in a couple of years. A source with knowledge of the company’s operations hinted at the possibility of a big future for the Ranger, saying that “performance is a priority for Ford,” and that future off-roady offerings will have super-fast options baked into their platform DNA from the beginning.

Not going to lie, though, the 2019 model looks sweet. Pity.