The Ford Ranger Raptor might not be available in the States, but it is a unique proposition in the European market, given that the region never had access to Baja-inspired trucks before.

We all know that cars with fender flares are meant to look more aggressive, but in the case of the Ranger Raptor there’s more magic under the skin. Ford Performance went the extra mile and instead of just throwing a lift kit and call it a day, they pretty much re-engineered everything that matters.

The ladder frame is reinforced with high-strengh, low-alloy steels while the suspension got new control arms made out of aluminum, new front shock towers and a model-specific rear suspension that ditches the leaf springs for coils and a Watt’s linkage.

The Ranger Raptor gets wider tracks by 150mm and a 51mm taller ride height than its siblings, featuring advanced, long-travel Fox Racing shock absorbers. Additionally, the baby Raptor comes with a 283 mm ground clearance and a 850 mm wading depth.

After all this, the engine’s specs might sound anticlimactic. It’s only a 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel, but it features a pair of turbos to help it produce 210 HP (213 PS) and 368 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque and is paired exclusively to a 10-speed automatic transmission. 0-62mph (100km/h) comes in 10.5 seconds, with top speed is set at 106 mph (170 km/h)

While it may not offer the straight-line performance one might expect, the Ranger Raptor remains one of the coolest, most capable off-road vehicles to ever set foot in the Old Continent. There’s plenty of fun to be had behind its wheel too, as we learn from Carfection’s latest review.