Ford has been saying it wants to be the Porsche of off-road performance vehicles, which the Raptor family of performance trucks has already partially fulfilled. But how far could Ford push the concept of off-road performance? Its bosses seem to be mulling that very question right now, teasing that some sort of off-roading supercar platform could be in the works.

Speaking to Top Gear, the top brass at Ford, Jim Farley, said that "We’re in the middle of creating something, so we don’t have all the answers yet, but the question is should Ford make an off-road supercar? Not a version of a car, a standalone supercar,” adding later: "That’s what we’re trying to answer. What do we do on a utility car? Is there a supercar? That’s what we’re debating now."

The best off-road SUVs:Leave the road behind and get rowdy in these rugged rides

So, what exactly would a utility supercar look like? It sounds to us like any rumors of an off-road Mustang may have been confused for this, and that Ford won't necessarily use the Mustang platform for whatever this project turns out to be, if anything. The mention of a dedicated super-vehicle platform is interesting, as that suggests it wouldn't just be another Raptor truck model, though the article does suggest it would get Raptor branding of some sort.

In case you missed it:Ford Bronco models hindered by rear shock issues. Now what?

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Ford's history with Dakar could make it more like one of those trucks, or Ford's history with the GT could make it more like a lifted supercar. It could be wildly different, depending on which performance targets they want and what kind of image such an obvious flagship model would try to project. Do you use it to sell more Mustangs with an off-road version of that car, or at least brand it a Mustang? Or do you support your truck lineup and give it more of a "utility" image? It's a fun project for whoever is lucky enough at Ford to be drawing up designs right now.

Top Gear also spoke to Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance, who said: "The mission of Ford Performance is to have as much motorsport as possible infused into the products that people can buy. We love that we have an F-150, Bronco and Ranger Raptor but we can do more. Yes, the Raptor T1+ at Dakar represents the ultimate Raptor in many ways, and we’re learning a lot from that both in terms of the competition but also in terms of feedback from customers, so all I can say is stay tuned…”

It sounds like everybody is on board, just so long as there's a clear vision for what the super Raptor whatever ultimately needs to be for customer. Ford already charges deep six figures for the Mustang GTD, so how far could it push it if the performance speaks for itself? We're excited to find out what's in store hopefully soon.

Photos by MotorTrend and manufacturer