Ryan Davis, the director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said in an interview to Carsguide Australia that the company could use the new Ford Ranger Raptor chassis to produce a high-end VW Amarok. Should Ford object, however, the engineers will find another way to bring the Amarok top spec to the market.
The pickup truck is envisioned with the same architecture and frame as the Ford Ranger demonstrated in the video here, but with its own exterior and cab styling. Some of the engines may also be borrowed from Ford, but a high-end VW diesel is also being considered.
The two companies have yet to agree on this decision, so we should probably wait until the Ranger Raptor presentation scheduled for later this month. So far, it looks like Volkswagen is determined to produce the performance truck even if it cannot get Ford to cooperate.
Australian tuning company Walkinshaw Performance has a record of partnering up with Volkswagen for such projects, to it might lend assistance this time as well. This, and the new Ford Ranger was co-developed with the Ford Australia team, so globalization is not a new concept for either involved party.