We were expecting Ford to offer the Bronco with two doors thanks to a UAW document, and obviously enough, the Blue Oval confirmed the short-wheelbase body style with the Bronco R prototype. Developed in collaboration with Geiser Bros Design and Development, the Baja trophy truck also serves as a tribute to the 1969 win at the endurance race with the help of Rod Hall. The desert racing legend passed at his home in Reno, Nevada aged 81 on June 14th.
Baja in the 1960s was different altogether, and there were no signs saying where La Paz is. Getting to the checkpoint was an accomplishment in itself back in the ol’ days. Hall also holds the record for most Baja 1000 entries, competing in 50 runnings of the race.
Now that the history lesson is over, what’s so special about the Bronco R? Ford Performance isn’t willing to mention how many cylinders are under the hood, but the exhaust soundtrack speaks for itself. Off-road racing supervisor Brian Novak did mention that the “twin turbos of the EcoBoost engine are representative of what the production Bronco will offer,” so that will be that.
It’s more than obvious the 2.7-liter EcoBoost is the culprit, a six-cylinder blunderbuss rated at 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque in the Edge ST. In metric units, those work out at 340 PS and 515 Nm. Given that we were expecting the 2.3-liter EcoBoost from the Ranger mid-sized pickup truck, the V6 is more than adequate for the production-ready Bronco.
The high-travel suspension and chunky off-road tires of the Bronco R should also offer a glimpse into what the Bronco will feature as standard. As a direct competitor to the Jeep Wrangler, you can bet your two bucks that Ford Performance will integrate Ranger Raptor know-how into this fella here.
On an ending note, the dune-bashing prototype is built on a modified T6 vehicle architecture. That’s the same chassis as the Ranger, and Ford Performance has also confirmed an independent suspension up front and a five-link rear axle inspired by the production model. 18 inches of travel, 37-inch BFGoodrich rubber, and Fox shock absorbers should do the trick.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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