The aftermarket is fully aware of the Bronco’s potential for upgrades. Hennessey Performance Engineering intends to give the body-on-frame utility vehicle 405 horsepower and 503 pound-feet (682 Nm) of torque from 3,900 revolutions per minute, and the starting point for their first VelociRaptor V8 build is the four-door Badlands trim in the following clip.
Before we delve into the go-faster package, let’s go through the bone-stock specification. The four-door Badlands for the 2021 model year starts at $44,590 sans taxes, and the pictured vehicle is finished in Oxford White over marine-grade vinyl. Notable options include the molded-in-color hard top (which will be redesigned this fall over quality issues), the 10R60 automatic transmission, and 2.7-liter EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6 mill.
In other words, you’re looking at a $50,000-plus rig out of the showroom. The six-cylinder engine is the most exciting that Ford offers for the time being. On premium fuel, this lump makes 330 horsepower and more than enough torque to smoke the rear tires into submission with the transfer case in 2H. Alex from HPE says that a Bronco in this configuration feels peppy rather than fast, easy to drive, and throws a little bit of shade at the competition.
“It’s not, like, too crazy on the body roll. That’s kind of one thing that plagues the Jeep Wrangler, but this thing is actually pretty tight.” Alex further mentions that Hennessey Performance Engineering is very excited to develop the VelociRaptor 400 package in earnest, more so because the 2022 model year is right around the corner and because the performance-oriented package is limited to 200 examples of the breed in the first year.
The list of upgrades kicks off with a recalibrated engine control unit, high-flow induction, less restrictive exhaust, 18-inch wheels, and 35-inch tires à la Sasquatch-equipped Broncos. The build sheet further includes electronic fold-out steps, a beefier front bumper, rear bumper, lots of exterior badges, embroidered headrests, and two numbered plaques to bring the point home.
Every single unit goes through chassis dyno tuning and up to 400 miles (644 kilometers) of road testing. Best of all, Hennessey Performance Engineering offers three years or 36,000 miles (57,936 kilometers) of limited warranty.
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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