VelociRaptor 500 Drags Bronco Raptor: The Winner Is Obvious, But What’s the Difference?

The Ford Bronco mode line of sport utility vehicles was born in 1966 as the first representative of the SUV lineage for the Blue Oval company. Originally developed as a compact SUV dedicated to off-road endeavors, it was envisioned as the perfect weapon to fight the likes of the Jeep CJ-5, International Scout, or Toyota Land Cruiser. Since the arrival of the second generation in 1978 through the fifth iteration’s end in 1996, though, the Bronco was reimagined as a truck-based full-size SUV destined to compete with Chevy’s K5 Blazer, the Dodge Ramcharger, or the Jeep Cherokee.

Now, again reinvented for a modern sixth iteration starting with the 2021 model year, the iconic Ford Bronco has turned into a two- and four-door affair of the mid-size variety, twinned with the T6 Ford Ranger pickup truck. The hype revolving around this contemporary reintroduction has been unbelievable – both for the right and wrong reasons. Among the more positive developments, we could note the big lineup of trims, the available seven-speed manual transmission for the 300-hp EcoBoost inline-four, the 330-hp 2.7-liter V6 with ten-speed auto, and the king of the hill – aka the Bronco Raptor.

But here is the thing, for some people a 400-hp ‘Braptor’ (418 hp in Baja mode) is still not enough, even though it has a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 under the hood. As such, tuners were quick to add more power. And, of course, chief among them was the Texas-based Hennessey Performance, which was fast on the market with the ‘VelociRaptor 400’ package for the regular Broncos. Now that a Bronco Raptor is also in the family, of course, the tuning specialist concocted a new enhancement pack called ‘VelociRaptor 500.’

Priced from $32,950 (MSRP, vehicle not included), it soars above the factory setup with an “all-new intake and exhaust system, engine recalibration, and a larger front-mounted intercooler system” to achieve no less than 500 horsepower. Performance jumps quite a bit, but that is not all, as the kit also includes perks such as a three-inch lift, 37-inch tires, and more. But nothing really matters – neither the new 20-inch Hennessey wheels nor the LED off-road lights – if you cannot put things into the proper perspective.

So, the aftermarket specialist pulled no stops from showcasing the might of their new VelociRaptor 500 package. That included an obvious video presentation, but the company also took things a little further with one of their traditional chassis dyno testing features, as well as a quick VelociRaptor 500 versus Ford Bronco Raptor comparison. And with the Hennessey Performance campus at hand, a quarter-mile brawl on their dragstrip was only natural. Of course, the Braptor stood no chance against the enhanced sibling – but the question is about how big was the difference when it lost. Well, it was quite obviously around a bus length, if you want our two cents on the matter.

Now, hopefully, they will also measure their forces on the off-road course, next! After all, it would be a little shameful to let that pristine orange paint ‘go to waste’ and not have it covered in mud, grass, and other stuff! What, they are known to do such dirty things, on occasion...