The last time we saw the Ford Bronco mule in March, it was cobbled together from bits and pieces from the T6 Ford Ranger. But now, we managed to catch up to an entirely different Ford Bronco mule that’s made from Ford F-150 pieces.
What we see is an F-150 Regular Cab and a modified Short Bed configuration. We say “modified” because the bed is even shorter than the current Short Bed offered on the F-150, as evidenced by a shorter distance from the forward-most part of the bed to the wheel arch.
2015 Ford F-150 XL Regular Cab Short Bed has a longer bed than the mule seen here
In addition, this Ford Bronco mule is also wearing bits and pieces from the F-150 Raptor, including the front fascia and fenders, wheel arches/liners, as well as the wheels. Make-shift bumpers are noticeable at both ends of the mule.
The Ford Authority Take
Seeing this Ford Bronco prototype makes us think of three possible things that could be taking place.
First, this prototype could be the “real” Ford Bronco, while the Ford Ranger-based one we saw in March could be a mule of the baby Bronco. Such a scenario would be rather interesting, since we previously believed that the baby Bronco would be based on a unibody architecture, albeit with some off-road prowess along the lines of a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The second possibility is that this is a more advanced prototype of the Ford Bronco compared to the one we saw in March. If that’s the case, then we would be very curious to understand the reason engineers switched to an F-150-based body rather than continuing with the Ford Ranger.
This original Ford Bronco mule spied in March could be for the upcoming “baby” Bronco
The third, and final, possibility is that this is a different body variant of the future Ford Bronco. In other words, this one could be a variant with four doors, while the one we saw in April could be a mule for a two-door model.
What this definitely is not is a Ford F-150 Raptor with a Regular Cab, due to the shorter bed and placeholder front and rear bumpers. So those thinking or hoping for a Raptor Regular Cab, don’t get your hopes up.
Subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Bronco news and around-the-clock Ford news coverage.
Comments
This is an upsetting tease. Why because it’s going to make people hope for a Bronco with a 5.0L and even moreso with the design from Bronco5g, even though we know Ford won’t do it. This is actually mean and cruel.
Ford has said it’s planning a Bronco “family”. This could be the prototype for the biggest member of that family.
Unibody Bronco to compete with Jeeps of similar design (car-based, but with more off-road capabilities than your average Escape or CR-V).
Midsize Bronco based on Ranger to compete with Wrangler.
Fullsize Bronco based on F-150 Raptor to reestablish the traditional full sized, off-road SUV that died in the mid 1990s. A more rugged and capable alternative to the family-friendly Expedition.
I suspect all but the smallest will be available in two and four door body styles, but there is the possibility that the full-size will be two-door only to distance it from Expedition.
That’s the shortest short bed pickup ever made lol.
If ford makes a Full size Bronco again, I’d be very surprised, and also very happy. If they did, I would hope that they’d be smart enough to put a 5.0L V8 under the hood. However I would never get my hopes that high to think that Ford would do anything right like that. Ford of North America hasn’t done anything right since 1995 if you ask me and they’ve been going downhill fast ever since. Ford has continued on this wannabe European car company for the longest time and they’ve forgotten what it means to be an American car company. Bad thing is, some of Ford’s best cars were the ones they didn’t make for the American auto industry. Cars like the Aussie Ford Falcon. Honestly, I would love for Ford to have a CD6 Falcon Coupe, CD6 Falcon sedan, axe the mustang and every other ford car (coupe and sedan), the Bronco family (midsize ranger platform, full-size F150 platform), the Ranger, the F150 and the F-Series super Duty. Save the electric BS and Ecoboost BS for Lincoln, drop the modular V8 lineup and go with mid-sized Pushrod engines like GM and Dodge are doing. Give the base vehicles a twin turbo Inline-6 engine putting out about 395hp, step up to an entry level 5.4L pushrod V8 with about 420hp, a 6.2L pushing 495hp and a 7.0L pushing over 530hp. You really don’t need any more than that. Those engines would be offered in the Falcon lineup, the Ranger/Bronco midsize would be content with the 395hp twin turbo I-6, the Full size Ranger/ F150 would be equipped with the I-6, the 5.4L and the 6.2L with an F150 Lightning coming with the 7.0L V8. No one cares about some dune-jumping raptor. Pointless waste of truck!!! How about a truck that is more of an off-road, mudder like the new Silverado Trail Boss, the GMC AT4 or the Rebel. Those are Trucks!!!! No one needs to go 100mph off road! Take all of that Raptor stuff and make it more of just a good off road FX4 with more grunt and pull for moving through mud, trails and snow. Same with a Full size Bronco. Make it what the full size Bronco was a beast! The mid size bronco-II would take the place of the Explorer and there would be no-need for that vehicle anymore as this bronco would have trim levels that cater to the more mundane daily driver/soccer mom, and those right lane, oxford shoes, dockers pants, glasses and button down shirt wearing coffee drinking while listening to self bettering programs commuter type people. As far as the Falcon idea i mentioned, Since the mustang is growing to the size of the Challenger, why not just drop the Mustang name and bring out the Falcon. Back in the day, the Falcon XB was a cool Aussie muscle car that blended the size of a Torino with some of the mustang’s styling. in more modern times, the Falcon had become an awesome muscle sedan about the size of a Taurus but better in every way imaginable. A sleek mid-size modern coupe with styling cues that pay homage to the Aussie Falcons of the past with modern features along with a powerful mid-size sedan would be perfect ford the Ford Lineup. Super Duty trucks need the 7.3L And a more powerful Powerstroke.
Lincoln is absolutely boring and stodgy. Someone needs to go back and look at cars like the ’72 Mark-IV coupe, the ’39 “Hot Rod” Zephyr, and the 1970 Continental. Obviously there’s nothing Lincoln can do to make the Navigator as stylish as these vehicles but a new Continental Mark-X coupe with heavy styling cues from the Mark-IV with a hot 500+ horsepower 3.5L twin turbo V6, a CD6 Town Car Sedan styled as a modern interpretation of the 1970 Town Car with various ecoboost engine options as well as hybrids and electric power plants, A crossover coupe hot-rod styled Zephyr (hybrid and electric options) and lastly the Navigator full size SUV.
This is honestly the lineup Ford needs. We don’t need anymore track cars, euro wannabe cars, cheap Japanese substitute cars or anything else like that. We need good-ole mid-size, RWD based muscle cars, truck based SUVs and trucks from Ford and Luxury cars that have real style and character with real power that don’t look like wannabe British knock-offs. We want them rear wheel drive based (or just simply rear wheel drive) with genuine American styling and genuine American feel. that doesn’t mean sloppy or anything negative, it means, smooth, controllable, responsive, and nimble while still being able to float across miles of American roads without making the driver fatigued or uncomfortable. They need to be built here in the USA, by American workers for the American people. Screw all of this China BS. Ford, GM and Harley Davidson need to get their acts together and make America work again. We need American cars, American workers, American factories and all of that stuff back! We need skilled labor and we need to make vehicles, clothes, electronics, and technology again in this country that we can be proud of. I have no issues with Mexico joining in or even Canada because they are our neighbors, but we need to cut ties with China and build our country back up to what it should be.
What in the hell happened to this country ?
what in the hell happened to real man for god sake‘s ?let it be a two door short bed raptor !!!!
let it be a REAL MAN and a DOG with a shotgun hanging in the back !!!! let it be the truck that REAL MEN used to drive !!!! not these little wanna be men with four-door station wagons and a pick up bed to appease their wives … let it be that MANS TRUCK and let’s create a stir for this …for god sake‘s bring it BACK
This message was brought to you from REAL MEN with REAL GONADS !! thank you for your cooperation now build the damn truck ???