When Ford moved to file a trademark for the Warthog name, the interest level at the Ford Authority HQ rose to all-new levels. But the office chatter went absolutely haywire when we found “Warthog” scribbled on a component of a prototype believed to be the range-topping Bronco model.
These developments all indicate that the range-topping variant of the new Bronco 4×4 SUV will wear the “Warthog” name, rather than the Bronco Raptor name as previously thought. Either way, the origin of the Warthog name is certainly worth exploring.
As it stands, Warthog can refer to four entirely different things: a military plane, a military land machine, a game, and an animal. Let’s explore.
Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aka Warthog plane (top)
The Military Plane
The first (and potentially most bad-ass) reference to the Warthog name comes from an airplane officially called the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II. The single-seat jet was developed by Fairchild-Republic for the United States Air Force and, for some odd reason, it’s commonly referred to as “Warthog” or “Hog.”
The primary purpose of the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is close air support of friendly ground troops, as well as attacking tanks and armored vehicles. It’s also used for providing support against enemy ground forces.
Bronco Warthog Military Vehicle UK Armed Forces
The Military Land Machine
The second origin of the Warthog name is also military-related, but this time, it’s all about a land machine. As it turns out, the U.K. armed forces use a special amphibious vehicle called the Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier.
The beastly machine is more colloquially known as “Warthog.” With “Bronco” in the name, it adds a little more credence to the idea that Ford would want to use the Warthog name for its range-topping Bronco model.
The Game
The gaming reference might be lost on those who aren’t gamers, or who haven’t played the Halo, a military science fiction video game that’s been around for nearly two decades. The game contains a very capable and imposing off-road vehicle called M12-FAV Warthog. If the vehicle itself wasn’t cool enough, then we should also note that the three-seater was configured either with a heavy machine gun, or a rocket launcher.
The Animal
The fourth reference is related to an actual animal hailing from Africa: the Warthog is a pig-like animal that survives in sub-Saharan Africa. Per Wikipedia, the “name refers to their facial wattles, which are particularly distinct in males.” In addition, Warthogs also have very distinct tusks that measure to 10 to 25 inches in males.
Whether one of these four items inspired the Ford team to call the range-topping Bronco the Warthog is unclear. In fact, the reason for the name could be something else, entirely.
About Bronco Warthog
Ford Bronco models currently include Base, Big Bend, Black Diamond, Outer Banks, Badlands and Wildtrak. Each name helps identify its intended use. A Warthog could fit right in as a high-performance desert-runner positioned at the very top of the Bronco range.
As outlined by Ford Authority previously, the range-topping Bronco model will be powered by the Ford 3.0L EcoBoost V6 engine making around 400 horsepower, which will be mated to Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission, though a hybrid might be offered later on in the model’s lifecycle. No manual transmission option is planned as of this writing.
Another Ford Authority exclusive report revealed that Bronco Warthog will have a wider stance than regular Bronco models. Recent spy shots and some high-flying testing pictures from Ford indicate that it will also use the same Fox Live Valve shock technology as the current-gen F-150 Raptor, in addition to featuring a host of other suspension upgrades.
All Bronco Warthog prototypes have thus far been running on 17-inch wheels similar to those found on the Ford F-150 Raptor. The wheels were wrapped in LT315/70R17 BFGoodrich KO2 All-Terrain T/A tires. Those are the same size tires that will be equipped on the Sasquatch Package-equipped Broncos. However, unlike the wheels included with the Sasquatch, they aren’t beadlock-capable.
We’ll follow everything related to the Ford Bronco Warthog and report back as soon as we have it. Until then, we invite you to subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Bronco news, Bronco Warthog news, as well as ongoing Ford news coverage.
- “Warthog and Mustang” by steve9567 is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
- Southern warthog (Phacochoerus africanus sundevallii) male.jpg” by Charles J Sharp is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments
I’m glad someone finally decided to cover this topic.
I’ve been thinking/saying all along that it if they stick with the Warthog name its in line with the orginal Raptor being named after the F-22 Raptor fighter jet.
F-22 Raptor
A-10 Warthog
Seems llike a no brainer to me, I hope they stick with it.
Warthog is badazz.