The Ford Bronco Raptor – formerly known as the Ford Bronco Warthog – has been in the rumor mill for years now, and has been the subject of countless teasers, spy photos, and speculation. Now, the most powerful street-legal Ford Bronco ever has been revealed, and it does the Raptor name justice with a host of upgrades in virtually every department, many of which were inspired by or taken from the Ultra4 and DR racing Broncos.
When creating the Ford Bronco Raptor, The Blue Oval started at its base, fortifying the Bronco’s underpinnings with new shock towers to increase suspension travel, along with heavy-duty bash and skid plates that cover the area underneath the front bumper going back to the transfer case. The B-pillar crossbar and C-pillars have been reinforced as well, resulting in 50 percent more torsional rigidity compared to a regular four-door Bronco.
The Bronco Raptor’s axles were lifted from the V8-powered Bronco DR racer, while other additions include a Dana 44TM AdvanTEK front differential with upgraded half-shafts and a Dana 50TM Heavy-Duty AdvanTEK rear diff, both of which conspire to increase track width by 8.6 inches. Similar to the third-gen F-150 Raptor, Ford worked with Fox to create the Bronco Raptor’s High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension (HOSS) system with Live Valve technology, which utilizes the latter’s 3.1 Internal Bypass Semi-Active Dampers. Larger tie rods help further strengthen things up underneath, too.
With a minimum ground clearance of 13.1 inches – 4.8 inches more than a Base four-door Bronco – the Bronco Raptor also utilizes Ford Performance-developed front and rear control arms that help deliver up to 13 inches of wheel travel in the front and 14 inches in the rear, which is 60 percent and 40 percent more, respectively, than a Base Bronco. With an advanced 4×4 system using an upgraded clutch, the Bronco Raptor boasts up to a 67.7:1 crawl ratio and features a new Baja G.O.A.T. Mode for high-speed desert running.
The Bronco Raptor rolls one of two sets of newly-designed 17×8.5-inch beadlock-capable wheels, which are wrapped in beefy 37×12.50R17LTÂ BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires. It should have no problem turning that massive set of rubber, as it’s powered by Ford’s 3.0L EcoBoost V6 – as Ford Authority was the first to report back in 2020 – which is targeted to produce at least 400 horsepower. That engine breathes through a true dual exhaust with active-valve technology, as Ford Authority previously reported, with modes including Normal, Sport, Quiet, and Baja. Shifts are handled exclusively by Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission, and towing improves by 1,000 pounds over the base model, cresting at 4,500 pounds.
In terms of styling, the Bronco Raptor certainly looks the part thanks to its bold “FORD” grille with unique headlights sporting amber daytime running lights and integrated amber marking lamps, just like the F-150 Raptor. The Bronco Raptor comes equipped with Ford’s Heavy-Duty Modular front bumper, which has been fitted with tow hooks, removable bumper end caps, integrated removable Rigid LED fog lamps, and Rigid off-road lamps.
A more muscular hood finished in molded-in-color Carbon Black resides above all of that, featuring an integrated vent and a pair of Raptor badges. Fender vents on both sides add to the aggressive look, which is further accentuated by unique front and rear quarter-panels, fenders, fender flares, door appliques, functional integrated bodyside heat extraction ducts, and reinforced rock rails with removable running boards, all of which help make the Bronco Raptor 9.8 inches wider than a standard model.
Customers can also opt for the Bronco Raptor Graphics Package, which adds splatter graphics to the rear haunches and hood. Otherwise, color options include Hot Pepper Red Metallic, Velocity Blue Metallic, Eruption Green Metallic, Shadow Black, Iconic Silver Metallic, Area 51, Cactus Gray, Cyber Orange Metallic Tri-Coat, Oxford White, and Code Orange.
On the inside, Ford gave the Bronco Raptor a host of unique features and touches, including a 12-inch digital cluster similar to the one found in the Ford F-150, as well as a thicker and sport-contoured steering wheel, magnesium paddles shifters – as Ford Authority recently reported – a 12-inch touchscreen with SYNC 4, Black Onyx marine-grade vinyl seats, unique front seats with more aggressive foam side bolsters, rubberized washout flooring, Code Orange accents for the push-button ignition, rotary dial, dash vents, door netting, steering wheel stitching, and Bronco logo on the instrument panel, as well as gloss carbon accents for the grab handles, steering wheel bezel, and gear shifter. The High Package is standard equipment, while things like Code Orange seat belts, the Lux Package, and Black Onyx Neo suede seats are all available as an option.
Order books for the Ford Bronco Raptor are set to open in March, with deliveries beginning in the summer. However, Ford says the vast majority of 2022 Bronco Raptor production will go to existing reservation holders based on their reservation timestamp, and the automaker will begin reaching out to those folks later this month to gauge their interest in securing a copy of the high-performance off-roader. Pricing has yet to be announced, though we expect the Bronco Raptor to start out at around $60,000 when it arrives in a few months.
We’ll be more on the Bronco Raptor soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Bronco news and 24/7 Ford news coverage.
Comments
Note to Ford racing exec’s when are you going to race this bad boy Bronco along side it’s half-twin brother Ranger raptor R and big brother F150 raptor R? Com’on make some announcements let’s hear it how about a 1,2,3, finish in the Mint400, baja 500, or 1000?
Kinda like the LeMans finishes of the late 60’s fella’s, let’s put the last two years behind us and go out and make some racing history