New Ford-Bronco Raptor

A dirt-focused off-roader rivaling the Jeep Wrangler, the Ford Bronco isn’t a natural base from which to create something with the talent to go fast in the desert, but to go slow over rocks and forest trails. But Ford points out that desert racing is in the Bronco’s blood, not least because of historic versions like the Parnelli Jones and Bill Stroppe’s “Big Oly” dominating the Baja 1000 in 1969. 

Relax, Ford fans. The Big Oly’s reputation remains untouched by its spiritual successor, the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor. The new head of the off-road family enters the parts warehouse and combines the high-speed prowess of the F-150 Raptor with the relatively short distance between- axles on the Bronco four-door, making it an impressively multi-purpose off-roader. Ford likes to refer to the Bronco Raptor as an ultra racer for the road, and over the course of two days of rough off-road and a quick street tour, I found that hard to deny. 

There are some obvious differences between the Bronco Raptor and its less aggressive versions. A hood with functional air intakes helps to reduce temperatures in the engine compartment, and sheet metal front and rear fenders have a more rustic look while widening the bodywork to cover the wider track. Bronco badges on the front and rear are with the FORD grille highlighted with amber lights – a must-have in the United States due to its 2.17 m width – and the B-styled taillights stand out even more for better visibility to the side. of the extra 37″ tire, like the others.

But as musculature as it looks, these styling changes belie many engineering improvements. Most of the changes are due to the V6 3.0 biturbo engine, which produces 424 hp and 60.8 kgfm. The V8 rival uses a 10-speed automatic transmission to reach a 4-wheel drive transfer case with a 3.06:1 ratio. Like the EcoBoost 3.5 on the F-150 Raptor, the Bronco’s 3.0 has a wide, full torque curve that appears right after a little turbolag, which calls for a little care when entering the rocks. 

With a wheelbase of 2.96 m (about 1 cm greater than the standard Bronco 4-door), the Raptor improves the structure with additional reinforcements in the shock towers and in the suspension and steering struts, in addition to more points of support. attachment for lower skid plates and trailer hitch. The additions increase torsional stiffness by 50%, which gives Fox Live Valve shocks better performance. Intelligent, they analyze the terrain hundreds of times per second and adjust accordingly. If they sense something like a takeoff, totally off the ground, they automatically stiffen for a smooth, stable takeoff. 

Reinforced tie rods and inner sprocket better compensate for what passes in the desert and the heavier tires – the 37-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 on optional 17-inch wheels with beadlocks. Wheel hubs, bearings and other components are from the F-150 Raptor, giving the more powerful Bronco a 6′ front and 6′ rear track, near-identical truck numbers and 8″ wider than the regular Bronco .

Put it all together and we have a ground clearance of 33 cm, as well as 33 cm of front suspension travel and 36 cm at the rear. These numbers match an F-150 Raptor with 37″ tires and are an improvement over even the Bronco Sasquatch, putting the Raptor at the top of the range.