Fans of Ford Bronco got a sweet appetizer of what the upcoming SUV might look like in its production form.
Bronco R, the revealed off-road racing truck, will be piloted by Cameron Steele in this year's Baja 1000 sanctioned by SCORE.
Powertrain
The brutal 1,000-mile course map of Baja 1,000 will certainly put Bronco R's powertrain to the test. Under the hood, it has a twin-turbo EcoBoost engine attached to it.
Although Ford is yet to confirm the powertrain of the production model itself, the same engine is said to be "representative of what the production Bronco will offer." A leak attested by retailer Canadian Tire pointed to a 2.3-liter, turbocharged (EcoBoost) inline-four as Bronco's engine last June. Ranger, which shares the same platform with Bronco, sports the same engine.
Ford's EcoBoost engines boast 30% better fuel efficiency and 15% fewer greenhouse emissions, with the 2.3-L version used in high-performance applications.
Design - which parts will make it
The overall look of the Bronco R paid tribute to the first-generation Bronco, with its boxy shape, clamshell hood, and roof. Ford says it "drops heritage-inspired design and proportion hints."
Ford emphasized that the silhouette of the Bronco R will resemble that of the production Bronco, but fans suspect a more upright structure and lightweight composite body. To top it off, the front grille with subtle "BRONCO" lettering made of LED light bars will no doubt adorn the front of the production Bronco.
Sadly, the 17-inch wheels and 37-inch tires which give the R-prototype a menacing look won't make the production. Similarly, the roll cage, aero work, and composite body panels will be strictly for racing purposes.
To Celebrate Milestones
Along with Cameron Steele, Shelby Hall will drive the Bronco R at some parts of the Baja 1000 race. Rod Hall, the racing legend who won the 1969 Baja 1000 with a first-generation Bronco, was her grandfather. He won the overall race with Larry Minor.
The unveiling of the Bronco R is, in part, a way to commemorate their win, which happened 50 years ago. In an interview with San Diego Tribune, Hall described the Bronco he used in the Baja 1000 race as "rugged, fast, and durable." Back in those days, there were hardly roads nor trails, and the maps were not useful at all. Despite the hurdles, the first-generation Bronco managed to survive all that and help him snatch his first and only overall win.
The Team Behind
A small Ford team lead by Paul Wraith, Bronco's chief designer, managed to complete the entire design of the modern Bronco in six months. They started last July and were under time pressure for the completion of Bronco R. They had to complete the racing truck in time before the Baja 1000 begins on Nov. 22. To overcome this, they used a mix of 3D printing, virtual reality, and polygon modeling to design and produce the Bronco R.
Expected Debut
Ford announced that the production model would debut in the spring of 2020. Most likely, it will hit production by the end of 2020 and will be available in the market by 2021. The production of the SUVs will be at Ford Michigan's Assembly Plant in Wayne.
