Ford brings out the Bronco R race prototype

The all-new Bronco SUV is set to roll out of the production facilities in the spring of 2020. And, to give us all of a taste of the upcoming SUV, Ford has brought out the Bronco R race prototype. Set to give the Jeep wrangler a tough fight, the upcoming Ford Bronco will use the same underpinning as the Ford Ranger and Everest, that is, the T6 platform in a shortened avatar. Also, just like the Jeep Wrangler, the Ford Bronco will be offered with both three-door and five-door models.

Recent leaks and developments reveal that the Ford Bronco will be manufactured in the US and will be a left-hand drive version only. Moreover, the SUV is also expected to feature removable tubular doors and a canvas roof.

In case the all-new Ford Bronco ends up being a left-hand drive SUV only, there is no chance for it to land on the OZ shores. "The twin turbos of the [race car's> EcoBoost engine are representative of what the production Bronco will offer", said Brian Novak, who is the off-road racing supervisor for the Ford Performance division. The different twin-turbo V6 engines that power the Ford F-150 produce a hell lot of power from 329 hp/542 Nm to 490 hp/691 Nm.

The powertrain that will power the production model of the Ford Bronco will be put to test at the Baja 1000 race in Mexico later this month. The Bronco R and the production model Bronco will not share a single body panel. However, the former will still give us a hint of what the latter will look like.

Interestingly, the SUV has been built by a team lead by Paul Wraith in just six months. And, the team made good use of the tech like polygon modelling, 3D printing, and virtual reality to meet the tight deadlines. The suspension setup on the Bronco R includes independent front suspension with 355 mm of wheel travel and a five-link rear suspension with a 457mm of travel. The SUV rides on 17-inch alloy wheels which come clothed with 37-inch BF Goodrich tyres. Although other Baca racers use tubular platforms, it is a modified version of the T6 platform that underpins the Bronco R.

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