Ford Bronco Raptor - Desert Ready
Truly Rugged
I'm afraid to say that your idea of 'rugged' and 'hardcore' might be a bit wanting. Sure, you can truss yourself up in waders, or tweed, or… Goretex, jump into a snotty Series II Land Rover and enjoy getting stuck in ruts, but will you be able to nail it across a desert swinging the arse out of a car while listening to Land of the Free as the world burns around you? No. You'll probably be enjoying another breakdown. I get it, it's fun for some, but not for everyone. If fixing cars on hills and mess aren't your jam, you'll want a Ford Bronco Raptor.
Ford's Bronco is a retro-styled cube of ruggedness. It's been around for a few years now in two flavours - Bronco Sport (the more urban one) and Bronco (the off-road ready one). The latter car is the one we're here to talk about, but not just any Bronco: the Raptor.
Ford's Raptors are designed for crossing any terrain effortlessly and at speed. They come with big engines, FOX shocks, tyres so large a small family could happily live in them, and interiors you can use while wearing gloves.
Engine and Power
In the case of the Bronco Raptor, that means a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 with 412bhp and 440 lb-ft that lobs power gleefully to all four wheels via a ten-speed automatic gearbox. The interior isn't modelled on the cheek of an angel, rather made of chunky things to hold on to, materials you can hose clean, and the sort of stuff you look at and think 'GRRRRRR.' You'll certainly feel 'GRRRRR'ish when it does 0-60 in 6.3 seconds… on sand. It'll top out at 114mph, too, which I'd safely say is quite enough for most. If you're somewhere warm and don't care about weather protection, you can take the roof and doors off, leaving you barrelling through the wilderness in a high-speed roll cage.
Apocolypse ready with added conveniences
You can prod big 'ol buttons on the centre console to lock diffs, turn off traction control, and such, and your drive mode selection is on an easy-to-twist dial. Being an American car, even a 'small' one, there's ample room for luggage in the back, and normal-sized humans in the back. It's a big 'ol box 'o practicality you can hoon through an apocalypse. And the way the world is going, that seems like something that might come in handy.
Serious Fun included in the price tag
Going for a play, what strikes you first is how effortless it seems to make everything. Sand, thanks to 37-inch BF Goodrich tyres, doesn't bother it in the slightest. Of course, there are plenty of modes to fiddle with, adjusting steering, throttle, brakes, the usual stuff, but in 'Off-road', it behaves with civilised brutality. With a planted foot, its wheels find traction easily, and it just… goes. The engine isn't the most charismatic thing to listen to compared to a chunky V8, but it still sounds pleasingly grumpy when you give it some stick. And give it some stick you will, because the torque delivery is smooth. The 10-speed' box can get a little search-y, but you can swap your own cogs if you want to and keep it in check.
Being directed to an angry looking mountainside, I was told to set the Bronco to its rockiest setting, point it upwards, and… go. I expected it to be nervous, a touch hesitant to claw its way up, but no. If anything the slope wasn't steep enough. Without a moment's hesitation it clambered up and over. I'll admit I'm not an experienced off-roader, but it made me look like I knew what I was doing.
Ford's aware that a Raptor needs to be a little more than its regular siblings - a wider track and angry dampers isn't quite enough, it needs Baja Mode. Think of it like a 'Sport Plus' setting, but the sport you're doing is doing skids through loose sand and having a ball. Even at low speeds in nervous hands it's hilarious, dropping a brave pill and mashing your foot as hard as you can translates to smiles so wide you can almost certainly see them from The Moon.
Things to know before you buy
I'd love to say I'm currently ticking boxes on Ford's website and speccing one in a pleasing blue, ready to tackle the M40, but I'm not. Partly because you can't get one with the ‘wheel on the correct side, partly because at over six feet wide it wouldn't really fit in the UK's narrow streets, and partly because it retails at more than $90,000 before import fees and all the nonsense that goes with.
For good 'ol Blighty, it's a touch impractical, sure, but for places with wide open spaces, big hills, and an overwhelming sense that you need a car that won't break down while you're escaping the end of civilisation… This might just be it.
words by Alex Goy
photography by Ford Press
