As promised, Ford has introduced the wildest Bronco you can actually buy, the 2023 Bronco DR (Desert Racer), a vehicle developed for the 2022 SCORE Baja 1000 that will also be produced in limited numbers.
The Ford Bronco DR is intended for off-road use only (sorry, it ain’t road-legal) and is differentiated from road-going models thanks to a plethora of important upgrades. For example, the DR has been equipped with Ford’s famed Coyote 5.0-liter naturally-aspirated V8 that the carmaker says will “generate more than 400 hp” in this specification.
Multimatic has also upgraded the Bronco’s exclusive High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension system and added Positional Selective DSSV Dampers with 80 mm bodies with finned fluid cooling channels. Multimatic has also designed new billet aluminum lower control arms and a safety cage. Ford says it is targeting 55.1 per cent more front suspension travel for the Bronco DR over a road-legal Bronco Badlands, and 56.8 per cent more suspension travel at the rear.
The off-roader also features an approach angle of 47 degrees, a departure angle of 37 degrees, and a breakover angle of 33 degrees. It has also been installed with 17-inch beadlock wheels wrapped in 37-inch BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 all-season tires that are said to provide great traction on rock and slick surfaces while also being well-suited to aired-down driving.
Read Also: Is Ford Going To Update The Bronco For The 2024 Model Year?
Coupled to the aforementioned Coyote V8 is a 10R80 transmission and a transfer case from the Ford F-150. Power is sent through electronically locking front and rear differentials with 4.70:1 final drive ratios. The brakes from the road car have been retained, although the Bronco DR does sport upgraded pads.
The body of the Baja-competitors features resin transfer molded fiberglass panels. There is also a tubular metal front bumper and a single-piece grille. All of the glass has been removed, as has the air conditioning system. The Bronco DR also has a special racing livery and large air intakes.
“Bronco DR is our ultimate turnkey off-road racing SUV, engineered to put enthusiasts behind the wheel of a desert racing force,” Ford chief product platform and operations officer Hau Thai-Tang said in a statement. “This collaboration between Ford Performance and Multimatic continues the Bronco desert racing legacy that dates back to Rod Hall and Larry Minor’s never-repeated overall Baja 1000 win in a stock Bronco in 1969.”
On Sale Late Next Year From Around $250,000
Ford has confirmed that 50 examples of the Bronco DR will be available to private customers. Production will be handled by Multimatic and each unit is expected to cost in the mid-$200,000 range.
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