Depending on who you ask, Ford’s Bronco Raptor represents either all that’s terribly wrong or a lot that’s very right about the dichotomy of the modern automotive industry. During a time of necessary restraint, it is, inescapably, a 2.6-ton truck that averages around 15mpg to deliver a combination of abilities that no ordinary driver could possibly justify needing. In a gloomy era of ‘software-defined vehicles’ and ‘mobility solutions’ it is also, however, a rare piece of engineering-led design, with an ambitious brief and the potential to deliver more ‘smiles per gallon’ than the EPA can measure.
This contrast of sublime and ridiculous begins at birth for every Bronco Raptor. The development engineers’ insistence on bestowing it with the extra 22cm of track width and 14 inches of suspension travel necessary to achieve their aims means it’s too tall for its assembly line and too wide for the paint booth. Slap on the largest tyres found on any production vehicle and you’re left with something that more closely resembles a Tonka truck than an SUV.
Sheer size aside, there’s another reason that I approach my week with the ‘Braptor’ with a little hesitation. I’ve just never really got the whole big truck scene, often finding it to represent some of the least palatable elements of automotive culture. Can the fact that it was jacked up by Ford themselves, rather than a coal-rolling Andrew Tate disciple, actually make a difference?
To my pleasant surprise, the immediate answer is ‘yes’. The ‘Braptor’ sets a lighter tone right off the bat with its cohesive, throwback styling. Combined with a surprisingly eager stance - imparted by the shortening effect of those enormous tyres on the 2.95-metre wheelbase – the Braptor swerves the bro-dozer image that could so easily have dented its appeal. You’ll find no Truck Nuts here.
‘Our’ example furthers its playful persona with a combo of Oxford White paint, laity graphics and Code Orange trim that pops brilliantly in the Southern California sunshine. And I soon find that what the Braptor puts out into the universe, I get back in spades. Various Caterhams and the Morgan 3 Wheeler aside, I can’t recall a car that sparked so many positive interactions with such a broad swathe of passers-by.
Positive vibes aren’t the only things emitted by this behemoth, of course. The twin-turbo 3.0-litre EcoBoost V6 sends 418hp and 440lb ft* of torque to all four wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission. That’s enough to propel the Braptor from 0-62 in under six seconds, which may not appear particularly earth-shattering on paper these days, but remains utterly addictive in its delivery here.
The shock of something so gargantuan leaping so readily from the line, the sense of inertia that builds as it gathers pace, and the wonderful (ridiculous) soundtrack that bellows from its exhaust ensure you never tire of flooring it from every red light – even if the same can’t always be said for your passengers...
Once steadily underway, a few flaws do emerge. In standard guise the Bronco sacrifices a little off-road ability in favour of far better road manners than its nemesis, the Jeep Wrangler. All that goes out the window with the Raptor, though. Wind buffeting and tyre noise border on ridiculous at motorway speeds, and even the trick Fox shock absorbers struggle to cope with the high-frequency crimping found on LA’s (frankly outrageous) concrete freeways. With the Bronco’s outsized proportions owed to its beefier wheels and suspension, the cabin, though comfortable and well-equipped, is not as spacious as you’d think for a car of this size.
Below 60mph though, all is forgiven. On regular surface roads, the Braptor adopts a laid-back gait that makes it a thoroughly pleasant cruiser. Find yourself something a little twistier, and things get better still.
Perched high in the San Jacinto mountains, about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, Idyllwild is a quaint mountain town offering a welcome respite from the sprawling city. It also just so happens that the Banning-Idyllwild Panoramic Highway (the clue’s in the name) leading to it is among the most breathtaking PH Dream Drive candidates in the region. Thirty miles of switch-backing twists and turns may not seem like the Braptor’s natural habitat, but in this environment it miraculously thrives.
With the turbos on song, the V6 feels almost effervescent. A chassis strengthened to improve torsional rigidity by 50 per cent, combined with surprisingly direct and responsive steering gives the confidence to really chuck the Raptor in, the lack of grip from that all-terrain rubber keeps things playful at speeds that would seem mundane in a sports car, and the excellent brakes ensure there’s always a margin for error.
Though it may seem like a dinosaur, it’s in these conditions that you’ll also find just how of its time the Bronco Raptor is. With a 17-gallon petrol tank and economy that dips into single digits when pushed, the powertrain delivers range anxiety to bring this ICE car firmly into the EV age.
But as long as the engine has fuel to keep going, the Braptor will too. Over almost any terrain, in almost any conditions, its preternatural off-road ability is second to none. There’ll be no tiptoeing down green lanes or winching through mud here, though, the Raptor instead opting to shock and awe the approaching landscape into submission.
Standard G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Terrain) modes cover snow, ice, sand, mud, and rock crawling, but the Raptor-specific Baja mode is top dog, dialing everything up to its sharpest setting including the exhaust. Drive modes, cameras and other handy electronic assists aside, it’s the Braptor’s physical engineering which makes it so unrelenting in the wild.
Combine a set of 37-inch BFGoodrich K02 all-terrain tyres with 33cm of ground clearance, 47.2- and 40.5-degree approach and departure angles, electronic locking diffs front and rear, an electronically detachable front anti-roll bar and almost a metre of wading depth, and then nudge it along with this much grunt and it’ll pretty much go where you point it.
That it’ll do it so quickly, comfortably and assuredly is testament to those determined engineers who faced down the number crunchers and marketing bods to ensure that this didn’t merely become another ‘lifestyle’ vehicle. You’ll find yourself thanking them too, when that extra inch of suspension travel takes another crater in its stride. Because the ‘Braptor’ covers ground on a dirt track like the elephantine lovechild of a Polaris RZR and an RC car. Such speed would of course be useless without the confidence to deploy it, though, and its creators have delivered that in spades.
But they’ve delivered something far more fundamental, too. Because what the Braptor actually uses its outsized power, presence and proportions to overcome isn’t purely topographical. In a world which offers ever less room to car lovers and petrol heads, the Raptor takes fun back by force.
Speed bumps and potholes are ironed flat by its suspension (which handles large imperfections far more seamlessly than small), ensuring it’s as much of an event driving it at 30mph as it is a thrill at 60. It’s an unlikely hot hatch on a stretch of twisty tarmac and the Trophy truck you hoped for over any loose surface. Most importantly of all, it’ll fix a smile to your face from the time you catch a glimpse of its monstrous proportions each morning until you hop down from the driver’s seat at night.
Would it deliver the same unalloyed glee in the UK? That remains to be seen. For PHers wishing to find out, though, those stalwarts of imported Americana at Clive Sutton of course have you covered, as long as I don’t find the cash first.
SPECIFICATION | 2024 FORD BRONCO RAPTOR
Engine: 3.0-litre, twin-turbo V6
Transmission: 10-speed auto, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 418*
Torque (lb ft): 440*
0-62mph: < 6.0 seconds
Top speed: 111mph
Weight: 2,600kg
MPG: 16-18
CO2: 577g/mile
Price: £68,910 ($90,035) as standard plus taxes; price as tested £73,110 ($95,525) plus taxes, comprising leather trim/suede seats at £2,292 ($2,995) and Raptor Code Orange appearance pack £1,910 ($2,495)
*Since our test, Ford has also announced an $825 ‘software calibration’ upgrade allowing existing owners to increase the output of their Braptor to a whopping 455hp and 536lb ft.
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