When Ford brought back the Bronco SUV, it created many new marketing opportunities for the product. Ford Performance also had some ideas and one of them which has been revealed is the Bronco 4600 race vehicle. Representing the all-new outdoor brand of Built Wild 4x4s, the Bronco 4600 demonstrates how the latest Bronco can be prepped by customers for off-road racing, especially in the ULTRA4 series.
Built Wild off-road racing
With the first-generation Bronco having won the 1969 Baja 1000 race outright, the modern Bronco 4600 builds on a winning tradition. This starts with a Bronco 2-door SUV with stock powertrain running on a competition-tuned High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension (HOSS) System.
Testing of the Bronco 4600 begins later this month, with the race vehicles going on to run this year in the ULTRA4 alongside factory-backed Bronco 4400 series race vehicles. The model uses a 2021 Bronco 2-door with a Sasquatch Package, and is powered by a race-tested production 2.7-litre EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 powertrain with SelectShift 10-speed automatic and second-generation T-6 chassis.
It serves as a test bed for a growing list of Ford Licensed Accessories and Ford Performance parts alongside the independent performance aftermarket. Taking learnings from the Bronco R Race Prototype that ran the 2019 and 2020 Baja 1000, the Bronco 4600’s competition-tuned high-performance off-road stability suspension features Fox coil-over shocks with remote reservoirs and Fox pneumatic bump stops at all four corners.
It also features Wilwood Engineering brakes and 35-inch BFGoodrich mud-terrain T/A KM3 tyres mounted to Method Race Wheels 202 Forged Beadlock wheels.
Inspired ‘war paint’
All the Bronco 4600 race vehicles will feature a new livery leveraging factory 2021 Bronco colours – Race Red, Oxford White and Velocity Blue. The front design takes inspiration from the 1969 Baja 1000-winning Bronco, with matte black bonnet, plus white upper and red lower body lines that transitions into a more modern Bronco design scheme extending rearward.
“Our new ‘war paint’ scheme tells the Bronco race story – up front is chapter one that traces back to the victorious 1969 Bronco, then, as you travel along the side, the lines get more diagonal, more futuristic, signaling the future of the brand,” said Scott Guan, Bronco designer. Like the Bronco R Race Prototype and Bronco Sport Rebelle Rally SUVs, the Bronco 4600’s “R” in the grille is distinctly red.
Continuing the Bronco heritage
“Innovating the off-road landscape and competing with Bronco’s higher-speed off-road abilities have always been at the core of Bronco brand’s heritage,” added Dave Rivers, Ford SUV Marketing Manager.
“Our new Bronco 4600 racers underscore our motorsports heritage and how the all-new 2021 Bronco can be tuned from the showroom floor to compete in the gruelling ULTRA4 stock class series,” he said.
The Bronco is now available in Malaysia but Sime Darby Auto ConneXion has the powerful, very rugged, very capable Ranger Raptor. Visit www.sdacford.com.my to know more.
Ford Bronco R race prototype for Baja 1000 is a teaser for 2020 production Bronco
