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New full size Bronco spy pics / info???

Jake_zx2

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uh, guys? Check this out...

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-ca...w-ford-bronco-full-size-prototype-spy-photos/

This Sure Looks Like a Full-Size Ford Bronco Test Mule
A short-wheelbase prototype with F-150 Raptor bones. Is this the big, bad Bronco of our dreams?


What do we have here? Some sort of Ford prototype of a vehicle that definitely does not exist in production: A short-cab, short-bed F-150 in Raptor guise. We have no idea what this test mule is, but it sure as hell looks like a full-size Bronco.

Take a close look at what we've got here. This vehicle has the ultra-wide track of the current F-150 Raptor, sporting factory-fit Raptor wheels and tires. The structures we see behind those mocked-up front and rear bumpers match what you see when you yank the bumpers off a Raptor—see this aftermarket bumper installation guide for confirmation. But you can't buy a Raptor, or any current F-150, with this short-cab, short-bed configuration.

Our first thought upon seeing these spy photos was that this is some sort of Ranger-based prototype, but that doesn't fit what we see. The current Ranger has a track width of 61.4 inches, far narrower than the roughly 74-inch track width of today's F-150 Raptor. Even the Ranger Raptor, the badass off-road variant that Ford sells in a handful of global markets (but not in the US), has a track width more than six inches narrower than the Raptor's. And yet, the wheels on the Raptor-based prototype you see here sit fully flush in the wheelwells, the same way they do on a production-spec F-150 Raptor.

Just how short is that wheelbase? A very rough estimate, using the 17-inch diameter of the wheels as a guideline, puts this prototype's wheelbase at around 108 inches. That's mighty short for a pickup truck. But it's right in the ballpark of the last F-150-based full-size Bronco, which had a wheelbase of 104.7 inches.

All of which leads us to believe (or at the very least, hope) that Ford might be testing the underpinnings of a full-size two-door Bronco built on a modified F-150 frame.

That seems unusual because, in the past, Ford has confirmed that the long-promised return of the Bronco will be build on the T6 platform that currently underpins the midsize Ranger. Ford has never made any mention of a full-size Bronco.

Could the Blue Oval be working on a surprise return of the big-boy Bronco? When reached for comment, a Ford spokeperson would only tell us that oft-repeated line: "We do not comment on future product."
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Jake_zx2

Jake_zx2

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I REALLY hope this is accurate... I’d love a raptor-based Bronco!
 

Funkdoobiest

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Heck yeah! A full size Bronco! I'm in.

I bet it is someone's personal monster created from a raptor and work truck.
 
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Jake_zx2

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The plates aren't shown in any pictures, but I'm thinking if the pictures are said to be spy shots, they probably had M plates.

Something I just thought of; Use of the F150 platform would allow for a Coyote to be an option... hmmm
 

Bronco II

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If this is the full size Bronco what was the cobbled up Ranger we've been seeing
 

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HTX1811

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I’m in!!!!!!!
 

BroncoMike

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Heck yeah! A full size Bronco! I'm in.

I bet it is someone's personal monster created from a raptor and work truck.
It had a manufacturer plate on it, so I doubt it's a handyman special.
 

Nickp

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Wow I am so confused by this. The ford authority article breaks it down in the best way as to what possibilities for what this is:

1. First, this prototype could be the “real” Ford Bronco, while the Ford Ranger-based one we saw in March could be a mule of the baby Bronco. Such a scenario would be rather interesting, since we previously believed that the baby Bronco would be based on a unibody architecture, albeit with some off-road prowess along the lines of a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

2.The second possibility is that this is a more advanced prototype of the Ford Bronco compared to the one we saw two in March. If that’s the case, then we would be very curious to understand the reason engineers switched to an F-150-based body rather than continuing with the Ford Ranger.

3.The third, and final, possibility is that this is a different body variant of the future Ford Bronco. In other words, this one could be a variant with four doors, while the one we saw in April could be a mule for a two-door model.
 

Stampede.Offroad

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I'm not convinced this is a Bronco of any kind. Those approach and departure angles are terrible -- remember, those are just the inner structural bumpers attached to the frame.

f150-raptor-singlecab-007-1559845835.jpg

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An interesting vehicle for sure, and it might be testing some parts, such as shocks for the Bronco, or an engine that wouldn't have fit in a current gen Ranger body, because this Stubby-Raptor prototype shares some measurements / weight numbers. But structurally, I don't think this is a Bronco.

Ford has told us very, very little about what the Bronco will be like, but they have been fairly clear on the fact that it will share major structural components with a Ranger. I think Ford could sell some stubby F150 Raptors if they wanted to though, and it would probably be far better on technical trails than most of those hippos.
 

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Jake_zx2

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Well, we know that Ford is considering making a brand out of "Bronco", whether that be in the way that "Mustang" has it's own brand identity, or in the way that Ram went separate from Dodge. Perhaps there's a Bronco (Ranger platform), a BIG Bronco (F150 platform), and a baby bronco (unibody structure). Or maybe they had a change of heart and decided to give us a full size Bronco for those of us who care more about towing, hauling, and sand dunes/rock crawling than wooded endeavors, and a ranger-based "Bronco II", per se, for those who want a narrow body Wrangler fighter
 
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Jake_zx2

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I'm not convinced this is a Bronco of any kind. Those approach and departure angles are terrible
The original Bronco had an approach angle of 37.5 degrees... That's only 5 more degrees than the Raptor. Although the Wranger has quite the advantage, the Raptor based model is more true to what the Bronco has been through the majority of its life.

I'm thinking the ranger-based model will be the one with more approach and departure angles, but even at that, they'd have to do a bit of work as the ranger has the same departure angle as the Raptor
 

Stampede.Offroad

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I'm guessing there is around a 15° advantage in the front, and maybe 20° in the rear ...
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compare f150-raptor-singlecab-007-1559845835.png

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eta: GIMP tools are telling me the advantage is a lot more than that, I was underestimating the ridiculously good approach and departure numbers of frankenRanger.
 
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BroncoRevital

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Holy shit! I don't fully know what to make of this but I like it. I really hope this is a test mule for a full size Raptor-esgue Bronco.

What a bad ass way to bring back the Bronco in a three tier variant. No one could complain if this is the case and could make sense with the whole Bronco being a sub brand thing.
I would take a smaller T6 frame one myself but this would be amazing to do three different styles of a Bronco.

It's way too early to tell if this is true or what this actually is and what they are doing with it is indeed anything to do Bronco related but wow this is really interesting and fun to hypothesize about. Could also be why it's been taking so long for the Bronco to come out.

I'm not convinced this is a Bronco of any kind. Those approach and departure angles are terrible -- remember, those are just the inner structural bumpers attached to the frame.
I wouldn't put much weight into those angles with this being a test mule. You're right though it's doubtful this has anything to do Bronco related but what the heck else is it for? It's pretty baffling in any case.
 
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Jimmy

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Holy shit! I don't fully know what to make of this but I like it. I really hope this is test mule for a full size Raptor-esgue Bronco.

What a bad ass way to bring back the Bronco in a three tier variant. No one could complain if this is the case and could makes sense with the whole Bronco being a sub brand thing.
I would take a smaller T6 frame one myself but this would be amazing to do three different styles of a Bronco.

It's way too early to tell if this is true or what this actually is and what they are doing with it is indeed anything to do Bronco related but wow this is really interesting and fun to hypothesize about. Could also be why it's been taking so long for the Bronco to come out.



I wouldn't put much wight into those angles with this being a test mule. You're right though it's doubtful this has anything to do Bronco related but what the heck else is it for? It's pretty baffling in any case.
That is one bad ass mule. Or Bronco....
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