One only needs to take a look at the Ford Bronco Raptor to understand its intended function. While no one would dare question the SUV’s Baja-proven speed in the desert, the folks at Team O’Neil Rally School have raised an important question: can the Braptor rally? In the name of science, the team’s Wyatt Knox put the SUV through its sideways paces.
Tucked away in Dalton, New Hampshire, Team O’Neil Rally School is exclusively targeted towards drivers looking to improve their skill on loose surfaces. With about 600 acres of property lined with all sorts of skid pads, varying rally stages and genuine off-road courses, it’s the perfect place to run the Bronco Raptor through some rally shakedowns. This particular clip features the Raptor taking some shakedown runs on a gravel skidpad and slalom course, before ultimately taking on the stopwatch for a timed run down a stage. While not exactly the sort of thing this 5700-pound SUV was made to do, the Braptor has a few tricks up its sleeve.
That all starts with its powerful 3.0-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine, which provides 418 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque. The 10-speed automatic transmission gives you plenty of ratios to work with, though Knox does initially note that it hunts for gears a bit more than he’d like in automatic mode. That said, Knox ultimately does favor the automatic doing its own thing for rally endeavors by the end of the test. The truck’s suspension setup isn’t its strongest feature in a rally setting, as its 13-inches of front and 14-inches of rear travel ensure the Bronco leans over quite a bit when traction is still present. That of course is only exacerbated by the truck’s 37-inch tires, which help give the Bronco 13.1-inches of running ground clearance. Knox specifically mentions that you could flip one of these things as a result of that combination if you’re not mindful. The shakedown tests were completed in the SUV’s 2WD transfer case setting, with Sport Mode on and traction management fully off.
The Bronco holds its own on the skid pad, managing to hang onto speeds in the mid 30-mph range. The truck’s skill set comes into play on the slalom, where Knox is able to play with weight transfer a bit more aggressively. The Bronco allows Knox to initiate his corner entry with left foot braking, before getting back on the power to bring it out. For the timed stage, Knox switched the truck over to 4H and enabled the performance-oriented Baja Mode. This didn’t prove to be to Knox’s liking, with the SUV feeling less engaging and less confidence inspiring than in its 2WD configuration. The SUV was quickly put back in the rear-drive and Sport Mode configuration, which proved to be more useful with the stiffer shock settings. The truck managed to post a time of 2:00.06 around the stage, which isn’t all that great. In fact, that actually falls behind the baby Bronco Sport, which posted a run of 1:59.31. That said, Team O’Neil will run the truck again in 4WD to try and see if that will bring the time down. Just don’t expect as many slides next time around.
Born and raised in Metro Detroit, associate editor Lucas Bell has spent his entire life surrounded by the automotive industry. He may daily drive an aging Mustang, but his Porsche 944 and NB Miata both take up most of his free time.
