To warm up the public interest to its upcoming Bronco SUV revival, Ford has built the unique Bronco R, a rally car specifically designed for the Baja 1000 off-road endurance race. The vehicle was greeted with great enthusiasm – but ultimately broke down and fell out of the race.
The mechanic crew did its best to solve the various issues arising during the race – and generally did well – but the alleged engine cooling system breakdown put a premature end on the competition.
Interestingly enough, the Bronco R only had one opponent in its vehicle class this year: the SCG Boot, designed by Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus as an homage to the legendary Hurst Baja Boot from the 1960s. The Boot packed 650 hp (485 kW) under the hood and emerged victorious in the rally, but not before wasting twice as much time to finish it as the all-time winner did. All in all, what happened on the track a couple days ago clearly once again proves that getting to the Baja 1000 finish line at all is challenging enough for most participants.
Ford Performance said it was going to analyze the situation carefully and make the necessary adjustments for the next year’s race.