So much detail has gone into Ford's new off-road monster.
We're suckers for a good Easter egg, and after a long day in the desert, we realized Ford has dropped some into the new Bronco Raptor. Frustratingly, the realization came while photographing the off-roader at the end of the day and just before our time was up with it. We asked if there were more, but the answer was just a nod and a chuckle as they took the keys back. In other words, we're going to have to wait until we have a full week to test drive the Bronco Raptor to try and find the rest. In the meantime, these are the Easter eggs we saw out in the desert.
The first Easter egg we saw on the Bronco isn't the coolest, but it's still pretty slick. Due to the roof being able to come off, Ford couldn't mount the third brake light there. Instead, it's part of the mount for the spare wheel on the back door and sits over the tire. It's straightforward, but on the other side of the brake light, the raptor logo is embossed in mirror form. When you look in the rear view mirror, you can see the logo clearly. Unless it's smothered in dirt and dust, but that's another story coming soon.
When you open the door to the cap-less fuel filler, you find a series of pictograms representing the original Baja race-winning Bronco, the 2021 Bronco R race truck, and the new Bronco Raptor.
The Bronco R was developed by Ford Performance to test and prove the 2021 Bronco's powertrain, chassis, and suspension design in race conditions. If you get on your hands and knees and peek underneath at the rear differential housing on the Bronco Raptor, you can also spot an R embossed on it as a homage to the race truck that was proven in the Baja 1000.
Our favorite is also the subtlest and hardest to spot, despite being hidden in plain sight. If you wipe away the dust and look closely, you'll see years etched into the integrated hood vent. They're 1967, 1969, 1971, and 1972 - the years that the Bronco competed successfully in the Baja 1000 race. In 1969, the truck was piloted by the off-road legend Rod Hall. As far as history can tell, Hall took part in the first organized off-road race in the US, which was near his hometown of Hemet, California. He raced in the first Baja 1000 and took the 1969 victory, then went on to amass a record 25 class wins while running 50 straight Baja races.
Now, Hall's granddaughter Shelby is part of the Bronco team. She started out as a co-driver with her grandfather. She continues his legacy in her own style. Shelby is an off-road adventurer through and through - and the first driver to claim a racing victory in the new-generation Bronco.
