The Ford Bronco Raptor is a monster – it is even “unreasonably good” as our own Managing Editor Brandon Turkus said in his recent review of the SUV (see below). The automaker knows it has built a truly capable machine and it wants everyone who buys it to know exactly how to use it. To give the 2022 and 2023 Bronco Raptor owners professional instructions, Ford is launching the Bronco Raptor Off-Roadeo Experience just outside Las Vegas.
Inspired by the Bronco Off-Roadeo Experience, this new program has been jointly developed by the Bronco brand and Ford Performance teams together with Vaughn Gittin Jr., Loren Healy, and Brad Lovell, who are all world-class off-roader drivers. Everyone who bought a new Bronco Raptor received a full day of driving experience at a basecamp facility at Mt. Potosi. Bob Burns was responsible for the trails and training scenarios.
Gallery: Ford Bronco Raptor Off-Roadeo Experience
In addition to giving professional advice to drivers regardless of their experience level, the Bronco Raptor Off-Roadeo Experience will focus on the so-called Tread Lightly! principles, which promote responsible off-roading. Professional coaches will show owners how to get the most out of their Bronco Raptors and guests can join the program for an additional fee.
Since the launch of the Bronco Off-Roadeo Experience, more than 31,000 owners of the SUV and guests have attended the program. The playgrounds for the off-roading school include Horseshoe Bay, Texas; Mt. Potosi, Nevada; Moab, Utah; and Gilford, New Hampshire. The location for the new Bronco Raptor program will feature Ultra4-inspired challenges combining “all of the thrilling and unforgiving terrain and conditions of the Mojave Desert with professional off-road instructors.”
As a refresher, the Bronco Raptor is powered by Ford’s twin-turbocharged EcoBoost 3.0-liter V6 engine, which is shared with the Explorer ST. It delivers a peak output of 418 horsepower (311 kilowatts) and 440 pound-feet (596 Newton-meters) of torque. All that power leads to a fuel efficiency of just 15 miles per gallon city, 17 mpg highway, and 15 mpg combined.
