Hennessey will build the V8 Bronco that Ford won't

Thursday, 29 October 2020

Watch as the all-new Ford Bronco family is revealed.

You can’t order a Ford Bronco yet – or, indeed, at all if you live here in New Zealand – and Ford has repeatedly said it won’t build a V8-powered one, yet neither of those things has stopped US tuner Hennessey announcing its plan to offer a VelociRaptor V8 Bronco.

The Texas-based outfit is renowned for doing mad things to vehicles – such as the six-wheeled F-150- Raptor-based VelociRaptor 6x6 – so jamming a Ford 5.0-litre supercharged V8 under the bonnet of the new Bronco is hardly a stretch for them, but they didn’t stop there.

The VelociRaptor V8 Bronco also gets an air-to-water intercooler, high-flow air induction, a fuel injector and fuel system upgrade, a stainless steel cat-back exhaust, upgraded alloy wheels and an upgraded off-road suspension system and tyres.

Texan tuner Hennessey is giving us the V8 Bronco that Ford won’t.

In terms of looks it scores a custom bonnet with scoop, VelociRaptor front and rear bumpers with LED lights, Hennessey and VelociRaptor V8 exterior badges, a Hennessey custom front grille and Hennessey custom livery.

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The interior also gets worked over with a VelociRaptor V8 custom interior, Hennessey embroidered headrests and a Limited Edition 1 of 24 serial numbered plaques.

But it is that engine that is the star of the show, with the 5.0-litre supercharged unit producing 750 horsepower (559kW) and being hooked up to to Ford's 10-speed automatic. This is something of an upgrade over the standard Bronco’s twin-turbocharged 2.7-litre V6 EcoBoost with 231kW…

Hennessey estimates the Velociraptor Bronco will hit 60 miles per hour (96kmh) in 4.5 seconds.

“Over the past two years we have built over 70 Gen 2 Ford Raptors for our customers by removing the EcoBoost V6 and replacing it with the same 750 HP supercharged 5.0 V8,” said company founder and CEO, John Hennessey.

“I wanted to build the ultimate Ford Bronco for myself and for our customers. The 2021 Bronco may be one of the most highly desired vehicles since the introduction of the Ford GT. We look forward to taking the new Bronco to the next level and beyond.”

Hennessey says production will be limited to just 24 units for the 2021 model year and the VelociRaptor V8 Bronco can be had in both 2-door and 4-door configurations.

The VelociRaptor V8 Bronco can be ordered directly from Hennessey and the complete cost, including a new Bronco, is US$225,000 (NZ$338,000) plus vehicle shipping costs.

So what are you waiting for? You know you want to…