Yes, it looks like another one-off vehicle that’s been created specifically for a race. You know… the kind of car that makes your eyes light up and gets your blood racing, until you realize there’s no way to own one because the darn thing is not for sale. Fortunately, that’s not the case with the 2023 Ford Bronco DR. A desert racer (hence, the DR), it’s an actual, real-world production vehicle that you can order, add to your garage fleet, and take out to the desert to conquer the dunes. Whether you like overlanding across desert trails, enjoy racing sun-soaked in barren lands, or just want to strut around the city in a car that looks straight out of the Dakar Rally, this thing gets you a vehicle that can do just that with no need to get any custom work done. The 2023 Ford Bronco DR is built on an erstwhile standard Bronco SUV chassis, albeit one that’s equipped with a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine. While Ford hasn’t given final performance numbers for the powerplant, they did say they’re targeting around 400 horsepower, so it should pack plenty of muscle to propel this thing on the sands. Once all is said and done, the outfit is hoping this will end up being the most powerful production Bronco ever made. That engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and transfer case that’s taken right out of the Ford F-150 (the regular one, not the electric Lightning), with electronic locking differentials at either end of the truck to send all the available torque to the grounded wheels whenever they need it, making it all that much easier to get out of sticky off-road situations. It uses 3.0 Multimatic DSSV spool valve shocks with finned external coolers, which should help drivers maintain control even at higher speeds, while the off-road suspension system gives it 15.8 inches of front travel and 17.4 inches in the rear. The 2023 Ford Bronco DR has all-new fiberglass body panels in a two-door configuration, with an integrated competition-ready roll cage that’s attached directly to the frame, giving it that distinctly desert racer look when viewed from the back. According to the outfit, it has an approach angle of 47 degrees, a departure angle of 37 degrees, and a breakover angle of 33 degrees, as well as 37-inch mud terrain tires wrapped around its beadlock wheels. Inside, the cabin gets many stock items cleaned out, from the air conditioning system and the comfortable amenities to the numerous glass panels. In its place are a bunch of racing-specific elements, such as a dashboard with pre-wired switches for all sorts of equipment and a detachable steering wheel, with sporty racing seats for two people. Yes, it only sits two despite having the same four-door chassis as the regular Bronco, with the rear space taken up by a rear-mounted radiator with massive air intakes along the roof and an enormous 65-gallon fuel tank that should give it a whole lot of range. It tips the scales at 6,200 pounds.
The 2023 Ford Bronco DR will get a limited production run of just 50 units, each one hand-built by Multimatic. Price is projected to start at the mid-$200,000.