Ford Bronco R prototype | SEMA 2019

50 years on from the original Bronco victory, Ford is heading back to the desert...

Rumours around the return of a Ford Bronco have abounded for a long time, the appeal of a classically styled off-roader with modern underpinnings plain to all. Now we have something tangible from Ford previewing the car with this, the Bronco R.

While a production version won't be seen until next spring, this motorsport Bronco prototype will take on the Baja 1000 later in November - 50 years since an original Bronco won the rally. As well as evoking that car's colour scheme, we're told that the look is "what enthusiasts can expect to see when the future Bronco makes its world premiere."

Built by Ford Performance, Geiser Bros Design and Cameron Steele, the Bronco R has been constructed in just six months. Ford says both this racer and the production car will be built on its T6 architecture (which underpins the Ranger) and powered by a twin-turbo Ecoboost engine; we'd assume the 3.5-litre V6 used in the F-150 Raptor, even though that engine's not yet been used on the T6 platform, because the four-cylinder Ecoboost currently used on T6 cars is single turbo.

As for the race car, it's been treated to reworked suspension with Fox Racing dampers and enormous travel - 14 inches at the front, 18-inches at the rear - as well as a set of 37-inch BFGoodrich tyres. The seats are by Recaro (all three of them) and the data acquisition by MoTec. Oh yes, and 15 LED lightbars, because it's not a desert rally car without light bars.

This year's SCORE International Baja 1000 kicks off on November 22nd. Ford says the Bronco R "is no mirage. The sand is flying again, and the heat is on. It was built for this." We know that Glickenhaus will be awaiting the Bronco's arrival, along with many others - not long to go now!