2021 Bronco Badlands Podiums at Mexican 1000 Rally

Jason R. Sakurai
by Jason R. Sakurai
2021 bronco badlands podiums at mexican 1000 rally

A stock 2021 Bronco Badlands finished third in the NORRA Mexican 1000 off-road rally, driven by two Ford engineers. The podium finish came in the Pre-Runner Truck class.

Bronco engineer manager Jamie Groves and Seth Goslawski, another Bronco engineer, drove the majority of the 1,141 mile race across the Baja peninsula. Brad Lovell, a Bronco advisory panel member and prior NORRA winner, helped navigate and drove one stage during the five-day event.

“Bronco has a long, successful history racing down here so we wanted to put the new one to the test as our final Built Wild extreme testing validation. It exceeded our every expectation for performance across this treacherous environment,” said Groves. “This race is a key final pre-launch check box for what the Bronco can do.”

The Bronco Badlands used the factory 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, 10-speed SelectShift transmission, and 4WD with the automatic on-demand transfer case. The high-performance off-road stability suspension system on the Badlands features long-travel, coil-over Bilstein shock absorbers. A roll cage, harness belts, racing seats, and fire extinguishing system were racing additions.

The Badlands used stock 33-inch BFGoodrich all-terrain tires. A Dana 44 M220 rear axle, and M210 independent front suspension with Spicer electronic lockers is included. The Badlands’ front sway-bar disconnect and Terrain Management System was particularly helpful traversing the unforgiving Mexican countryside.

“We topped 100 MPH in some dry lake beds,” Groves said. “The Bronco’s Baja mode was especially helpful. It keeps shift points at the right rpm, and the turbos spooled up so power is there when you need it. The brakes are more aggressive to slow quickly for rough terrain.”

The 2021 Bronco two-door and Bronco four-door SUVs arrive this summer. It will team up with the 2020 Bronco Sport that is available in showrooms now.

[Images: Ford]

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  • Corey Lewis Corey Lewis on May 11, 2021

    Okay that is a great action shot there.

  • Slow_poke Slow_poke on May 11, 2021

    I thought the deal w/ these was the clutches in the “on demand transfer case” were sized for “occasional” off road work. I thought that was documented. Therefore, if it was stock then this course could be run primarily as a front drive event w/ 4wheeling help as necessary. Does that track? If you’re driving fast on sandy dirt big front drive tires would be sufficient??

    • See 1 previous
    • Slow_poke Slow_poke on May 12, 2021

      @Ol Shel Yeah, maybe so., my BAD.... I’ve heard so much hype about these things and was honestly getting a bit excited, but just saw one in real life and it didn’t really live up to the hype for me. SUV box. Again. Anyway, didn’t mean to disparage. I feel now that w/ all the SUV’s, CUV’s, “lifted sedans???”, that the “amount of mass required to get me to the grocery store” has doubled in the past 10years and that seems like the wrong direction. Got no good answer for that aside from taxing mass? .

  • Bruce Thank you Maintenance costs for your clarification and Wolfwagen for yours too that is what I heard or read somewhere so thank you .
  • Joe e I absolutely agree with you about fetid Christianity, etc., but the people in Ireland, Poland, Mexico and the Philippines might not agree with your belief that Catholicism is going away.
  • Tassos Official unveiling of the CT is in just two short days, but the crowds already form lines to see it in US and Canadian Tesla Storeshttps://electrek.co/2023/11/27/tesla-cybertrucks-showrooms-attract-large-crowds/
  • Oberkanone With the loss of so many units during the pandemic and the continuing export of used vehicles from USA to elsewhere I don't see the floor dropping on the market. Supply is just too darn tight. I'll be happy to see demand lessen to the point where the dealers are unable to add thousands of dollars in markup and/or meaningless mandatory paint protection and other B.S.Pricing on this Tacoma is higher than I'd like. And yet I'm considering putting a deposit down on TRD Off Road 6ft bed. Before I've ever driven the truck.
  • EBFlex This and the new Colorado are grand slams. I hope they both do very well.
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