A recent publicity video hints that Shelby American might be planning to build a tuned Ford Bronco.
First spotted by Motor1, the video shows a one-lap race at the Hallett Motor Racing Circuit in Jennings, Oklahoma, between Shelby American CEO Gary Patterson in a Mustang Shelby GT500 SE, and pro driver Shelby Hall in a 2021 Ford Bronco.
Hall wins by taking a few shortcuts, after which Patterson muses about "doing something" with the Bronco. That's fairly vague, but it would be odd to stage something like this if Shelby American didn't have plans for the Bronco.
2021 Ford Bronco
A Shelby Bronco wouldn't be the company's first off-roader. While best known for its tuned Mustangs and Cobra replicas, Shelby has also modified the Ford F-150 Raptor, and it launched an off-road version of the F-250 Super Duty earlier this year.
Shelby wouldn't be the only tuning company modifying the Bronco. Hennessey has already announced a V-8 Bronco with 758 hp and a $225,000 price tag, while Saleen plans to build a modern tribute to Big Oly, the first-generation Bronco driven by Parnelli Jones victory in the 1971 and '72 Mexican 1000 (now Baja 1000). The original Big Oly recently sold for $1.87 million at auction.
Ford is also thought to be planning a hardcore version of the Bronco. Possibly called Warthog or Raptor, this high-speed desert-running Bronco is expected to get upgraded suspension and a more-powerful engine, possibly a version of the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 from the Explorer ST, making upward of 400 hp. With regular Bronco production delayed, however, it's unclear when we'll see this performance model.
Check out the action in the video above.
