Ford Bronco gets supercar workover

The Ford Bronco has created a massive wave of international interest, thanks to its unique blend of cool retro visuals and genuine off-road capability.

But there’s always a market for customers who want the ultimate off-roader and now legendary supercar-maker and Mustang tuner Saleen has dropped the Big Oly Bronco.

Fitted with new bodywork that gives it a strikingly fresh look, the Saleen Big Oly Bronco adds a bold new front bumper with integrated LED light bar and a ‘forged carbon’ skid plate, along with new wheel-arches, an adjustable roof spoiler and new rear bumper with a tyre rack.

Saleen says the beefed-up Bronco was inspired by Baja 1000-winning machine by the same name and that the “…homage vehicle not only wears a livery reminiscent of the original but will also host numerous performance features you’ve come to expect from Saleen.”

Mechanical changes haven’t been divulged but it’s clear there’s a lift-kit under the two-door Bronco… not that it was needed, given Ford itself offers up to 295mm of ground clearance and chunky 35-inch Goodyear tyres.

But Saleen is not known for subtlety.

Ergo, expect mega suspension and tweaks to both engines. The 2.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder (200kW/420Nm), which is available in Australia in the Mustang and Ford Focus ST, can be tuned to make impressive acoustics and more power, but it’s the 2.7-litre twin-turbo V6 (231kW and 542Nm) that whets our appetite.

If Saleen goes berko, the force-fed bent six could blast out close to 300kW, or 400hp in the old money, so the rumoured Ford Bronco Warthog and Jeep Wrangler V8 could have their hands full when this desert dueler lobs.

This appears to be the first aftermarket Ford Bronco tune-up, but it certainly won’t be the last.