Ford Motor Co. and Formula Drift Champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. are taking their long track ties to the next level. The Detroit automaker’s RTR Vehicles brand is lending its name to a new line of Ford Bronco SUVs. The 2027 Bronco RTR line will offer an array of off-road features direct from the factory starting later this year.
A self-described “professional fun-haver,” Vaughn Gittin Jr. has built up long ties to the Ford Motor Co., driving vehicles like the Mustang and Bronco Raptor to a series of championships on track and off-road.
His RTR Vehicles operation has also been turning out unique, customized versions of those two Ford models. It’s now taking things in a new direction, Ford and Gittin announced this week.
Starting later this year, Ford will introduce the new Bronco RTR edition. Jointly developed with Gittin, it will offer many of the features found on earlier, customized versions of the SUV at what he calls a “massively” lower price tag.
“Our mission was to develop the hottest performance version of Bronco ever,” said Ed Krenz, Bronco’s chief program engineer.
’27 Bronco RTR: ‘Unapologetically Cool’
Gittins has long had exclusive ties to Ford, and not just on the track. He’s built up a business customizing various Ford products, including Mustang and Bronco. Last October, they announced the launch of a factory-built version of the Mustang developed with Gittins’ direct input. The next step, announced this week, has them again teaming up on the Bronco.
“It’s a check-all-the-boxes” project, Krenz explained, with a long list of features that buyers might have asked Gittin to install at his own workshop — but at what the racer promises will be a “massively lower” price tag, since the 2027 Bronco RTR will be built on the Ford assembly line alongside other versions of the SUV.
It will be “unapologetically cool,” he promised, joining Ford’s Bronco team for a preview of the project at the automaker’s new world headquarters in Detroit this week.
Almost a Raptor
The RTR will slot into the Bronco hierarchy just below the SUV’s extreme Raptor package. There will be two versions available, the “base” package starting with 33-inch rugged-terrain tires and a new, standard high-clearance suspension. It’s the first time that combination has been offered out of the factory.
To take things to the next level, buyers will have the choice of a Sasquatch package upgrade that swaps in 35-inch Goodyear rugged-terrain tires and the HOSS 3.0 system with Fox internal bypass shocks. First offered on the original F-150 Raptor, the HOSS shocks were, until now, only available on Bronco Badlands. To get anything tougher, you’d need to upgrade to the Bronco Raptor.
“Bronco RTR is built to dominate the dirt, whether you’re in Johnson Valley or on a backwoods trail,” said Gittin. “We gave it the suspension tech to handle the hits, but we also sweat the details that matter to drivers. We reinforced the steering, added anti-lag turbo tech and share high-power cooling fan hardware from the Bronco Raptor to help keep Bronco RTR cool during extended trail time and playing in sand.”
Baja Mode
One of the more intriguing new features introduced on Bronco RTR is its Baja Mode. Like other driver mode choices, it adapts a variety of vehicle functions to specific terrain conditions. Among other things, it changes software settings for the SUV’s turbos.
The challenge, explained Gittin, was to make sure a driver always had immediate access to as much power as the Bronco’s engine could make, especially after briefly lifting the throttle when responding to rough terrain or entering a tight corner.
When in Baja Mode, the turbos continue to maintain their spin for up to about 5 seconds, added Krenz, ensuring maximum boost pressure when you get back on the throttle.
2027 Ford Bronco RTR: Revised Design
The 2027 Ford Bronco RTR will be easy to spot, with its Hyper Lime accents, including the graphics and rock rings of the 17-inch beadlock-capable RTR Evo 6 wheels. The truck also has topographical maps of Johnson Valley on its sides and hood.
Along with its higher clearance, the RTR package also has been widened — though not as much as the Bronco Raptor, Krenz noted.
For the moment, the partners are holding back on other specs, including details about ground clearance and approach and departure angles. The engine, they confirmed, will be the Bronco’s familiar 2.3L package, but we’ll have to wait for final horsepower and torque numbers.
The same is the case with pricing, though it’s expected to come in somewhere between the Badlands package, which starts at $51,580, and the $81,990 Raptor. Expect all those details to start coming out by late spring or early summer, with first deliveries expected by autumn.
