Manoli Katakis 
As cool as the Ford Bronco R is, the Baja 1000 racing truck is a little out of reach for casual off-road racers. To alleviate this is the new 2021 Ford Bronco 4600, and it made its premiere today at the annual King of the Hammers event happening this week. The Bronco 4600 will soon begin competing in ULTRA4 stock class this year, and demonstrates how customers can prep either their 2021 Bronco 2-Door or 4-Door to compete in ULTRA4 as well.
Underneath the racing livery is actually a stock 2.7L EcoBoost V6 and 10-speed automatic powertrain. But it’s running on a competition-tuned High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension (HOSS) System.
Not quite as radical as the Bronco R or the Bronco 4400 race trucks, this particular 2021 Ford Bronco 4600 has a competition-tuned high-performance off-road stability suspension with Fox coilover shocks with remote reservoirs and Fox pneumatic bump stops at all four corners. Stopping power is entrusted to Wilwood Engineering brakes and 35-inch BFGoodrich KM3 tires mounted to Method Race Wheels 202 forged beadlock wheels.
74 Weld heavy-duty front portal hubs are mounted to Triton Engineering control arms, complimented by heavy-duty Howe hydraulic steering rack with a cooler. Sending front wheel torque to the tires is a factory Dana AdvanTEK e-locking differential with RCV custom halfshafts. For the rear, Triton Engineering rear links support a Dynatrac ProRock XD60 axle with an ARB 35-spline Air Locker and Spidertrax Spider 9 axle shafts and hubs.
Looking at the body of the 2021 Ford Bronco 4600, we see modified front and rear modular steel bumpers and a Warn Zeon winch, while Rigid LED off-road lights improve night vision. All via Ford Performance Accessories. Meanwhile, the interior is fitted with a custom roll cage by Geiser Brothers, while Recaro supplies the industry’s first-ever FIA off-road-certified race shells.
The 2021 Ford Bronco 4600 race trucks feature a new livery leveraging factory Bronco colors: Race Red; Oxford White; and Velocity Blue. The livery up front features a look inspired by the 1969 Baja 1000-winning Bronco, with a matte black hood, plus white upper and red lower body lines that transitions into a more modern Bronco design scheme extending rearward. The hood features a white “Bronco” logo, while the “R” in the grille’s “BRONCO” lettering is colored red, like the Rebelle Rally Bronco Sport and Bronco R before it.
Competing with the 2021 Ford Bronco 4600 include fun-haver Vaughn Gittin Jr. and two-time King of the Hammers champion Loren Healy in one model. Another Bronco 4600 will be driven by teammates Jason Scherer, a three-time King of the Hammers champion and Bailey Cole, ULTRA4 vet and Score Baja 1000 class winner. A third 2021 Ford Bronco 4600 race team will feature Brad Lovell, who has won championships in ULTRA4, and his brother Roger Lovell, a professional engineer who also happens to have multiple off-road racing wins and championships.
Pricing for what it would take to build a 2021 Ford Bronco 4600 is unclear at this time, but be sure to check back to MC&T on the regular for the latest updates on the Bronco 4600 race truck and other Ford Bronco news.
