FORD BRONCO RAPTOR EXHAUST SOUND: AN UP-CLOSE LOOK AND LISTEN

The Raptor family adds its first SUV with the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor, much to the dismay of TRD and Jeep fans everywhere (but at least they’re in the fight, unlike Chevy). With 400-plus horsepower, courtesy of a special twin-turbocharged 3.0L EcoBoost V6 engine that was first found in the Explorer ST, the Bronco Raptor promises to be an absolute off-road rocket, with the frame, shocks, and rolling stock to back it up. But let’s forget about all that for a second. How does the exhaust sound? We recently got up close and personal with the BRaptor last week, and recorded the engine firing up from a cold start, with an exhaust note that has an impressive amount of snap, crackle and pop. Take a listen:

Deep and raspy, we think the Ford Bronco Raptor’s exhaust note is befitting of such a rowdy high-performance machine. V6 engines get a bad rap for the sounds they tend to produce, largely because of the 90-degree American variations of yesteryear. But Ford’s EcoBoost V6 engines have a 60-degree cylinder bank separation, and beside being better for balance, it’s better for sound. Now, is it as good of a sound as the Coyote V8 in the Bronco DR? Let us know in the comment section what you think.

2022 Ford Bronco Raptor Aims To Jump Over Jeep Wrangler

Naysayers will naturally pick up on the fact that the new Ford Bronco Raptor is, at the end of the day, substantially down on power and displacement versus Jeep’s V8-powered Wrangler Rubicon 392. Nevertheless, the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor is expected to crank out a minimum of 400 horsepower, and likely even higher levels torque. But anybody fixating on cylinder count and horsepower misses the bigger picture.

The Ford Bronco Raptor was designed and engineered to soak up the biggest bumps and jumps a person can throw at it, with big 3.1-inch, position-sensitive Fox Live Valve dampers. The chassis has even been upgraded to take more abuse, with a fully-boxed frame incorporating plenty of high-strength steel and upper B- and C-pillar reinforcements. In all, the chassis is a full 50-percent more rigid than on the standard Bronco.

If you’re not feeling particularly inclined to pick over the finer details, here are the bullet points: 13.1 inches of ground clearance; 13 inches of wheel travel in the front, with 14 inches out back; 37-inch BFGoodrich T/A KO2 tires, standard. By comparison, the Wrangler 392 comes with 33-inch tires standard, with 35-inch tires as the upgrade. Off the beaten path, tires can make or break the adventure.

And there’s one last bullet point to consider: $69,995. That’s the base price Ford is targeting, and while it’s a lot of coin, it’s a full five grand less than the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392. That’s not nothing.