Ford entered the off-road Bronco prototype, the Bronco R, at last year’s Baja 1000 and it took a lot of people by surprise because the Bronco was not unveiled yet. It couldn’t complete the race, but it managed to add to the ongoing buzz surrounding it. This year, the Bronco R completed the race, but couldn't beat its rival, the SCG Boot. The SCG Boot just scored its second consecutive Class 2 victory despite a punctured tire during the run. Is the Boot on the verge of becoming a legend in the Class 2 category?
The SCG Boot Is Miles Ahead Of The Ford Bronco R… Quite Literally
The SCG Boot was piloted by Darren Skilton and Viry Felix, whereas the Bronco R was driven by Cameron Steele and Shelby Hall. The company’s founder, James Glickenhaus, said that the Boot was a lot faster on rough terrains and even managed to touch speeds over 100 mph on smooth terrains. The Chevy-sourced 6.2-liter-powered Boot finished the race in 27 hours and 15 minutes and didn’t suffer any mechanical challenges, per se. An hour, however, was lost due to tire puncture and a 2.5-time roll after having a wheel sunk in the sand. Despite this, it completed the 1,000-mile marathon five hours and fifteen minutes quicker than the Ford Bronco R. To put it into perspective, the time difference is even longer than the airplane scene from Fast and Furious 6!
The Bronco has garnered a lot of praises the general response to the off-roader has been rather positive. Other than the lack of a V-8 engine under the hood, it hasn’t received much heat. It did receive some backlash for not offering the manual transmission with the Sasquatch package, which even prompted an enthusiast to file a petition, but Ford was quick to understand and offer what people want and decided to include the seven-speed manual gearbox in the package.
A few months back, Ford had announced it is open to building the Bronco R on special orders, but after seeing the results of this Baja run, I’m not sure it’s going to bag any. The price wasn’t announced, but it was expected to be in the Boot’s price bracket itself. The Bronco R that raced, however, didn’t look to be as well-equipped as the SCG.
How Are Both These Off-Roaders Spec’d?
To make sure the off-roader survives for 1,000 miles, some Baja-specific parts were present to make it a serious Class 2 division competitor. In the earlier Bronco R, we’d seen stuff like a full roll-cage, composite body panels, front-wheel travel range of 14 inches, and rear travel range of 18 inches, to name a few. Some of the things that featured on this year’s Bronco R include:
-* Second-gen Ford T6 chassis
-* 2.7-liter, V-6 EcoBoost mill
-* 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission
-* GOAT modes
-* Baja-Mode calibrated Terrain Management System
-* Ford transfer cases and Dana Spicer front differentials
-* Electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case
-* High-performance Off-Road Stability Suspension system
-* Redesigned independent front suspension and five-link race-prepped rear setup
-* Longer-travel Fox racing shocks with bypass dampers at the front and rear
-* Fox pneumatic bump stops on all four corners
As for the Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus Boot, it used 40-inch tires, unlike last year’s 37-inch set. The one that’s sold by Boot is built from the scratch as a Baja-ready racer. Surprisingly, it’s road-legal in all the 50 States in the U.S! The two-door listed on the automaker’s site even mentions that it is “built from the same design and chassis as the 2019 Baja 1000 Class 2 Winner”. It comes equipped with stuff like:
-* Chromoly chassis, composite body, removable hard-top, and removable doors
-* Two-wheel/four-wheel drive with automatic transmission
-* 6.2-liter V-8 naturally-aspirated engine with 460 horsepower with dry sump
-* can be bumped up to 650 Horses
-* 17-inch Method Wheels with 37-inch BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 tires
-* Can be upgraded to 39-inch tires
-* Full-sized spare wheel
-* 19 inches of suspension travel
-* Four-wheel independent suspension on Fox Coilover three-inch internal bypass shocks
-* External side marker LEDs
-* 30-gallon fuel tank
-* Sabelt seats, electrical six-way adjustable
-* Leather trim interior
-* Touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay compatibility and GPS
-* Glovebox, central console with cupholders, storage, and 2 USB charging ports
-* Front trunk, Backup camera, Air-conditioning, Power windows
-* 84 inches wide, 116-inch wheelbase, weighs 5,550 pounds
-* Optional front winch, off-road Baja Designs light bar, and roof luggage rack
-* Optional front and rear ARB Locking Differential, on-board air compressor, and Optional fire suppression system
There is something known as an optional Baja package also that you can opt for. The starting price of the two-door SCG Boot is $258,750. A four-door model is also available and costs around $30,000 more than the two-door Boot.