Ford has a solid history of rally cars. Cars such as the Escort, Sierra Cosworth, and Focus cement Ford's legacy in international rallying. Even the new Puma continues the company's winning ways by clinching a victory in its competition debut.
But Ford's rally success isn't just in Europe. Remember that the first-generation Bronco bagged wins in desert racing from the mid-'60s to the early-'70s. The Bronco returned to competition a few years ago with some success. So does that mean the production model has what it takes to tackle a rally stage? The folks at the Team O'Neil Rally School answered that question recently.
Team O'Neil's series, Will It Drift, has seen various cars take on the school's rally course. From minivans, old Corollas, and even a Charger patrol car, Team O'Neil has made it slide on the dirt. And this time around, they're putting the Bronco Badlands to the test.
First impressions are good, but the lack of a mechanical handbrake makes it a touch challenging. The Bronco also defaults to understeer when the settings are left untouched. They also noted the difficulty in looking for the tachometer in the vehicle's sub-menus.
Turning off the stability control and traction control helped matters somewhat. They also lowered the tire pressure to "take the edge off" and expand the contact patch. That said, activating the rear locking differential makes it worse.
After a few more tweaks in the vehicle's settings, they ran a timed stage for the Bronco Badlands. The Bronco appears well behaved at high-speed snow driving despite the size and heft. It also responded well (for a truck) in trail braking. The Bronco eventually completed the course in 2:17.12, about three seconds slower than a Subaru WRX. All in all, it's impressive given its size and weight disadvantage over the rally-bred Subaru.
So yes, the Bronco Badlands will rally. Team O'Neil also notes that the SUV is fun and safe should you decide to run one in an amateur rally course. It won't win speed records, but it's competent enough to take on the task.
