Ford’s vehicle lineup is starting to look really healthy once again, although there are still a few old names we’d love to see revived. At the top of the list is a rebirth for the Ford Bronco, that truck-based off-roading badass that saw service for a few decades before being quietly killed, replaced by the “original” SUV, the Explorer.
But the Bronco might yet make a comeback. Motor Trend reports that ICON, the same company behind modern interpretations of off-roading classics like the CJ3 and FJ Cruiser, have announced a new project based on the Bronco…and powered by the new Coyote 5.0 engine. This project is set to debut at the 2011 SEMA show.
ICON currently makes two very cool, and very expensive modern off-roading machines with classic looks. Their take on the CJ3 is powered by a 200 horsepower 2.4 liter EcoTec engine, while the FJ has a 5.3 liter Chevy V8 good for 350 horsepower. But the ICON Bronco will make even more than that with the 412 horsepower Coyote engine borrowed from the Ford Mustang.
Like the other ICON offerings, the looks will be that of a classic vehicle, but underneath will be a thoroughly modern machine. Technology like on-the-fly four-wheel drive, huge brakes, and a coil-over suspension system will bring this Bronco into the 21st century. As for the price? Probably somewhere north of $150,000. Yikes. We’ll still to the Craigslist gems, thank you very much…