While GM may be able to claim title to the world’s first and oldest SUV (the Suburban) and Jeep maybe Chrysler’s best recognized nameplate, but for Blue Oval fans there is no off-roader more venerable than the Ford Bronco. Alas, the last Bronco was built in 1995 as a ‘96 model, and since then there has been a serious lack of “sport” in Ford’s sport utility vehicles.
So it falls to Icon 4×4, the same folks who brought back Toyota’s legendary Landcruiser, to revive the market for muscular SUV’s. Back in the fall Icon announced that they were adding a Bronco to their lineup of lifestyle SUV’s, based on the first-gen Bronco but with the heart of a modern Mustang. This brief documentary gives us an inside look at what went into remaking the famous Bronco.
Made from laser-cut steel, the Icon BR series (as they call it) is an entirely new chassis engineered from the ground-up with the iconic looks of the original Ford Bronco. With a price tag that should be around $150,000 though, you better believe that there is a whole lot of technology under the classic looks. From the Art Morrison chassis to the 5-speed manual transmission, the Icon Bronco is a new car with old looks done right.
Of course the heart of this beast is the 5.0 liter V8 crate engine borrowed from the Ford Mustang. With 412 horsepower and 390 ft-lbs of torque on tap, the Icon Bronco makes more power than any factory Bronco that Ford ever built. And despite its exotic car-like pricetag, the Icon BR is made to rock the roughest roads, as this mini-documentary shows. It’s well worth watching for fans of Ford and Icon alike.