The Ford F-150 Raptor off-road sport pickup has proved to be a huge marketing and sales success for the automaker. It only makes sense that Ford would spread that formula to a new Raptor model based on the very new and very popular 2021 Ford Bronco SUV, which may have just been confirmed.
The LinkedIn profile of a anonymous Ford employee was recently updated to change their job title to “EDS Systems Engineer,” for the “2021 Bronco / 2023 Bronco Raptor.” EDS stands for Electrical Distribution System, so important stuff like designing the vehicle’s wiring harness and electrical systems.
According to screenshots of the profile on the Bronco6G forums, the engineer has apparently been an employee at Ford working as an EDS engineer for nearly 30 years. That makes a little slip up on a LinkedIn profile a little more significant, since a veteran like that isn’t going to take any intentional risks for bragging rights at this point.
If the LinkedIn post is accurate and there is a performance Bronco Raptor coming, it would confirm earlier claims on the Bronco6G forum members of a Raptor model coming to Bronco lineup in 2023 first reported back in February of 2019.
The current Ford F-150 Raptor comes with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 engine producing a very healthy 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. However, the latest rumors suggest Ford has plans to challenge the new Hellcat-powered Ram TRX with a 720+ horsepower F-150 Raptor with the Mustang GT500's V8.
If that rumor has any credibility, and this rumor has any credibility, then I suppose it’s possible we can start propagating the rumor that Bronco GT500 is on the way?
But there’s something telling me Ford won’t do that, at least not a first. I bet there will be a lower-powered F-150 Raptor that influences the 2023 Bronco Raptor. It could even be whatever hybrid stuff Ford is working on that leaked a few months ago. Don’t have to wait long to find out!