Can the New Ford Bronco Really Stand Up to the Jeep Wrangler?

Like many people in the automotive world, I’ve been looking forward to any drop of information on the new Bronco since Ford announced its existence alongside the unveiling of the US market Ranger. And with the official unveiling of the Bronco and Bronco Sport last week, its sent the entire world into a frenzy. But how will it stand up in the real world to the ubiquitous Jeep Wrangler and its millions of disciples?

2021 Ford Bronco 2 door. Source: Ford Motor Company

Starting with the basics of the Bronco, its a package that looks very appealing in many ways compared to the current Wrangler. Starting the engine choices, the Bronco has the option of either a 2.3 liter, turbocharged 4 cylinder engine making 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, or a twin-turbo, 2.7 liter V6 making 310 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque.

2021 Jeep Wrangler. Source: carbuzz.com

Both engines compare favorably to their Jeep counterparts, with the 4 cylinder Wrangler making 270 horsepower, and 295 lb-ft of torque, and the V6 making 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. The Wrangler also has a diesel V6 available, but as of now Ford has no comparable engine to put up against it.

Both 4x4s come with manual options, the Wrangler with a 6 speed and the new Bronco with a 7 speed, one of which is a crawler gear for better rock crawling capabilities. The Bronco also has a 10 speed automatic as an option, while the Wrangler uses Chrysler’s 8 speed auto.

2021 Ford Bronco comes with a new 7 speed manual transmission. Source: Ford Motor Company

Both trucks have tons of 4×4 tech to make off-roading that much easier, but one of the biggest talking points about the Bronco when comparing it to the Wrangler is the use of independent front suspension instead of the solid front axle on the Jeep. And while that may mean less suspension articulation than the Wrangler, that also means that the Broncos on-road ride and high speed off-road prowess should eclipse that of the Jeep.

2021 Ford Bronco 4 door. Source: Ford Motor Company

At the end of the day though, what will matter most in the inevitable sales war between Ford and Jeep will be styling, interior fit and finish, and everyday usability. It’s unclear yet how the Bronco’s interior will feel as production doesn’t start till the end of this year, but it has been a major talking point with prospective Jeep buyers for years, as Jeep’s fit and finish hasn’t always been perfect.

The styling comparison will always be subjective, but I’ve got to say that amongst myself and others, Ford really knocked it out of the park with the Bronco. I would have never considered a Wrangler in the past, but the Bronco takes elements of the Jeep, and makes it more palatable for the masses. And that’s even before we start getting into the world of aftermarket appearance upgrades, for which I’m sure the Bronco will get a host of options for, just like the Wrangler.

2021 Ford Bronco with aftermarket accessories. Source: Ford Motor Company

Of course it’s still far to early to call one or the other a winner in this comparison, but based on the reaction from critics and fans alike, Jeep is going to have it’s hands full trying to maintain it’s grip on the off-road category for years to come. Whatever the result may be, it’s nice to finally have another option to hit the trails with when the Bronco comes out early next year.

A Welcome Back and the Pursuit of Automotive Perfection

The past 4 years have seen me going through a long list of cars, in hopes of finding the right car. The first casualty of this search for perfection was my beloved FRS. A car which I had modified to my liking started to feel stale once the mods stopped. I had the coilovers, good Enkei wheels and a muffler delete exhaust, along with a couple other minor aesthetic updates to make it my own. But as I stared at it in its final form more and more, I realized that I had done what I could with it, given my financial situation. Even if money were no option though, I saw nothing else on the aftermarket front that made me want to push the car further. I grew bored as a result, and was traded in at the dealer, still wearing the mods that made it mine to begin with.

2014 Scion FRS photo cred: Ethan Hsu

The FRS gave way to the 2013 Mustang GT/CS, as I searched for a new, faster vessel to express myself and modify. At first the mods came quickly, finding a second hand Roush exhaust on eBay as well as a couple touches on the interior to make it more comfortable.

But as I drove this all American powerhouse, the same longing that I felt when I had the FRS came back and consumed me once again. This time instead of trading in, I decided to get a project. That project was the anime hero AE86. It was loud, uncomfortable, and everything I was looking for… Until it broke. I was once again back to just the Mustang. I added wheels, and enjoyed driving the Mustang once again. Until that broke down as well.

2013 Mustang GT/CS Photo cred: Anthony Cole

The Mustang was repaired quickly, but as other parts of that car started to fail, essential things such as air conditioning, I once again was back to the song and dance of looking for a replacement car that would fulfill that need I have of driving something that I can make my own. And I thought I had found that car.

Enter the 2017 VW GTI. I test drove it and fell in love, in much the same way I had fallen in love with the Mustang, although for different reasons. I reasoned that it was time for something more practical, given that the AE86 had filled the hole of loud and impractical toy. It handled well, went quickly, and did everything that I wanted it to do. I went home with it, leaving my Mustang behind, another loss in the endless pursuit that I embarked on to find the perfect car.

2017 Volkswagen GTI

As we look on now to present day, the GTI fulfills daily duties and the 86 continues to be the toy that I always wanted it to be. I couldn’t ask for more out of the 86, it’s become an indispensable part of my life. The GTI, however, finds itself in the same spot as the FRS and Mustang that preceded it. The desire and the need to modify the GTI hasn’t called to me and now I find myself bored with my latest decision and the longing to make a switch has taken over my life. And as I reflect on my past decisions, I can admit that I made mistakes switching between cars to quickly. And although I’ve put myself in a tough spot financially, the drive to find the next best thing will continue to push me, and hopefully I can find the perfect fit. Or else the cycle will continue.

Tesla Updates the Model S and now it has Ludicrous Mode

The Tesla Model S P85D was already a very quick car, with 691 hp, instantaneous torque and a driving mode that literally made the car insane, it’s hard to believe Tesla could improve it even further. But they have, and the rate of speed they have achieved with a heavy sedan is reaching hypercar territory.

The main reason is the Tesla’s new “Ludicrous mode” which now replaces the old “insane mode.” And at this rate, Tesla will be going plaid soon enough (if you’ve seen Spaceballs you know what I mean). With a bump from 85 kW to 90 kW, that means there’s more power and even more range.

And with 761 hp that means the Model S goes 0-60 in 2.8 seconds, and runs the quarter mile in 10.8 seconds now. Those acceleration numbers now top many of the world’s top supercars such as the Corvette Z06 and the McLaren 650S, and is just short of the top hyper cars from McLaren, Ferrari, Porsche and Bugatti.

The new Ludicrous mode package will be a $10,000 option and current P85D owners in the US can upgrade for $5000. And for the sort of prices the Tesla is being sold at the moment, there isn’t anything else that can even come close to this much bang for your buck.

The new BMW M5 and Pagani Huayra R Spotted Testing

It’s a bit of a slow news day with no major car show going on until Frankfurt in September and F1 off for another week but there are a couple new cars that have been spotted testing in heavy camo recently.

The first car is the next generation BMW M5 that was spotted at none other than the Nurburgring. Not much is known about the next M5, but according to Autocar, it should be using an updated version of the current M5’s 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8, making around 600 hp. They also believe the next M5 will be the first to come with optional all-wheel drive.

The other high performance car that’s been spotted testing is the Pagani Huayra R. It has been known that a higher performance version of the Huayra was planned, much the same way the Zonda kept getting performance upgrades over its 12 year production run. The new Huayra should be aiming for the likes of the LaFerrari, Mclaren P1 and Porsche 918 according to Autocar, and I believe that means power output above 800 hp for the Huayra R. The current Huayra makes 720 hp and weighs less than 3000 pounds, so it should be a formidable vehicle.

No date has been set to reveal either car, but it’s never to early to speculate, no matter how wrong it might be.

Here’s the New Jaguar F-Type SVR and all of its Camouflaged Glory

New video of Jaguar’s new hot F-Type has surfaced thanks to Youtube user Cvdzijden. Here we see the new F-Type SVR undergoing track testing at the Nurburgring, although the car is camouflaged.

Due to the camo, not all of the detail of the car can be seen, but it appears that the rear spoiler that automatically raises at speed has been replaced by a fixed wing. It also looks like the rear diffuser and front bumper have been revised to give it a more aggressive look, as well as help with downforce.

Although we don’t know much about the performance details of the SVR, we do know that it will use a tweaked version of the F-Type R V8, as well as its all-wheel drive system. While many believe that the SVR will be around 600 HP, Autocar reports that output will be 567 HP a more modest bump over the R’s 542 HP. The SVR will also be lighter, and there will be chassis and suspension upgrades to make this the most aggressive F-Type ever.

The “Driving Purity” Argument is going to Kill Sales of the GT86 and the New Miata

It’s the most common phrase when talking about the Mazda Miata or the FRS/BRZ/GT86. “It’s a great car, but it needs more power.” You see it said in every review, every comparison test and from every keyboard warrior who doesn’t have a drivers license. And even with the cries for more power growing louder and louder each time someone mentions the Miata or Scion FRS, the manufacturers of both cars refuse to do anything about it.

Bugatti is Planning a New Hybrid Successor to the Veyron

When the final Bugatti Veyron rolled out of the factory, questions arose about how Bugatti would top its record setting Veyron. A hybrid powertrain has been mentioned a lot in the rumor mill since this current crop of hyper cars have all switched to hybrid systems.

Well in an interview with the German newspaper Bild, Volkswagen AG chairman Martin Winterkorn confirmed the development of a new Veyron successor and that there will be a hybrid model. “Next to the petrol model there will also be a stronger hybrid variant for the first time.” Safe to say Bugatti seem to be aiming for the top speed crown again.

Reports from Autocar magazine state that the hybrid model will use a reworked version of Bugatti’s 8.0 W16 engine, and will have around 1500 horsepower and a claimed top speed of 286 MPH, which would make it the fastest car in the world, and close to 20 MPH higher than the Veyron Super Sport it replaces.

Nothing is official quite yet, but with the timetable for the new Bugatti to be shown in public for the first time in 2016, there isn’t much more time to wait to see the amazing feats Bugatti will be able to perform this time around.

The New 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia is Here and Ready to Steal Your Heart

Alfa Romeo has been on the roll recently, with a return to the States in the form of the limited run 4C sports car. The 4C was the car to lead the charge for Alfa Romeo here in the US with Alfa mentioning that a new sports sedan would be following the 4C after. That’s all we have known about Alfa’s future offerings for sometime, until yesterday, where Alfa Romeo revealed its new Giulia.

The new Giulia is the car Alfa hopes will rub shoulders with the likes of the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-Class and the new Jaguar XE. While not much is known about the Giulia yet, just looking at the pictures, it’s clear that it’s a stunning car to look at.

The car they revealed yesterday was the range topping Quadrifoglio, with a Ferrari derived turbo V6 putting out 503 HP and doing a claimed 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds. This means Quadrifoglio is set to match up with the BMW M3, as well as the Mercedes C63 AMG, meaning pricing will sit around $70,000. The one thing the Alfa seems to have over its German rivals is a manual option in their high performance model.

Nothing is yet known about the models lower down on the range, but it’s expected they will be similar in price and performance to their German equivalents. Rumors of a turbo 4 cylinder and a naturally aspirated V6 have been swimming around, but nothing official yet from Alfa Romeo.

With new cars like the Jaguar XE and now the Alfa Romeo Giulia, the BMW 3-Series better start looking over its shoulder, because it has some strong competition coming its way very soon.

Why the Automotive Industry has Gone Bonkers in 2015 and Why It’s Fantastic

Courtesy of Motor Trend

Nowadays, most car manufacturers are accused of being to conservative in the products they produce and not taking chances out of fear that they won’t have the profit margins they are looking for. And those concerns are understandable, since they are businesses, where the objective is to make as much money as possible. With that said, it seems the automotive industry has gone absolutely crazy building cars that no one imagined would be built 10 to 15 years ago.

The best example of the industry losing its mind would have to be the Hellcat twins from Dodge. I want to personally find the person at Dodge that thought a 707 horsepower Charger and Challenger would be a good idea and give them a hug. Not for long though, cause they should probably be back in the looney bin by now. And you have to remember the time we live in, where tree-hugging and environmental awareness are huge things now. To build a supercharged V8 that gets burns just as much gas as it does tires is a bold move on the part of the whole Chrysler group’s part.

And the same goes for Ford. Their new Mustang GT350 is absolutely nuts. A flat-plane crank V8 that revs to at least 8000 RPM in a Mustang? Someone put something in Ford’s water, because that would never happen 15 years ago. And a Focus RS coming to American shores? Unheard of.

But that’s where the automotive industry is going. Even Nissan built a front-wheel drive LMP1 car. And in the world of Le Mans prototypes where all the cars are mid engined, thats a bold move on the part of Nissan. It wasn’t a very successful opening outing at Le Mans, but the fact that a huge company like Nissan took a huge leap of faith and went against the status quo says a lot about where we are today.

Although many manufacturers today are taking less chances with their main line of cars, the long line of nuts performance cars and race cars means that there are more happy car enthusiasts than ever.