Ford is getting ready to launch a pretty awesome Bronco off-roader at SEMA 2026, which begins next week. The Blue Oval released two teasers of its Vegas-bound SUV concept, which started life as a flagship Raptor but has apparently become even more aggressive and capable than it already was.
Most tantalizingly, the videos also depict the factory EcoBoost V6 being pulled from the engine bay, leading us to believe that they’re making room for a V8.
Looks Like Ford Is Building A First-Response Bronco
In one of the teasers, the garage crew can be seen applying fluorescent yellow and orange graphics and installing yellow seats in the Bronc, and in one of the shots, it looks as though the word “recovery” can be seen on the exterior wrap. The build certainly doesn’t stop at cosmetics, with the crew stripping the Bronco Raptor of its sophisticated Fox Live Valve long-travel suspension in favor of some undisclosed aftermarket components that will skew more toward off-road capability and away from pavement composure.
The end of the teaser is where the imagination really starts churning, however, when two mechanics fit an engine hoist to the stock, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 and remove it from the Raptor’s narrow engine bay. As for what will take its place, we have to presume that the build will include some kind of V8, since we can’t really see a shop going to all the effort to remove and replace the V6 with the same type of engine – there are more than enough bolt-on parts and programming solutions to make the EcoBoost produce power without removing it.
Whatever other components the Bronco gets are unclear, although the teaser clearly shows a set of 42-inch mud tires wrapped around 18-inch Weld Racing wheels. We’re not entirely sure if the automaker is behind the build or if it’s supporting a third party through the process, but the teaser on Ford’s From The Road digital magazine says to “check back next week.” SEMA 2026 will open on Tuesday, November 3, so hopefully we’ll know more by then.
What V8 Would Fit Under The Hood?
As for what engine Ford has in mind for the off-road Bronco, we could see it going a few different ways. The automaker already builds a V8-powered Bronco, albeit the off-road–only Desert Racer model, which uses a tuned version of the company’s 5.0-liter Coyote. In the Bronco DR, the mill is tuned to produce 415 horsepower and 485 pound-feet of torque, which adds up to more than both the F-150 V8 (400 hp, 410 lb-ft) and the EcoBoost-powered Bronco Raptor (418 hp and 440 lb-ft).
That said, the Ford Voodoo V8, normally found in the Mustang Dark Horse SC and F-150 Raptor R, has similar external dimensions and could probably fit anywhere the 5.0 can. It’s possible that the SEMA-bound Bronco will use the supercharged 5.2-liter V8 instead, benefitting from its 700-plus horses.
Base Trim Engine
EcoBoost 3L ICE
Base Trim Transmission
10-speed automatic
Base Trim Drivetrain
Four-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
418 HP @5750 RPM
Base Trim Torque
440 lb.-ft. @ 3250 RPM
Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
15/16/15 MPG
Base Trim Battery Type
Lead acid battery
Infotainment & Features
9 /10
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
Fans have been clamoring for a V8-powered Bronco since the modern version made its 2021 debut. At least until this point, the SUV has only offered a 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline-four or either the twin-turbo 2.7-liter or 3.0-liter V6. But from that first compact 1966 Bronco to the full-size version last sold in 1996, the SUV family has always at least had the option of a V8 engine.
Although we think the SEMA Show debut will probably be a one-off Bronco concept, it could potentially be Ford dipping its toes back into the V8 off-roader world. Fingers crossed.
Source: Ford
