Raptor Country

It’s almost a foreign concept nowadays: a company offering free bonuses beyond the scope of a purchase. Ford decided to go completely against the grain in a very pro-consumer move: giving every purchaser of a new Ford Bronco SUV the opportunity to take one from their private fleet into the wilderness, and learn the ins, outs, and nitty gritty about their new machine in an adventurous crash-course (with no crashes, hopefully!) before they begin going wild with their own vehicle. This exciting  prospect was already available in three locations: New Hampshire, Utah, and Texas, and the opening of their Las Vegas location would mark the fourth.

The Bronco Off-Roadeo, Raptor Edition

This new ranch is different in one fundamental aspect, however; it is the only one specifically built for the new Ford Bronco Raptor trim level, which is the bigger, badder, and even more Bronco brother. In an incredible fairytale moment, I was given the amazing opportunity to fly out to Vegas and experience the Bronco Raptor first-hand, in its natural habitat.

Pre-Event Dinner

After flying out to Las Vegas, I was given the first opportunity to interact with individuals from Ford. In a dinner arranged within my hotel itself, I got the chance to speak to individuals who were spearheading the program and others who were alongside me, invited to experience the program, over food and drinks. I spoke to Dawn McKenzie,  Ford Truck Communications Manager, as she outlined what was in store for us the next day. “You guys are absolutely going to love it,” she gushed. “I can’t wait until you try out the training course. The jumps and drift areas are absolutely bonkers…”
“Jumps?!” I gasped. The scope of this course had been completely unknown to me, and I, probably the only invitee there that had never driven an off-road vehicle, started making peace with the fact that this would be absolutely beyond anything I had ever done before.

Entering the Park

The morning of the event itself, I woke up at 5:30 AM to make my 6:30 AM hotel checkout on time. The group was already waiting in the lobby, looking red-eyed but talking excitedly. We boarded three shuttles that would transport us to the Mt. Potosi region, where Ford had set up its camp. After a 45 minute scenic drive through deserts and mountains, we arrived at the ranch. A large wooden gate loomed out from over the hill, donning the word “BRONCO”, in a very Jurassic Park-esque moment.

The main lodge of the Off-Roadeo

Our shuttle passed through, and began a steep climb to the top of a hill that had a small modern cabin nestled between two rocky cliffs. An actual Bronco was situated in the front, positioned above several rocks with its suspension stretched to make it seem endlessly frozen in an action shot, and the cabin itself had more Bronco and Raptor logos. It was all very well built, with a modern-rustic style to the cabin that looked like it had all of the modern facilities, but also simultaneously that we were a step further away from the rest of the world (in a desolate theme park for trucks). It was all very invigorating.

The Prep

I entered the cabin, and was treated to the check-in/waiver process, a nice breakfast, and other small gifts and goodies. Before I could tackle breakfast (I was absolutely starving at this point), I received my helmet and got assigned a locker. The helmet would be used for the more intense lap runs, in which head protection would be absolutely vital. After I stuffed all my things into the locker, I picked up my complimentary thermos water bottle and Bronco stickers, and sat down for a nice breakfast burrito and coffee. Meanwhile, we got a quick rundown of the program, the vehicle, and the wonderful employees that made this all possible.

The Bronco

Outside, we received an overview of the Bronco, and how the Raptor variant compares to the base model. Essentially, every aspect of the Bronco was finely tuned to make any off-road terrain seem much more conquerable.

A close-up of the Bronco Raptor’s fenders and excellent suspension system

Ford started with a “go-anywhere” mindset with the vehicle, which meant they specifically developed it to take any obstacle head-on, should the driver desire it so. The suspension, front and rear bumpers, and chassis of the vehicle are all formulated to be extremely forgiving; able to take a hit anywhere while protecting its passengers. Enormous springs ensure a stabilized ride on any type of ground, and the ability to disconnect the front stabilizer bar meant even extremely large obstacles could be driven over. There is also a focus on the ride customization, with two main selectors: first, the G.O.A.T. mode selector, which stands for Goes Over Any Type of Terrain, allows the user to select what kind of terrain they would be driving over, with options including off-road, baja, sport, and rock crawl.

The Ford Bronco Raptor, courtesy of Ford

There are also Hero switches, which allow more minute-by-minute control for specific aspects of the car, such as the ability to lock the front or rear differential when necessary. All of these options, along with the Raptor’s four-seat capacity, means that a family can choose any destination, and head straight there, as the crow flies.

Squad Mode

With precursory talks out of the way, we all headed to the fleet of Broncos. Each person would be driving their own, and I selected a flaming orange one because that’s just the kind of person I am. Each vehicle was equipped with a walkie-talkie, and we split up into groups of four vehicles. One of the vehicles in each group was piloted by an employee from the ranch, and they would be leading the pack and communicating to the others through the walkie. After some further safety checks, we hit the road.

Hitting the Trail

My group of four vehicles entered the trail heading straight into the Nevada wilderness. It was a bit jarring at first, since we were driving over rough terrain that contained all manner of rocks, trenches, and boulders, but the vehicles excellent suspensions took on the brunt of the movement. I knew that if I was driving there in my car, my neck would have already snapped. We slowly followed the Bronco in front of us through the land, over hills and into pits, and got a feel for the Bronco’s handling and the way it could take on virtually any obstacle.

On the trail

There were several times when I thought, “No way I can clear that rock”, but the vehicle took it on like a champ. It truly felt dauntless.

Buddy System

Our leader explained to us the Bronco Buddy system, in which we could keep track of all of the people in our squad and not leave anyone behind. Whenever we reached an intersection, it was our job to wait there until we were sure the vehicle behind us had seen which turn we had made, and in that way, each vehicle would be accounted for. Our lead also had frequent breaks in which he asked for the status of each driver on the walkie, and would only proceed once he got the thumbs up from each driver. It was a very safety-first system, and it really spoke to how well thought-out everything was. We were having fun, but it was not at the expense of our wellbeing.

Quarry Run

We finally reached the site of the ORX Training Courses, and got into position. Ford had enlisted the help of several professional off-roaders, from trainers to actual racers that offloaded for a living, to help us first timers get accommodated and ready to take on the courses. The first was a small rocky run that had twisting turns and rough straights. I sat as a passenger first, while my driver explained to me her thought process for each turn and straight she tackled. She first switched the G.O.A.T. mode dial from off-road to baja, and then stepped on the pedal. It was absolutely exhilarating watching not only take the course with speed, but also anticipate each turn, make minute adjustments to steering, braking, and speed, and be able to explain all of it before it even happened.

The writer of this article, in my Bronco

Seeing her do it with such ease made me more confident in my ability, but it was futile; sitting behind the wheel was absolutely different than watching from the side, and I couldn’t have gone more than a quarter of the speed that she went. My steering slipped several times, and images of my hurtling off the course and over a cliff flashed through my mind, but she helped me keep my composure from the passenger seat, and kept giving clear directions even when I made the wrong turn. It definitely was a great learning experience.

The Man and his Dirt

For the second course, I would be running a course that was wider, more varied in elevation, and had more obstacles. Here I saw the legendary jump that was mentioned earlier, as well as a sand pit and a winding sloped gulch area. Once again, my driver accompaniment drove masterfully, performing the jump with ease, turning the wheel quickly from side to side to prevent the tires from getting stuck in the silt, and drifted the vehicle around the slope, with the back end sliding out, before gaining traction once more and pressing for speed. When it was my turn, I was a little embarrassed with my lack of skill, but my driver laughed it off and said I was doing no worse than any of the other drivers he had witnessed that day.

The Return

After the courses and a quick bathroom break, we headed back on the off-road trail, making our way back to the ranch. Our lead driver communicated less on the walkie this time, as we had already gained enough exposure to the trail the first time, and only spoke to us to excitedly point out some wild burros that he spotted roaming the plains.

A Moment of Reflection

Back at the ranch, we received a lunch, and some final words from the team. As I listened, I couldn’t help but put myself in the shoes of someone who would be sitting in my very seat in the future, when the ranch is finally open to the public. The fact that an individual would be here after having just purchased a new Bronco, and would be about to find out exactly what their new vehicle could do, was enthralling. Ford is one of the best auto manufacturers when it comes to community engagement and programs, and the Off-Roadeo is a testament to that. While not serving any immediate monetary benefit, Ford gains the goodwill from their customers, bolsters their name, and creates life-long partnerships that will only benefit them in the long run. Heck, even I want a Bronco now. Someone who has already purchased one will only further solidify their choice in choosing Ford for anything that will touch both road and dirt.

The Bronco Off-Roadeo will be open to the public very soon, and I encourage any new Bronco owner in the area to book this wonderful opportunity very soon.