People have been waiting on the Ford Bronco Raptor for all the wrong reasons. If you’re after speed in a straight line from an SUV, the Jeep Wrangler 392 is apparently the way to go. HEMI V8s are apparently so good that they can defend against AMGs and Lamborghinis… almost.
Welcome to the most adrenaline-packed drag race of the week, a high-budget, perfectly edited video from Hagerty, featuring the epic narration of Jason Cammisa. It’s got four off-road SUVs, two American, two European, and a Lamborghini. Yeah, it’s not going to make a lot of sense, but this is the purest form of entertainment.
Ford v Jeep
The races are organized in brackets, which makes it easier to pick a winner, explain what’s happening, and maybe provide some excuses for the loser. And excuses are just what the Ford Bronco Raptor needs after losing so badly to the Jeep Wrangler 392.
Many have criticized Ford’s continued use of EcoBoost turbo engines in performance vehicles. Yes, they’re efficient, but where the 3.0-liter V6 in the Bronco Raptor puts out only 418 horsepower, the Jeep is basically the ideal mix of Wrangler and muscle car parts. 6.4 liters of naturally aspirated displacement gives this athlete 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. It’s also about 500 pounds lighter than the Ford.
Thanks to short gearing, the Wrangler 392 finishes its quarter-mile run in 12.9 seconds with a speed of 104 miles per hour (167 kph). The Bronco Raptor is way behind, 80 yards, to be precise, with a time of 14.7 seconds. Their 0 to 60 mph times being 2 seconds apart tells the whole story: these off-roads aren’t in the same class.
Enter the AMG G63 and V8 Defender
Speaking of not being in the same class, it’s completely unfair to put a G63 on that runway… but also totally entertaining. Everybody knows the Mercedes-AMG G63 is super-expensive and packs a monster engine. It may only be a 4.0-liter, but it produces 577 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque thanks to twin turbochargers.
And from the British islands, a challenger emerges in the form of the Land Rover Defender V8 with a supercharged 5.0-liter making 518 and 461 pound-feet of torque. We actually know it’s not great at drag racing because the 8-speed gearbox limits power in the first couple of gears. But once it gets going, it’s a seriously fast piece of kit.
The G63 is obviously the winner here, crossing the line in 12.5 seconds at 110 miles per hour. But its 0 to 60 mph time of 3.9 seconds is only a tenth quicker than the Jeep. The Defender V8 was basically tied with the Jeep at 12.9 seconds but was going 5 mph faster through the trap.
To put that into context, Cammisa also brings out an old supercar, the Lamborghini Gallardo, to go up against the G63. This 2004 example puts out 493 hp but not a lot of torque, so it gets demolished off the line, barely catching up to the brick-like AMG. Just think for a second how fast that makes the Jeep… against a Lambo V10.
