Considering how crazy people are about the Bronco Raptor, it’s really strange how not that many people are talking about this thing. It’s called the Dark Horse 6×6 and is the world’s first 6-wheel Ford Bronco. We just saw one that has received a black Kevlar armor coating, and it looks spectacular.
They say that demand for 4x4s is so high that even though Ford just launched the Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator sales remain unchanged. The Bronco 6×6 is actually made by a Jeep specialist. The company is called Apocalypse 6×6, but it’s a spinoff from South Florida Jeeps, which are also a really popular dealership in the region.
SoFlo Jeeps was heavily involved in the Jeep customization scene, making those bumpers that look straight out of sci-fi movies. They’ve got suspension upgrades, new interiors and have begun fabricating wheels like the bronze ones fitted to the Bronco. They’re huge!
Eventually, the 6-wheel Jeep conversions began rolling out. These things cost a lot of money and have been featured everywhere. Apocalypse has a thing for dramatic names, and this thing is called the Dark Horse. It’s even got a 6-legged horse emblem instead of the regular Bronco one. Maybe they should have called it Sleipnir, after the horse Odin rides.
How the Dark Horse is made
To make the Bronco into a 6-wheeled vehicle, the shop first strips the rear sheet metal off the SUV and chops it. The length is then increased by 3 feet, which is just enough to make room for an extra set of wheels. It also turns the vehicle into a mini pickup with a Maverick-like 5-foot bed.
Connecting the chopped rear section back to the body is one major challenge, the other being the powertrain. Apocalypse has an in-house-developed tandem middle-axle layout. The four rear tires are always powered by the main driveshaft coming from the front, connected to the 400 horsepower twin-turbo V6. However, the front wheels can be disconnected.
The axles have also been subjected to a 4-inch lift, which was a necessity because of the size of these wheels. They use 37-inch Patagonia tires on the 20-inch SFJ alloys finished in this nice bronze color.
The rest of the body has been coated in a black Kevlar. Apocalypse describes this as body armor, although I don’t think you’re gun-protected, especially with the doors taken off. The Bronco took a page straight out of the “how to make a Jeep” book by having removable doors. With them off, you’re able to see the Cowboy Saddle custom leather interior, which partly justifies why this vehicle costs over $200,000.
Matte black with copper/golden accents and a saddle brown cover: that sounds like a phone I used to have. Later on, they plan to do a Coyote swap with 700 horsepower. I suppose that’s going to be the Pro Max version.
Apocalypse has all the experience it needs to make large tandem-axle Broncos like this, having already put about 150 6×6 vehicles on the road. Their inventory includes the Doomsday, HellFire, Sinister 6, the Warlord, and the Juggernaut, which is that awesome TRX conversion.
