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Designed for what Ford calls “West Coast fun,” the automaker’s Bronco brand has unveiled the Riptide project vehicle as a showcase for factory and dealer accessories.
“With the roof off, doors removed and replaced with tubular doors, and surfboard rack and boards above, there is plenty of open air for the fun and sun to shine in,” Ford said in its news release.
Ford added that the “Velocity Blue exterior is meant to evoke tropical ocean hues.”
It said the seats are done with marine-grade materials and a rubberized washout material covers the floor.
“For this Bronco Riptide project, we imagined a customer who enjoys the open air and a free-spirited West Coast lifestyle,” Missy Coolsaet, Bronco color and materials designer, is quoted. “We wanted the vehicle to demonstrate how Bronco customers can personalize their vehicle, letting different types of customers visualize what they might want to do with their future Bronco.”
The project is based on a 2021 Bronco four-door with Sasquatch Package and features 35-inch mud-terrain tires mounted on 17-inch wheels with optional Ford Performance beadlock rings, Dana AdvanTEK electronic-locking front and rear axles, a high-clearance suspension system with Bilstein position-sensitive long-travel shock absorbers, and the Bronco Terrain Management System with seven go-anywhere modes.
Accessories used on Bronco Riptide include a Bestop mesh Bimini top, a Yakima bike rack with Santa Cruz mountain bikes, and Rigid LED lightbar and mirror-mounted off-road lights. The vehicle also has a one-off front steel bumper and a pair of Almond surfboards on prototype crossbars.
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