Launched today, the new Ford Bronco DR, the ultimate production desert racing vehicle, relies on several of Multimatic’s innovative solutions to meet the harsh demands of off-road racing and performance driving enthusiasts.

As a long-term partner of Ford Performance, Multimatic is proud to have been tasked with the development, build, and distribution of the Ford Bronco DR that demands the utmost in performance, strength, and durability from all aspects of its construction.

“After working with Multimatic on such successful programs as the Ford GT road and race cars, the Ford GT Mk II track car and every iteration of competition Mustangs, they are the natural partner for our new entry into off-road motorsports that builds on our desert racing heritage with the Ford Bronco. Multimatic’s long-standing reputation for delivering winning results in some of the world toughest endurance races, and high build quality of performance vehicles ensure that competitors will find Bronco DR both thrilling to drive and competitive,” said, Mark Rushbrook, Ford Performance Motorsports global director.

The Ford Bronco DR’s long-travel suspension is designed around bespoke Multimatic Positional Selective DSSV™ Dampers, specifically engineered, calibrated, and scaled for the torturous impacts and loads of long-distance, high-speed desert racing. This largest and toughest evolution of Multimatic’s proprietary spool valve dampers to date brings together an 80mm diameter main-body tube, a pair of high capacity finned fluid returns located at the valve exits to maximize cooling, and five spool valves per damper selectively creating a range of positional damping control.

The rear dampers feature 22mm shafts and 70mm pistons in a package over 1,000mm in length with a stroke of 425mm. The front dampers include the same size shafts and pistons in a more compact 842mm package with a stroke of 260mm.  Running in parallel, primary monotube DSSV™ dampers on the rear and coil-overs on the front operate through two spool valves each, for a total of seven per corner, controlling suspension motion.

Developed exclusively for the Bronco DR, the Multimatic spool-valve dampers provide three distinct damping levels, or zones, in bump and two in the rebound stroke.  The boundaries between each zone are precisely defined and the stroke position at which the different damping forces engage is unrestricted and selectable, giving this DSSV damper the ability to handle the ever-changing off-road terrain conditions with precise control.

For ultimate rigidity, durability, and occupant protection, Multimatic performed extensive analytical simulations in the engineering and optimization of Bronco DR’s SCORE-compliant roll cage and highly modified chassis-frame structure. The final design retains the production Bronco’s Multimatic-manufactured, blow-form-hardened Boron Steel ACCRA® roof rails.