Ford built a mountain inside the Detroit Auto Show. An actual 40-degree climb that they're driving Broncos up all day long, taking the "show, don't tell" rule to a new level for car shows.
We're not kidding. Right in the middle of the convention center, there's a Ford booth that looks more like a theme park than a car display. They've got obstacle courses, teeter-totters, and something called "Bronco Mountain" that had participants questioning their choices halfway up.
The Detroit Auto Show runs January 17th and beyond, and honestly, it's not what we expected. Sure, there are the usual rows of shiny cars you can sit in, but not drive. But Ford decided that actions spoke louder than words and created what feels like an off-road driving experience that belongs at Disney World.
Here's the experience of driving up Bronco Mountain.
First, they locked the rear differential. The Ford rep explained, "So, that's locking... So, in theory, what we've done is welded those two axles together." Cool. We're essentially welding axles together with the push of a button.
Then came the teeter-totter. Yes, a full-size seesaw that you drive a 4,000-pound Bronco onto. If you ever wanted to have an adult version of a playground, your prayers have been answered. The driver has to edge right up to the pivot point and wait for the drop like some roller coaster.
But the mountain was the real show-stopper.
Picture this: you're sitting in a Bronco, looking up at what feels like a wall. It's 40 degrees up and 40 degrees down. The driver engaged the rear locker, switched to rock crawl mode (part of Ford's "GOAT" modes - Go Over Any Terrain), and just sent it.
Halfway up, you can't see over the hood. The front camera becomes your best friend. At the top, there's this moment where you're basically pointing at the sky, questioning every decision that led you there. Despite going considerably slower than a roller coaster, no roller coaster is as butt-clenching as seeing nothing over the hood except the ceiling and knowing there is a drop when you move forward.
Then comes the descent. "What goes up must come down 40° down. I got a lot of control here," the driver said, which is exactly what you want to hear when you're about to plummet down the steepest angle you've ever experienced in a vehicle.
The whole thing felt excessive in the best possible way. Ford didn't just bring a Bronco to the auto show. They brought the entire off-road experience indoors.
But here's what really got us: the tech. Sway bar disconnects, front and rear lockers, and cameras that show you exactly where your tires are going to land. It's like they listened to every off-roader's scares and problems and added something to help each one. The driver casually mentioned he'd only covered "about 60% of the coolness of the Bronco" during our ride.
Jeep was there too, running their own obstacle course. Less mountain, more sidewall climbing and tight maneuvers. Still impressive, but Ford's approach felt more ambitious. We tip our hats not only to the engineers and designers of the Bronco, but also to this marketing team. That experience is worth 100 advertisements telling how cool the Bronco is.
The rest of the show had the usual suspects. Cadillac brought their F1 car (slick black and silver livery), Chevy had the ZR1X and some wild concept cars, and there were enough screens and simulators to keep anyone busy for hours.
But none of it compared to actually driving up that ridiculous mountain in the middle of a convention center.
We're definitely planning to hit the Detroit Grand Prix in May after seeing their display. Any vehicle that can make an auto show feel like an amusement park deserves respect.
Comments