Bronco Sport

Make
Ford
Segment
SUV

If you're one of the 7,000 people lucky enough to secure an allocation for the limited-run 2021 Ford Bronco First Edition, you might find that your options are a bit limited when it comes to exterior colors. There's the bold-yet-unoffensive Rapid Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat, the soft, pastel Cactus Gray, the loud and proud Cyber Orange Metallic Tri-Coat, and the unusual blue/gray Area 51.

But today, Ford showed off a new, fifth color, exclusive to the First Edition trim, that should absolutely be at the top of everyone's list: Lightning Blue. It's a deep, rich, saturated blue that, while maybe not the most obvious choice for a rugged off-road vehicle, looks rather stunning when worn by the Bronco.

There's a bit of irony here, and it's this: months before the 2021 Ford Bronco was revealed, the automaker pulled the wraps off a new, pure-electric crossover named the Ford Mustang Mach-E - a vehicle that also racked up tons of reservations immediately, and that will also enjoy a limited-run First Edition. If only one vehicle could lay claim to a color called "Lightning Blue," between the two of them, shouldn't it be the Mach-E?

But that's neither here nor there.

Lightning Blue is quite reminiscent of the special Liquid Blue color worn by myriad Ford Performance vehicles at launch, including the Ford GT supercar. The color couldn't actually be ordered on any of the cars save for the GT, making Lightning Blue something of a second chance at getting an iconic Ford model in an exclusive shade of blue.

The Ford Bronco First Edition is, predictably, the most expensive model in the lineup to start, at $59,305 for a two-door, or $63,500 for a four-door, before tax, destination, and other fees. It's fully loaded with the Sasquatch Package, which includes 35" mud-terrain tires on beadlock-capable wheels and high-performance Bilstein dampers, among other things; the Lux Package, which lumps in 10-speaker B&O audio and tech features like adaptive cruise and evasive steering assist; and a special First Edition hood. It's only available with a 2.7L EcoBoost V6 and a 10-speed automatic.

Look out for the 2021 Ford Bronco in Lightning Blue soon, in an off-road vehicle park near you.