- Tucci Hot Rods is giving the Ford Maverick a twin-turbo Coyote V8.
- This custom truck will debut at the SEMA Show in November.
- The New York tuner has previously built several widebody Mavericks.
In recent years, under the leadership of Jim Farley, Ford has doubled down on selling big, powerful, and exhilarating pickup trucks and off-roaders, creating vehicles like the Bronco Raptor and the TRX-fighting F-150 Raptor R. There’s one Ford pickup that’s been overlooked – the Maverick.
Ford’s smallest and cheapest truck is currently offered with either a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 250 hp and 277 lb-ft (376 Nm), or a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid with a combined 191 hp. Ford doesn’t quote a total torque figure, simply stating the electric motor delivers up to 236 lb-ft (320 Nm). For many shoppers, these figures are enough, but they’re definitely not enough for performance enthusiasts.
Read: Ford Maverick Owner Blames Crash On Brake Issues Despite Four Attempts To Fix Them
New York-based shop Tucci Hot Rods has the solution. The company, which has previously built a Ford Bronco with snow tracks, has started work on a V8-powered Maverick. It’ll be unveiled at November’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and the custom truck is shaping up to be the Maverick we’ve been desperately waiting years to see.
This isn’t Tucci’s first time working on the Maverick, though. In 2021, it unveiled a widebody Maverick at SEMA, and it appears to be using that very same truck for its latest project. Images of the build show that the project is still in the early stages, but the company has already managed to sandwich a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 into the engine bay, replacing the old 2.0-liter four-cylinder.
Twin Turbos Are Coming
Admittedly, it wasn’t as simple as unbolting the old engine and sliding in this new one. Tucci says it had to cut out part of the transmission tunnel and firewall to get the V8 into the perfect spot. It also had to make custom engine mounts to secure it in position.
While we think an ordinary Coyote V8, producing as much as 500 hp, would have been more than enough for a vehicle like this, Tucci Hot Rods thinks differently. It’s promising to add two turbochargers to the 5.0-liter, which should deliver truly terrifying horsepower and torque figures. Paired with the V8 is ZF’s superb 8HP70 eight-speed automatic transmission.
It’s reasonable to assume the upgrades will extend beyond the engine. We expect to see upgraded braking and suspension components, interior tweaks, a new exhaust, and plenty of additional cooling.
While Ford itself will never build and sell a V8-powered Maverick, here’s hoping this project encourages the company’s brass to release some kind of high-performance version.
