The horsepower wars in Detroit continue apace, with rumours sprouting that Ford is testing a twin-turbo variant of its 7.3L V8 truck engine. According to the crew at the industry site Ford Authority, unnamed sources claim Dearborn has stuffed a couple of turbochargers up Godzilla’s nose.
[UPDATE 22/09/2022: This over-the-top evolution of the Godzilla mill is more than a rumour, with Ford Performance Product Manager Mike Goodwin confirming late 2020 that a crate engine version of the thing was in the works. In September 2022, trademarks filed by Ford for a crate engine called “Megazilla” suggest the project is ongoing, though there’s still a lot we don’t know. Our original report continues unedited below. —Ed.]
Those same blabbermouths within the company weren’t clear if this engine has production intent or is simply the result of Ford engineers gone stir-crazy during the latest round of COVID-19 lockdowns. However, a twin-turbo variant of this engine would give Ford an answer to the absolutely psychotic levels of power being hove out across town at Ram.
,’autonav’:true}&autoplay=0&playsinline=1&enablejsapi=1″]
Found in various iterations of the Super Duty pickup line – plus a detuned variant for vans – the mighty Blue Oval mill currently makes 430 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque. While it’s unlikely such an engine would ever find its way into the Raptor – remember, it’s all but assured the upcoming Raptor R will have the GT500’s V8 – it would make an interesting foil to the Ram Power Wagon, especially if the twin-turbo was made available on Tremor-equipped trucks.
It didn’t surprise us a couple of years ago when we learned Ford was working on a new engine for its heavy-duty pickup trucks. What did surprise us was its displacement and the choice to go with a pushrod-style design. Combined with a cast-iron block and two valves per cylinder, the whole thing reads like an engineering brief from last century. In the truck sphere, however, that’s not always a bad thing; sometimes it’s best to stick with a proven concept instead of making change for the sake of making change.
Your author has been impressed by this 7.3L V8 in the Super Duty; sticking a pair of turbos on it would take it to another level.
Keyword: Ford trademarks 'Megazilla,' likely for twin-turbo 7.3L V8 crate engine