2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 test drive
The 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is no one-trick pony. The most powerful Ford ever is as happy on a twisty track as it is on a drag strip, Fox News Automotive Editor Gary Gastelu says.
Like most automakers, Ford is planning on an electric future, but battery power isn’t the only thing it has in the works.
Following the recent contract talks between Ford and the union that represents its Canadian factory workers, Unifor, the union’s president revealed an interesting new engine that’s coming to the facility.
The 7.3-liter 'Godzilla' V8 is currently offered in Ford trucks. (Ford)
In a comment that went under the radar until it was reported on by Motor1 this past weekend, Jerry Dias said Ford will soon begin building a 6.8-liter V8 at its Windsor Engine Plant.
The automaker has never built such an engine, but the factory currently manufactures a 7.3-liter pushrod V8 nicknamed “Godzilla” that’s offered in its F-Series Super Duty models alongside a Romeo, Michigan-built 6.2-liter V8.
Ford HQ won’t comment on Dias’ statement or “future product,” and the official Unifor statement on the agreement refers to it as a 6.X-liter engine. Windsor was previously home to Ford’s Triton 6.8-liter V10 truck engine, so it’s possible Dias misspoke. Regardless of how big it turns out to be, the question is: What is it for?
According to the Windsor Star, the engine is destined for both the F-150 and Ford Mustang. Both currently offer a 5.0-liter V8 built at Ford’s Essex Engine Plant, which is also located in Windsor, while the Mustang GT500 comes with a supercharged 5.2-liter V8.
FORD TO TAKE ON RAM 1500 TRX WITH 750 HP PICKUP, REPORTS SAY
Ford has an all-new high-performance F-150 Raptor in the works that should be unveiled soon. The current Raptor uses a twin-turbocharged V6, but the first generation of the truck could be ordered with a 6.2-liter V8. With the new 702 hp Ram 1500 TRX to compete with, speculation is that Ford will answer it with a more powerful version of the Raptor that was expected to feature the GT500’s engine, but a larger displacement motor based on the Godzilla’s iron-block design would make a lot of sense for a pickup.
As far as the Mustang is concerned, the engine may not be ready to roll before the all-new next-generation pony car arrives for the 2023 model year ... just a year before Dias said Ford will start building electric vehicles in Canada, too.