The American publication The Drive shared the project of Ivan Gonzalez, who replaced the original 2.0-liter turbo engine with a 2.3-liter turbo-four. The engine was borrowed from the technically similar Lincoln Corsair crossover, the turbine and exhaust system were changed, and the air intakes were enlarged. Ford Maverick began to pass the quarter in 12.4 seconds!
From the factory, the Ford Maverick is offered with either a 2.0-liter turbo engine (253 horsepower) or a hybrid system based on a 2.5 naturally aspirated engine (194 horsepower). A basic pickup costs just $25,000, but it has the potential to go fast, as Ivan Gonzalez has seen. The man was surprised to discover that swapping the EcoBoost 2.3 turbo engine is very simple: just change the location of the coolant temperature sensor, and the more powerful unit works correctly!
The Maverick is built on the same platform as the Lincoln Corsair, and the premium crossover had a 2.3 engine before restyling. The unit was combined with the same 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Still, the absence of errors during the swap and the efficient operation of the tuner’s gearbox surprised me. The factory 299 horsepower seemed not enough to Gonzalez, so a more efficient turbine was installed, the exhaust system and intercoolers were changed. Brembo brakes from the Focus RS are coming, and installing them shouldn’t be difficult either.
With its current modifications, the Ford Maverick is faster from a standstill to a quarter mile than a Mustang GT! And the ease of tuning a pickup truck means that over time the “charged” version can become a factory version. Two years ago, the Blue Oval was seriously exploring the possibility of serial assembly of trucks with a 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine.
Rural exotica: forgotten pickups
