Ford's New Megazilla Crate Engine Costs As Much As A Maverick

Ford's $22,995, 7.3-liter monster V8 is just a tiny bit cheaper than a brand new Maverick, which costs $25,640.

By: Peter Holderith

Dec 11, 2023 at 12:32pm ET

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Ford announced it's Megazilla crate engine almost exactly one year ago, and now it's finally ready to sell it. Based on the tamer Godzilla engine available in some of the Blue Oval's heavy-duty pickups, the Megazilla produces 615 horsepower and 638 pound-feet of torque from 7.3 liters. It does so without any help from forced induction, but despite the lack of a supercharger or turbocharger, it still costs a pretty penny: $22,995. If you're looking for something a little more complete, a new Maverick pickup costs $25,640.

Ford's engine is a long block with many of the parts you need to get it running, but it doesn't come with vital accessories like a starter. In other words, you're gonna have to shell out a fair amount more cash to actually get the engine going in whatever you decide to put it in. That's not the end of the world for your average hot rodder, but a new shop truck instead? That could be pretty enticing.

The Megazilla is very impressive, though. It produces 84 horsepower per liter using two valves per cylinder and pushrods, which makes it more powerful and volumetrically efficient than General Motor's venerable LS7, which produced about 72 horsepower per liter and 505 horsepower total. It is likely considerably heavier, though. The LS7 was all aluminum, while the Megazilla has an iron block and aluminum heads. It shares its block, wiring harness, and steel crankshaft with the stock Godzilla. The pistons and connecting rods are forged, however, and bespoke to the aftermarket engine.

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Is it all worth the money, though? Despite headlines about EVs taking over the world, the Big Three still sell a number of crate motors. A 807-hp, 6.2-liter Redeye long block out of Dodge's Direct Connection catalog costs just $12,995, for instance. Likewise, a supercharged LT4 crate engine from GM can be had for around $18,000.

Ford guys probably won't install those in their Mustangs, though. If you want one of the latest and greatest crate motors from Ford, you're gonna have to cough up the cash.