This is 657 horsepower… at your wheels.
Motor1.com doesn’t always have crazy cars. We do feature some truly bizarre cars on em>Motor1.com, such as a giant V8-powered rollerskater or a Ford Taurus that has more horsepower than the Bugatti Veyron. The Ford Explorer ST doesn’t look like footwear and doesn’t have four-digit horsepower. This 10-second SUV is amazing in a world full of modified Detroit muscle cars.
A 2020 Ford Explorer ST stock model is not boring, The 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 produces 400 horsepower (298kW) and can reach 60 mph in just five seconds with sticky summer tires. This is a good result for a three-row SUV. But Kevin Krupski wanted more. He was a little agitated when COVID lockdowns were announced in 2020 and he began to look for ways to modify his family truckster. Kevin was not warned in advance that once you begin the modification route, it will rule your destiny forever.
It was simple. It started simple enough. Modern turbocharged cars generally respond well to engine tunes. Ford Muscle explains that Kevin decided to upgrade his car to 100 horsepower. It was a great experience and it only got better from there. The Ford Explorer isn’t known for its robust aftermarket. This meant that even a simple exhaust upgrade would require a customized touch. FenFabrication was his friends and he created an exhaust system that looked like a piece of art. Kevin was so pleased with the end product, he stayed with FenFabrication to get a variety of upgrades. You thought it would stop at the tune and exhaust? Pulleese.
The mod list reads more like a parts catalogue for the A80 Toyota Supra. This 3.0-liter V6 pumps out 657 horsepower to all four wheels thanks to upgrades to turbos, high flow intake, upgraded wastegates and downpipes, as well as intercoolers, injectors and other mods. This unlikely performance star could produce around 820 horsepower (611 kW) at its crankshaft, even if there is a 20% driveline loss. It was hard work, trial and error. Nobody makes high-performance parts specifically for Explorers.
This SUV can cover the quarter-mile in just 10.9 seconds thanks to its ample power. After the traps are cleared, eight-piston upgraded brakes bring it back in. These are absolutely necessary, as the Explorer still has the same weight as all three rows. Kevin stated that there may be more power in the future. The upgraded turbos are good for 1,100 horsepower.
In the future, will we see a nine second Explorer? It’s difficult to predict, but one thing is certain. Kevin is very interested in the modification rabbit hole. We’ll be following his Instagram account for updates.