Ford didn’t check.
Although the 2021 Ford Bronco will not be in production until next spring it hasn’t stopped tuners offering V8 conversions. Hennessey, a 750-horsepower supercharged V8 of 5.0-liter capacity, was the latest company to announce such an upgrade. Although it’s a significant upgrade, we expect to see cheaper and more powerful conversions in the future. Ford on the other side doesn’t know if the 5.0-liter Coyote-powered V8 will fit under its off-roader.
In a recent interview, Eric Loeffler, chief engineer of the Bronco, stated that Ford hadn’t “even considered” whether the Coyote’s V8 would fit in the new SUV. There are two engines available for the Bronco: a turbocharged, 2.3-liter four-cylinder and a twin-turbocharged, 2.7-liter V6. The smaller engine produces 270 horsepower (201 Kilowatts) as well as 310 lbft (420 Newton meters) of torque. While the V6 produces 310 HP (231 kW) at 400 lbft (542 Nm), the V6 is capable of producing 310hp (231kW) and 310lb-ft (542 Newton-meters). Each pair is connected to a 10-speed manual gearbox.
It’s not surprising that this news was announced. In September, Ford stated that a V8 powered Bronco would not be possible because of tightening emission regulations. But that doesn’t mean that tuners won’t be able to fill the void. The news of Pax Power’s $30,000 upgrade to the Bronco came out just days after it was announced in July. Due to the Bronco’s programming, the upgrade is quite expensive. You will need another 10-speed gearbox. Tuners could have problems with the ECU of an off-roader. Ford’s Bronco has strict cybersecurity features for over-the-air updates.
Bronco sales will not begin until next year. This means that we will have to wait for a V8 underneath the hood. Ford is confident that the EcoBoost V6 will be a success with its combination power and efficiency. There will be some who need something more powerful and Ford is ready to help them. It won’t come cheap. It is very expensive to upgrade the Power Pax to $30,000 The Hennessey Bronco starts at $225,000, but the company will only build 24 of them.