Ford's Megazilla 2.0 Crate V8 Now Claims 1,200 HP, Debuts in a Bronco
The supercharged 7.3-liter V8 debuts in a one-off Bronco at SEMA, rated on race fuel. Ford still hasn't said what it costs or when you can buy one.
Ford says it has built the most powerful crate engine ever offered by an automaker, and it picked a Bronco to show it off. The supercharged 7.3-liter V8, called Megazilla 2.0, is rated at more than 1,200 hp and over 1,000 lb-ft of torque, according to Ford Racing Parts. It powers Frostwarden, a one-off Bronco built for this week's SEMA show in Las Vegas.
That is a huge leap for a truck that has never offered a V8 in its current generation. The 2027 Bronco's 3.0L EcoBoost V6 is rated at 380 hp. For the versions you can actually order, see our 2027 Ford Bronco guide.
Not just a bolt-on blower
Ford insists Megazilla 2.0 is its own development program, not the original Megazilla with a supercharger added. The changes include a stronger block, a camshaft designed for boost, upgraded pistons, larger fuel injectors, and a revised belt drive and damper. Boost comes from a 3.0-liter Gen 6 Whipple supercharger.
The headline numbers come with fine print. Ford rated the engine on race fuel under the SAE J607 standard and says peak horsepower and peak torque may not arrive at the same time.
The name isn't new
Ford first used the Megazilla 2.0 name in January 2025, when it announced a supercharged 7.3-liter crate V8 with the same Whipple blower. Back then it was targeted at more than 1,000 hp, meant for competition use only, and due in the fourth quarter of 2025. The new claim adds roughly 200 hp. Ford hasn't explained the jump or said whether the earlier version reached customers.
The naturally aspirated Megazilla that started the family is rated at 615 hp, as Hagerty reported when Ford priced it.
How it stacks up
If Ford's figure holds, Megazilla 2.0 tops the rival factory crate engines. Chevrolet Performance's 10.4-liter ZZ632/1000 makes 1,004 hp. Stellantis' Direct Connection peaks at 1,025 hp with the supercharged Hellephant, which anchors its new HEMI crate engine packages. Both are catalog products, while Ford hasn't announced pricing, a part number, or an on-sale date for Megazilla 2.0.
Ford isn't the only brand pitching V8 power to off-roaders at this year's show. Jeep brought the Wrangler Scrambler SRT concept, though it hasn't named the engine.
The Frostwarden build
Frostwarden started as an idea for an Arctic search-and-rescue Bronco. It rides on 42-inch BFGoodrich tires and custom 18-inch Weld beadlock wheels, with portal gear lifts, upgraded Dana driveline hardware, and custom Bilstein dampers. Ford hasn't detailed the transmission.
The schedule was tight. Michael Goodwin, the Ford Racing Parts planning analyst who pitched the project, says work began in February and the hands-on build ramped up in June. The finished engine came off the dyno in October and went overnight to a shop in Tennessee for first start-up and calibration.
Ford calls Frostwarden a specialty modified concept and says it won't be sold. It also uses third-party parts that may not comply with federal safety standards. The details builders actually need, Megazilla 2.0's price and release date, are still to come.
