5 Classic And Current Ford Models We’d Love To See With The New Coyote V8 Crate Engine

Earlier this year, Ford released two new Coyote V8 crate engine options as part of the Mustang 60th anniversary celebrations. The Coyote dates back to 2011 when Ford replaced the aging 4.6-liter V8 with an all-new 5.0-liter V8. The original engine produced 412 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque, but in the 12 years since its debut, Ford has made many refinements to this engine, and it now produces up to 500 horses in the Mustang Dark Horse.

There are two versions of this new crate engine available: Gen 4 and Gen 4X. The main difference between the two is the intake. The less-potent Gen 4 comes with a single throttle body intake, while the 4X has dual throttle body intakes. The engine can also be mated to a six-speed manual or a ten-speed automatic, making it perfect for a variety of engine swaps. So we decided to look through Ford’s back catalog of cars to find five models that could be vastly improved by bolting this new crate motor under the hood.

5

Ford Escort MK1 Wagon – Drifting With A Dog In The Trunk

You should never drift with a dog in the trunk, but drifting is what the MK1 Ford Escort is best known for. Most of us have seen images of a coupe going sideways on a gravel road, and there’s a very good reason for that. Motorsport is a big part of English culture. Seven out of the 10 Formula 1 teams are located in the UK, not to mention the big touring car and rally racing scene. The tiny island is scattered with racing tracks and dirt roads.

The MK1 Escort became one of the go-to amateur rally cars for the same reason as the OG Mini. It was cheap and equipped with a reliable engine. As an added bonus, the MK1 was introduced before automakers realized how much money they could save with front-wheel drive, so all the power is sent to the rear. In short, you got yourself a used Escort, tore out the insides, and went racing. We’re picking the wagon because fast wagons are, like, so hot right now (they have always been the superior body style). After years of letting Audi get all the attention, BMW is finally bringing the M5 Wagon to the USA.

4

Ford Crown Victoria – The Ultimate Sleeper

Technically, the Mercury Marauder is the performance version of the defunct Crown Victoria, but most people have forgotten that it exists. And those that do remember are selling them for nearly $30,000. You can buy a 2011 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor for roughly $6,000 and spend the rest of your budget on the Coyote engine making it fun to drive. We know the Crown Victoria is not the most exciting car to ever exist, but for some reason, it resonates with tuners. Perhaps it’s because a cheap way to get a V8 muscle car, or the fact that it’s a sleeper.

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If you want to have some real fun, buy a late-model Crown Victoria in the blandest possible color and do nothing else but the Coyote engine swap and upgraded brakes. You can take it a step further by using our beginner’s guide to car mods, but we’d keep it as stock as possible for the ultimate sleeper effect. The standard 4.6-liter V8 was only ever good for 224 hp, so you’ll be more than doubling the output no matter which version of the Coyote you go for.

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3

Third-Generation Ford Focus RS

The third-generation Ford Focus RS had a notorious head gasket problem, but its problems actually started long before that issue was discovered. Looking back on it now, the car was a bit too overhyped, so everyone, including me, was expecting the second coming. The Fiesta ST was a hot hatch highlight, so there was no chance Ford could mess the Focus RS up, right? The bubble quickly burst. Ford focused too much on the hot and not enough on the hatch. The seats were bad, and the stiff suspension was intolerable, and the wheelbase was way too short for a “Drift Mode.” Anyone with a modicum of common sense purchased a Golf R instead.

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We know from previous tuner builds that it is possible to get a Coyote V8 under the hood. The more pertinent question is whether the AWD system would be able to cope with the additional power, but since Mountune took the 2.3 EcoBoost up to nearly 700 horses, we’re going to say yes. The other problem is weight, but the EcoBoost engine weighs just under 420 pounds, while the Gen4 Coyote tips the scales at roughly 450 lbs. Ford has given up on the Focus RS, but this is a prime opportunity to build a Focus RS R.

2

Ford Maverick – Because Ford Isn’t Going To Do It

We don’t think even Ford was prepared for just how much of a smash hit the Maverick was going to be. What’s not to like? It’s good-looking, practical, clever, and affordable. We recently spent some time with the latest model, and a fun ST trim is one of the very few things it’s lacking. And we’re not the only ones who think so. As it turns out, Maverick owners are big on tuning and there are loads of attention-grabbing units out there. You can even get a MagnaFlow exhaust that will make it sound like the Focus RS above.

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There are two ways you can go about it. The first is to go completely over the top with the exterior, as some owners have done. Fit it with a fruity exhaust and the entire neighborhood will know you’ve got a Coyote under the hood. But since we’re big sleeper fans, we’d get a Maverick on a set of white steelies shod with grippy rubber. It would upset so many hot hatches. If you like the rugged look, go for the Tremor. Not only will it be huge fun on a gravel road, but the Maverick is also way more capable off-road than most people give it credit for.

The big disclaimer here is that the Maverick is a transverse platform, meaning the engine is arranged sideways to drive the front axle. Putting a V8 into this would require a longitudinal conversion, which is massively labor-intensive and would require quite a bit of custom fabrication. It’s not for everyone, but where there’s a will, there’s a way.

2024 Ford Maverick

Base MSRP

$23,815

Engine

2.0L Turbo Inline-4 Gas

Horsepower

250 hp

Torque

277 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm

Top Speed

110 mph

Transmission

8-Speed Automatic

Towing Capacity

up to 4,000 lbs

1

Pre-Facelift Ford Flex – A Bit Ahead Of Its Time

The Ford Flex may have done better if it was launched a decade later. Americans appear to be more accepting of wagons these days, and that’s effectively what the Flex was. It was a wagon, tarted up a bit to look like a rugged SUV. We’re particularly fond of the pre-facelift model, as Ford went a bit wild with the headlights with the mid-life refresh. The chrome on the pre-facelift model is also a bit much, but that’s easily remedied. If you look at it now, it’s certainly a tiny bit retro-cool. But it’s extremely practical, and the third row can easily accommodate adult passengers.

The best news is that you can pick up a high-mileage example for around $10,000, which is not a lot for such a sizable vehicle. The high-mileage part doesn’t matter because you’ll be dropping a new V8 under the hood. Just make sure the brakes are up to the task of bringing this new performance wagon to a halt.

This carries the same caveat as the two cars above in that despite being full-sized, the Flex was built on a transverse chassis (FF layout), but since AWD models were available, it means there’s space for a driveshaft to the rear.