Ford Puts 1,200-HP Megazilla Engine in Bronco on 42-Inch Tires

A production Ford Bronco starts at 300 horsepower, while the Bronco Raptor makes 418 horsepower. Ford’s one-off Frostwarden Bronco moves into a different category: Its new supercharged 7.3-liter Megazilla 2.0 V-8 produces more than 1,200 horsepower and more than 1,000 pound-feet of torque. Ford unveiled the engine and demonstration vehicle at the 2026 SEMA show in Las Vegas.

That gives the Frostwarden at least four times the horsepower of the base Bronco. It also approaches three times the output of the Raptor, Ford’s 418-horsepower production performance model. Even the optional 330-horsepower V-6 Bronco sits far below the show vehicle. Those comparisons illustrate why the Frostwarden cannot be treated as another factory trim level: It is a specialty modified concept built around a crate engine, not a Bronco that Ford plans to sell.

More than a supercharger added to a 7.3-liter V-8

Megazilla 2.0 belongs to Ford’s existing 7.3-liter crate-engine family, but its four-digit output required more than installing a blower. Ford specifies a stronger block, upgraded pistons, larger fuel injectors and a camshaft developed for supercharged operation. A revised belt drive and damper support the new forced-induction arrangement, which centers on a 3.0-liter Gen 6 Whipple supercharger.

Ford describes Megazilla 2.0 as its most powerful crate engine yet. The published horsepower and torque ratings are based on race fuel under the SAE J607 standard, and Ford notes that the two peaks may not occur simultaneously. No pump-gas output figure was provided. That operating condition is important when comparing the engine with regular production Broncos, whose advertised ratings describe vehicles designed for normal retail use rather than an extreme aftermarket demonstration.

The supporting changes also show the systems cost of multiplying engine output. Supplying enough fuel, keeping the supercharger drive controlled and giving the rotating assembly sufficient strength all become central design requirements. An engine rated above 1,200 horsepower also places substantially different demands on the transmission path and chassis than a 300-horsepower production powertrain, which helps explain why Ford surrounded it with specialized off-road hardware.

A rescue theme carried by extreme chassis hardware

Ford configured the Frostwarden as an Arctic search-and-rescue-inspired Bronco riding on 42-inch BFGoodrich tires. The tires are mounted on custom 18-inch Weld beadlock wheels, while 74Weld portal gear lifts provide the raised stance. Upgraded Dana driveline hardware and custom Bilstein dampers complete the main undercarriage changes.

Portal gearing can increase ground clearance at the wheels without relying only on a conventional suspension lift, while the dampers must manage the large tire-and-wheel assemblies and the vehicle’s altered geometry. The Dana components address the driveline side of the package. Ford has not supplied performance, durability or recovery-test results for the complete vehicle, so the hardware establishes the Frostwarden’s engineering theme rather than verified field capability.

The black-and-yellow body carries off-road lighting, an external rear-mounted fuel tank, a roof-mounted spare tire and a bright yellow front winch. Matching upholstery continues the color scheme inside, and a Megazilla wordmark appears on the steering wheel. These details reinforce the rescue concept, but the vehicle remains a SEMA display build assembled to demonstrate how the engine can anchor a complete project.

The Bronco is one-off; engine sales details remain open

Ford explicitly says the Frostwarden will not be offered for sale. The company presents Megazilla 2.0 as a crate engine intended for other Ford-powered projects, distinguishing the engine program from the one-off vehicle carrying it. However, Ford has not provided a price, ordering date, emissions status or detailed application and availability terms. It is therefore too early to say that builders can already buy it.

The Frostwarden’s main job is to establish the scale of the new engine: more than 1,200 horsepower in a Bronco-shaped demonstration platform with 42-inch tires, portal gearing, an upgraded driveline and purpose-built dampers. The remaining practical questions now concern when Megazilla 2.0 will become orderable, what fuel and installation requirements Ford will specify, and how much of this show-build performance can translate into completed customer projects.

By Robert McKinney — Editor-in-Chief for AMI’s automotive and mobility coverage, with a mechanical engineering background and a decade reporting on powertrain systems, EV innovation, and global vehicle manufacturing.