Report

Union leader outs Ford's plan to launch a 6.8-liter engine

Likely a V8, it might power the next Mustang

Ford is pouring a significant amount of money into the development of electric powertrains, but it's not ready to consign internal combustion technology to the pantheon of automotive history. Canadian union Unifor announced the Blue Oval will soon build a new engine with well over six liters of displacement in Windsor, Canada.

Speaking at a press conference, Union leader Jerry Dias revealed the 6.8-liter engine — that's 415 cubic inches — will be manufactured north of the border. On its website, Unifor only refers to the engine as a 6.X-liter unit, and it doesn't clarify its cylinder count. We've seen a 6.8-liter V10 before, it was called Triton and it notably powered the E-Series and the Super Duty, but it's not too far-fetched to speculate the engine Dias was referring to is a V8.

Nothing is official at this point, but the union leader's comments have sent the rumor mill spinning at a speed normally reserved for superbike engines. Enthusiast website Muscle Car & Trucks speculates the 6.8-liter could be related to the 7.3-liter Godzilla pushrod V8 (pictured), which is available in the F-Series Super Duty and also built in Windsor. It adds the 6.8 might power the next Mustang that's widely expected to make its debut by the end of 2022. If that's accurate, the engine will likely end up in high-performance variants, like the GT500. It could also make its way to the 14th-generation F-150 line-up; Remember, unverified rumors claim the next-generation Raptor will put over 700 horsepower under the driver's right foot in a bid to one-up Ram's 1500 TRX.

Hagerty offered a similar hypothesis: It claimed the 6.8 will be a de-stroked version of the 7.3, and it will be built out of aluminum instead of iron. It added the new eight will keep the bigger unit's overhead-valve layout.

Ford is keeping its lips sealed, so we'll need to be patient to find out exactly what it plans to build in Windsor. In the same document, Unifor also confirmed production of the 5.0-liter eight will carry on in the Essex Engine Plant.

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