Serious Question: What Should Ford Name Its New Super Duty 6.8-Liter V8?
When Ford announced a new 6.8-liter V8 for its super trucks, I thought What crazy name will this one have? It will, after all, slot in between the āCoyoteā and āGodzillaā V8s. Imagine my surprise when Ford essentially said, āDunno, what do you want to name it?ā So I need your help, dear reader, in naming the 6.8-liter big-block Ford V8.
Fordās new 6.8-liter V8 is a chip off the old block
Ford redesigned its Super Duty truck lineup for the 2023 model year. Because the āGodzillaā 7.3-liter V8 engine in these same trucks is performing so well, Ford decided to reuse as much of its design as possible. It engineered a lower displacement and more efficient version of the V8 engine, to be built alongside it in the Windsor, Ontario engiene plant.
The 6.8-liter V8 replaces the old 6.2 āBossā V8 as the base engine for Ford Super Duty trucks. Its engineers think the engine, along with the 10-speed automatic transmission, will make all the difference.
Aaron Bresky, Ford Super Duty engineering manager, said, āWith the 6.8L, the new strength [of the frame] combined with the 10-speed transmission creates an efficient base engine. If you compare and contrast the prior one, the 6.2L with standard 6-speed transmission, my gosh, what a great upgrade.ā āaccording toĀ Ford Authority
The 6.8-liter Ford Super Duty V8 has no name
Special edition Ford V8 engines have included the Boss, Triton, Predator, Carnivore, Voodoo, Trinity, and Terminator. Smaller engines include the Fox (Ford Fiesta), Dragon (Ford Focus), Lynx (Diesel Escort overseas).
Of all the automakers, the Blue Oval has some of the coolest engine names around. So imagine my surprise that they named the 6.8ā¦nothing.
When asked about the new engineās name, Bresky came up short. āWe didnāt develop a nameā¦When this question came around we encouraged the individuals that were asking about the names, āWhat would you call it?āā
Challenge accepted! I am confident that together, we can come up with the perfect name for this engine. Because itās bigger than a Coyote, I am thinking āWolf.ā Though because the F-150 is known as the āLoboā in Mexico, naming it the āLoboā would be an interesting twist.
Another option would be to play on its āGodzillaā origins. āMini-zillaā is a bit lame and āMothmanā doesnāt roll off the tongue. So how about āKing Kong?ā
It is replacing the āBossā 6.2. Obviously āBossā is a storied Ford badge, dating back to the āBossā Mustang. So what about naming this engine the āSuper Boss?ā
Another storied Ford trim is āCobra.ā But why borrow this name when there are so many great snake names? What about the āCopperheadā or even the āMamba?ā The latter reminds me a bit like the old āVoodooā engine.
Finally, if the Super Duty team wants to get cheeky, they could make fun of some other Ford Truck special editions. If the āRaptorā is named after a bird, the āVelociraptorā would one-up it while matching the carnivorous reptile theme of the āKing Kong.ā
Thereās also the all-new Ford F-150 āLightning.ā This silent, electric truckās name is an SVT tradition and couldnāt be more perfect. So how about naming the latest rumbling V8 the āThunder?ā
How do we name the new Ford V8?
First, we need to get Fordās attention. Second, we must show how many truck fans support a given name. But donāt worry, Iāve got a plan.
Iāve included four name options in a Twitter poll (embedded below). Just click on any option. When the poll is complete, Iāll tag Ford in a comment. If enough of us vote, Ford is sure to notice.
If you have an even better name idea, Iām all ears. Drop it in a comment, either on Twitter or at the bottom of this article.
Next, see how the new Ford Super Duty can tow 40,000 pounds or see the new 6.8-liter V8 reviewed in the video below: