Watch a Tuned Ford Maverick Run a Quarter Mile Quicker Than a Dodge Challenger R/T
“No replacement for displacement” is starting to sound like some grade-A Mopar nerd copium.
By using parts from existing Fords, the Maverick could have only ever been the tunable little pickup truck that it is. And the quick Mavericks are already here, as the apparent new Maverick quarter-mile recorder-holder shows by making a pass quicker than a Dodge Challenger R/T can.
The truck with the claim to fame is the 2.0-liter Maverick Ecoboost AWD tuned by Buschur's in Wakeman, Ohio. As outlined in the description of the truck's record-breaking drag run video, it's equipped with only an elementary set of mods to improve airflow: It has a three-inch intake, front-mount intercooler, a catback exhaust, and a custom 93-octane tune applied by 5 Star Tuning—all developed in-house at Buschur's. While the shop's owner David Buschur states on Maverick Truck Club that the truck is tricky to dyno, he told The Drive that he has recorded as high as 287 horsepower and 372 pound-feet of torque at the wheels. That's considerably more than a 2022 Subaru WRX, and it meant the little Ford's performance spoke for itself at a recent drag event.
Entered in a local drag in the Ecoboost class, the truck actually made it to the finals, where it faced off against a tuned Ranger. It placed a respectable second, and in the process notched up what's believed to be the quarter-mile record for a Ford Maverick: 13.565 seconds at 100 mph. Seeing as Motortrend tested a Challenger R/T at 13.6 seconds in the quarter, this Maverick is quicker—and more performance may yet be in the pipeline.
Buchur told The Drive that he's got a downpipe coming soon to mate to his company's catback, and that he's developing a turbo and manifold kit for release down the road. More air will mean more fuel can be burned, in turn generating more power, and E85 could unlock still more if the bottom end proves a weak link. It's clear we're nowhere near the bottom of the Maverick's capability, and that this thrifty little truck may yet have a 12-second pass in it. If Ford ever gives us a 2.3-liter Ecoboost-powered Maverick ST, it certainly will, though it's not like Ford's having any trouble selling the trucks it already makes.
Update: Oct. 17, 3:17 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with technical information obtained from Buschur's since publication.
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