Ford Is Ending the 6.8L Babyzilla While Godzilla Lives

In a Windsor engine plant one production line will quieten this quarter. The compact 6.8 liter V8 nicknamed Babyzilla, a short-lived workhorse introduced with the fifth generation Super Duty in late 2022, is being retired.

Ford built the 6.8 as a downscaled variant of the larger 7.3 liter Godzilla. It was the entry-level option for fleet buyers and commercial owners, fitted to XL models and delivering 405 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque, roughly 604 Newton meters. The engine grabbed attention for giving fleets a lower-cost V8 option without moving to diesel.

How the lineup shifts

Now the Super Duty range is being simplified. Ford is dropping the standard-output version of the 6.7 liter Power Stroke diesel, the variant that rated at about 500 horsepower and an astonishing 1,200 pound-feet of torque, or roughly 1,627 Newton meters. That leaves the higher-torque turbodiesel as the lone diesel choice in the line, the unit that makes 500 horsepower and around 1,000 pound-feet, approximately 1,356 Newton meters.

Gasoline duty will fall to the 7.3 liter Godzilla, which will become the standard gas V8. Godzilla puts out 430 horsepower and 485 pound-feet of torque, about 658 Newton meters. Ford says the final 6.8 liter V8 will roll off the line in the third quarter of 2026 at the Essex Engine Plant in Windsor, Ontario, which also builds the Coyote 5.0 V8, the Godzilla 7.3, and the 6.7 liter Power Stroke turbodiesel.

The change comes as part of a new three year agreement between Ford and Canadian union Unifor, ratified by workers and running through 2029. The deal includes pay bumps, improved benefits, and plant investments. Ford has committed to invest €465 million in the Essex facility and tooling over the next three years, with most of that money steered toward the 5.0 liter Coyote V8 program.

That investment makes sense. The Coyote is the heart of two of Ford's most important models, the F 150 and the Mustang. When it arrived with the 2011 Mustang it produced about 412 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. In its latest form the Mustang GT pushes roughly 480 horsepower and 415 pound-feet.

So why retire Babyzilla so soon? Market math and manufacturing focus. Ford appears to be trimming choices to favor fewer, higher-capability drivetrains and to concentrate work where volume and strategic models justify tooling. For fleet managers the change narrows options but it also simplifies parts, servicing, and ordering.

There is another layer here, a practical one. Consolidating production reduces complexity at a time when Ford is balancing electrification, commercial truck demand, and labor agreements. The Godzilla engine will be protected under the new contract, so expect it to remain the backbone of gasoline Super Duty models at least through 2029.

Crucial takeaway: the 6.8 liter Babyzilla will be discontinued in Q3 2026, while the 7.3 liter Godzilla and the 5.0 Coyote will receive ongoing support and investment.