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Yup. The Ford Maverick really can do it all. You may know that this compact, unibody truck has cargo room, towing capacity for a medium trailer, plenty of space for five people, a current MSRP just under $24k, and a 40 mpg city rating. But you may not have known that it also makes for a track monster.

Antonio Diaz originally picked up his 2022 Ford Maverick XL for truck stuff. Track days were the last thing on his mind. He admits “I bought it originally as a daily driver truck, but I got some inspiration from other members of the Maverick Truck Club.”

See Diaz was a Honda guy. He liked modifying and tuning those cars. But had never thought of doing it to his Ford. But other enthusiasts convinced him. The first order of business was coilovers.  “I wanted to lower it and make it handle well…Everything has a function on my build.”

In addition to the coilovers, Diaz ordered custom camber arms made by another member of the Maverick Truck Club. He tracked down and adjustable sway bar. And he was blown away by the difference. “Seeing how this truck handled motivated me to take it on the track and have fun with it…It really impressed me.”

Sound crazy? The truck’s 2.0-liter EcoBoost I4 claims 250 horsepower. Diaz added a cold air intake and a cat-back exhaust. These relatively mild modifications help the engine breathe easier and on the dyno Diaz found it makes 206 horsepower at the wheels. But it does have one Achilles heel. The brakes.

On his first track day, Diaz found, “The truck is really heavy, and they will get warm easily.” He added, “I strongly recommend that people install better brakes and brake fluids if taking it to the track, and better tires too.”  He went with slotted rotors and EBC brake pads and is very happy with the setup.

Diaz rounded out his build with two more mods which I absolutely love–just because they are so simple. He pulled Recaro seats from a Ford Focus ST for better support. He also ordered a paddle-equipped steering wheel pulled from a European Fiesta ST. It was incredibly easy to mount in the truck and works with the existing automatic transmission. Yup. Diaz’s Maverick has paddle shifter. He thinks he also could have gone with the paddle wheels from a Ford Escape or Bronco which you could get here in the states.

See the Maverick on the track in the video below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.