We Sample Mustangs, Mavericks and More From Ford's New Custom Garage

• What's new: Ford Custom Garage is a new one-stop shop offering buyers turn-key modified vehicles directly from dealerships, with available financing and warranties. Individual options are also available.
• Why it matters: Nearly half of Ford buyers already modify their Broncos, F-150s, Mustangs and more, according to the brand, so the company wants to streamline the process.
• Edmunds says: Easier access to tried-and-tested modifications for buyers and more of the aftermarket pie for Ford? Sounds like a win-win situation to us.

Ford Mustang FP800S: Mega-power pony car

The FP800S is, as its name suggests, an 800-horsepower version of the Ford Mustang GT. The chief ingredient in the FP800S recipe is a 3.0-liter Whipple supercharger. With a dual-pass intercooler keeping intake air nice and cool, torque peaks at a whopping 615 lb-ft. The FP800S also benefits from a revised suspension setup — for both the standard setup as well as the optional MagneRide dampers — and wider, flow-form alloy wheels, the widest Ford will fit to a Mustang not badged GTD, in fact. Get the optional active sport exhaust, and you'll unlock an extra 10 hp.

On a short infield course at Michigan International Speedway with only a handful of corners, it's clear the big bruiser has serious grip, and more than enough power to overwhelm it should you so desire. The straight-line acceleration is intense, with a not-subtle supercharger whine layered over the Mustang's familiar V8 howl.

Perhaps best of all, the FP800S package can be fitted to any Mustang GT, including ones with the six-speed manual transmission. That makes this essentially the only new vehicle you can buy with over 800 horsepower, a manual transmission and a full warranty. The cost of the full conversion on top of a base Mustang is $18,500, before installation and tires.

Ford F-150 FP700S: A proper street truck returns

Available on F-150 pickups packing the 5.0-liter V8, the FP700S is Ford's response to Ram's Rumble Bee — and a much more potent sport truck than the stock F-150 Lobo. Like the Mustang, the FP700S bundles the Whipple-sourced supercharger with suspension and wheel/tire upgrades. The only limitation here is that buyers must choose between either a Regular Cab or SuperCrew, with no availability for the F-150's small-door SuperCab body style. The full installation price is a steep $26,895 on top of the donor F-150.

A "shorty" FP700S is my favorite of the trucks available for test drives. The short-cab, short-bed pickup has rear-wheel drive, and yet on launch it remains flat and surges forward, with only a chirp of the tires as the rear locking differential and traction control do their thing. Meanwhile, another truck comes with the available Extreme exhaust. The note is pure NASCAR, providing a visual/auditory disconnect as the big rig barrels off in the distance. Something with a front bench seat should not be this absurdly quick.

Ford will also sell this kit's supercharger separate from the other upgrades, and has an F-150 Lobo here to highlight just that. It's a good immediate comparison: Where all of the FP700S models keep their noses down, the Lobo's unique bumper lifts up like the prow of a boat on every launch.

Ford Bronco special editions offer something for everyone

Alongside the F-150s are two Bronco Raptors. One is purely stock, while the other uses a Ford Racing ECU tune to unlock an additional 37 hp and 96 lb-ft of torque. Launching these two SUVs initially feels the same, but by the time the engine crests 3,500 rpm, the modded Raptor is noticeably angrier, pulling towards redline with increased urgency. At the end of the drag run, it's up 3 mph on the stock model. For under $1,000, there's no better bang-for-buck upgrade.

Elsewhere, Ford has a cavalcade of Bronco special editions, all targeting a slightly different sliver of the off-roader market. Many are descriptive: The Matte Black ($7,300) does what it says on the tin. The ORV ($16,499) goes further, adding 17-inch black WELD wheels, rocker panel trail protection, skid plates from the Raptor, modular bumpers and a Fox off-road suspension setup. The Sinister Bronze ($7,300) isn't quite as mean as the Matte Black, but does add some stylish bits to Ford's boxy off-roader.

Peppered around these wild horses are a handful of special edition F-Series models, including an F-150 Dark Trail (a dark-trim SuperCrew with FPP off-road suspension for $6,999) and the recently unveiled Super Duty Proud to Honor, which has a super subtle and definitely not AI-generated flag livery ($3,495), if that's your thing.

Ford Maverick SV300T: The one I want

The Maverick SV300T is a hotter take on Ford's smallest truck, pinching the Mustang EcoBoost's larger turbocharger and bolting it to the Mav's 2.0-liter inline-four engine. Thanks to a unique tune, this setup produces — you guessed it — 300 hp, plus a stout 350 lb-ft. Like the other full-kit models, the SV300T upgrade also incorporates new wheels (in either bronze or black) and a suspension tune. The kit is available on XLT, Lariat and Lobo models; Ford is targeting a $5,000 price for this package not including tires and installation. The team notes that many of the SV300T upgrades are based on the Lobo, suggesting using that as a base would cost less.

On an autocross circuit, this boosted Maverick provides big laughs. The larger turbocharger adds an old-school dose of turbo lag to proceedings, but it's part of the fun: If the Maverick Lobo is a nod to '90s street trucks, some '90s turbo flavor should be part of the package. With Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires the Mav now has the grip of a hot hatch too. In its Lobo drive mode this Maverick rips through quick direction changes and will even start to swing its tail out in higher-speed corners. It's super fun. The SV300T package will be available by the end of the year.

A great intro to Ford Custom Garage

The Custom Garage is a new business unit within Ford that operates independently, allowing it to be more agile than typical product development cycles. One such example is a new special edition Bronco — more on that next week — which wasn't even on the drawing board 12 months ago. Complete models will be available "in strictly limited numbers," as Ford says it knows rarity is part of the appeal. If a buyer wants a Mustang FP800S or F-150 FP700S, they can either bring an existing car to the dealer to have the kit installed, or order the whole car there; most kits can also be rolled into the car's financing. Buyers can also piecemeal parts at their own pace, though Ford will hold back a few bits like model-specific decals for the full kits.

With its promise of more performance and exclusivity, we look forward to seeing customer response to Ford Custom Garage.

Photos by Kyle Patrick