In the world of three-row SUVs, where comfort, space, and fuel economy usually reign supreme, the Ford Explorer has always been the cool uncle who shows up to the family barbecue in a leather jacket. While rivals like the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade might win on premium vibes, and the Toyota Highlander hybrids are the undisputed kings of sipping fuel, the Explorer ST has always marched to the beat of a different, much louder drum. Its party trick? Raw, unadulterated performance. But as posted by a certain Jalopy_Jeff on Facebook, some folks looked at the ST's already potent 400 horsepower and thought, "Nah, that's just for warming up the school run." They decided to transform this family-hauler into a quarter-mile-devouring, tire-shredding monster that would make most supercars blush. Talk about taking the phrase "soccer mom mobile" to a whole new, terrifying level.

From Grocery Getter to Drag Strip Slayer

Let's be real, the stock Explorer ST is no slouch. Its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 pumping out 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque is nothing to sneeze at. But for the mad scientists behind this project, that was merely a suggestion, a starting point. Their goal? To build a track-ready SUV capable of blistering 10-second quarter-mile times. That's a number typically reserved for dedicated sports cars, not a vehicle designed to carry seven people and a week's worth of groceries.

The Heart of the Beast: A 900-HP EcoBoost

The transformation began under the hood, where the stock 3.0-liter V6 underwent what can only be described as an extreme makeover: engine edition. The short block was fully built by the experts at ZFG Racing, a name synonymous with pushing Ford's EcoBoost engines to their absolute limits. This wasn't just a tune and a bigger intercooler; this was a ground-up rebuild. The upgrade list is enough to make any gearhead's heart race faster than this Explorer:

• New Turbochargers: The stock snails were tossed out for much larger, more aggressive units capable of flowing enough air to inflate a small blimp.

• Upgraded Fuel System: To feed the newfound hunger for boost, the entire fuel system was overhauled with higher-flow pumps and injectors. You can't make big power on an empty tank!

• Built Transmission: All that torque has to go somewhere, and a stock transmission would say "uncle" in about 0.5 seconds. A specially built SunCoast Stage One transmission was bolted in to handle the fury.

The result? This mighty little engine now delivers a mind-bending 750 horsepower and 696 pound-feet of torque... to the wheels. For you non-gearheads, that's the power actually hitting the pavement. Accounting for the inevitable driveline losses (power lost through the transmission, driveshafts, etc.), the engine at the crankshaft is likely producing a staggering 900 horsepower. That's more than double the stock output from the same displacement. It's an absolutely bonkers figure that turns this Explorer from a performance SUV into a weapon of mass acceleration.

It Takes More Than Just Power

Of course, throwing 900 horsepower at a 5,000-pound SUV without supporting mods is a recipe for disaster, or at the very least, a very short, smoky trip. The builders knew that to harness this beast, they needed to upgrade everything that connects the power to the road.

Stopping and Going: The Chassis Upgrades

Power is useless if you can't control it or stop it. This hopped-up Explorer received a full suite of handling and braking upgrades:

• Suspension: The stock setup was fortified to manage the immense forces and keep the SUV planted during hard launches and cornering.

• Brakes: Bigger, more powerful brakes are a must when you're trying to slow down a missile. We're talking serious stopping power to match the go-power.

• Wheels and Tires: The most critical upgrade for putting the power down. This SUV ditches the all-season tires for a set of sticky, serious racing slicks. This gives it at least a fighting chance of translating that near 700 lb-ft of twist into forward motion instead of just producing epic, smoky burnouts. It's the difference between a launch and a light show.

The Ultimate Sleeper SUV?

So, what we have here is the ultimate contradiction. On the outside, it likely still looks mostly like a 2026 Ford Explorer ST, a handsome, modern SUV you'd see in any suburban driveway. But under the surface, it's a completely different animal. It's the automotive equivalent of a librarian who is also a champion powerlifter. The specs are simply staggering for its class:

This build proves that with enough ingenuity, budget, and a complete disregard for practicality, you can turn almost anything into a performance machine. It takes the Explorer ST's core identity—being the performance standout in its segment—and amplifies it to a comical, awe-inspiring degree. While the Kia Telluride owner is enjoying their quiet cabin and the Toyota Highlander hybrid driver is celebrating 35 MPG, this Explorer ST owner is busy scaring passengers and rewriting the definition of a "fast SUV." It's a testament to the tuning potential of modern forced-induction engines and a reminder that for some, enough is never enough. Now, if you'll excuse them, they have a quarter-mile to conquer before picking up the kids from soccer practice. 😎