Back in 2020, we heard that the 7.3-liter "Godzilla" V8 would be available to buy as a crate engine. This 430-horsepower motor is a great basis for high-horsepower builds, especially once you add boost to the equation, and even Ford is aware of the motor's potential.

Towards the end of the same year, the automaker announced that it was working on an even more powerful version of the same engine to be dubbed "Megazilla" - but besides suggesting that it would be great to swap into an old Mustang, F-100, or Bronco, that's all we were told. But thanks to trademark filings that CarBuzz has discovered at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), Australian Intellectual Property office (AIP), and Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ), we know Ford is definitely going ahead with the upgraded Godzilla and that the rumored name will be a reality.

The trademark for the term Megazilla was applied for by Ford just this week, on Monday 19 September, and is specifically classified under "crate motors, namely, electric motors and internal combustion engines for automobiles." So what do we know?

In May of last year, an insider report claimed that Ford was working on a twin-turbo version of the Godzilla, which we guessed could be the Megazilla.

But don't bank on the Megazilla being blown - some tuners have already achieved big numbers with the Godzilla motor without resorting to forced induction - one tuner extracted 789 hp with little more than a 90-millimeter throttle body, a billet intake manifold, modified heads, and mechanical roller camshafts.

Clearly, the Godzilla basis of the Megazilla is more than capable of producing high horsepower without boost of any kind. More credence is lent to the theory that Ford could be sticking with an atmospheric setup if you assume that the Mustang GT350 test mule fitted with the Godzilla is actually a test bed for the Megazilla, but we'd like to believe that this name will be reserved for an engine capable of close to or more than 1,000 hp with a pair of turbos.

Then again, it could be supercharged - Whipple has already achieved great results with a 3.0-liter twin-screw bolt-on setup for the Godzilla-powered F-250, achieving 700 hp at the flywheel with 750 lb-ft of torque.

Basically, the possibilities are endless.

The Megazilla crate motor could be a naturally aspirated motor with a little more power, which seems unlikely, or it could be a supercharged motor, which makes more sense. Still, we think the most likely scenario is a pair of turbochargers and near 1,000 hp. Hopefully, Ford will break its official silence on the matter soon and reveal what the Megazilla crate engine will include and what it will do, but either way, it's encouraging to see that the Blue Oval is still developing new V8s and keeping older ones alive in both trucks and sports cars.