{"id":34328,"date":"2025-04-10T11:32:54","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T15:32:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=34328"},"modified":"2025-04-10T11:32:54","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T15:32:54","slug":"payne-burnin-rubber-in-the-loco-ford-maverick-lobo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/payne-burnin-rubber-in-the-loco-ford-maverick-lobo","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Burnin’ rubber in the loco Ford Maverick Lobo"},"content":{"rendered":"

San Diego, California<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Rounding the 180-degree, left-hand bend at the east end of Pechanga Arena\u2019s autocross course, I stabbed the throttle pedal of my 2025 Ford Maverick Lobo and twin clutch packs accelerated the pickup\u2019s outside rear wheel. SQUAAAWWWWWWWW! The tires squealed in protest as I drifted sideways through the next gate of pylons before flinging the wheel left to navigate the next right-hander. SQUAAAWWWWWWWW!<\/p>\n

Wait, what?!!! Payne, you\u2019re autocrossing a pickup truck? Have you lost your mind?!<\/em><\/p>\n

Sometimes a vehicle comes along that you covet even though it makes no rational sense. The wee Mazda Miata. Carbon-fiber Alfa Romeo 4C. Stainless-steel Tesla Cybertruck.<\/p>\n

Lobo is one of those vehicles. It\u2019s irresistible. Torque-vectoring. Lowered suspension. Turbofan wheels. Lobo loco.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

With its twin rear clutch packs throwing torque from wheel-to-wheel, you can really hang out the 2025 Ford Maverick Lobo tail.<\/em><\/div>\n
Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n

I imagine bringing it home and parking it in the garage.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Payne: You bought a pickup truck?<\/em><\/p>\n

Me: Not just any pickup, a Maverick Lobo! It has the Ford Focus R clutch packs and a lowered suspension. I put it in Lobo Mode and it\u2019s a riot around an autocross course.<\/em><\/p>\n

Mrs. Payne: You\u2019re going to autocross a pickup?<\/em><\/p>\n

Me: Yeah, isn\u2019t that cool! And we can use the bed to pick up the Christmas tree every December.<\/em><\/p>\n

Mrs. Payne: Have you lost your mind?!<\/em><\/p>\n

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Lobo gone loco. The 2025 Ford Maverick Lobo is a hoot on an autocross course with 250-horsepower, AWD, and tail-drifting Lobo mode.<\/em><\/div>\n
Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Ford has been making gotta-have-\u2018em hellions for as long as I can remember. The winged, cannon-exhaust, fenders-out-to-here Focus RS looked so evil that cops would ticket it when parked at the curb. My friend John got a 2007 Mustang GT500 with 500-horsepower and a manual gearbox even though he didn\u2019t know how to drive a stick. And the Fiesta ST made an affordable, sippy entry-level hatchback into a ferocious Rottweiler that dragged you on its leash to local autocrosses so you could chase Miatas up a tree.<\/p>\n

The Maverick Lobo is cut from the same cloth.<\/p>\n

Maverick debuted in 2022 as an insanely practical $21K hybrid pickup that drove like a Ford Escape while doing the daily chores of a Ranger and sipping 42 mpg around town. Dude. Maverick was so practical that it won back-to-back Detroit News Vehicle of the Year awards for its hybrid and Tremor off-road models.<\/p>\n