(Updated February 2020) The practice of engine swapping is nothing new, and dates back to a time when materials like rich mahogany and canvas were regulars amongst the automotive design arsenal.

Half the crowd cheers, half winces — and both sides have a point.

Ford introduced the EcoBoost engine for the 2010 model year, and while the idea of a turbocharged engine and direct injection fuel delivery was not new, it brought a breath of fresh air to the scene.

At this point, mixing and matching the Big Three U.S. auto manufacturers' V-8 powerplants, both internally and across all brands of vehicles—engine-swapping, if you will—is a tried-and-true practice.

It’s tough to think of anything that says “hot rod” more than an engine swap. Since the very beginning, guys have yanked out old, slow engines and replaced them with the newer and faster variants.