Blood Type Racing is returning to the SEMA Auto Show with a new creation. The noted tuner is mixing it up this year, ditching past automotive muses like the Hyundai Genesis Coupe and Ford Focus ST in favor of a Ford Edge ST. It’s a fitting challenge for Blood Type Racing; the Edge ST is the first SUV to come out of the Ford Performance team so, by default, it’s performance-ready on its own. But even that didn’t dissuade Blood Type Racing from going to work. The tuning specialist created an extensive program for the SUV, highlighted by an engine upgrade program that adds more power to a vehicle that already boasts an output of 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque to go with an ST-tuned suspension.

2018 Ford Edge ST by Blood Type Racing

Specifications
  • Make: Ford
  • Model: 2018 Ford Edge ST by Blood Type Racing
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: edge
Pros
Cons

Exterior

Before you get excited about what kind of engine upgrade program Blood Type Racing has for the Ford Edge ST, let’s establish the look of the SUV first. Not surprisingly, the tuner opted for a bombastic paint finish for the Edge ST, living up to the spectacle of its past creations. Graphic wraps from Chicago Auto Pros and a roof box were also thrown in. The result, well, speaks for itself.

On the more functional side, the Edge ST receives a custom splitter lip kit from Aerotekk Design, mud flaps from Rally Armor, and a rear bumper protector from Ford Accessories. It also sits on a set of 22-inch AMP F020 wheels wrapped in Toyo Tires' Proxes STIII tires, measuring 265/35-22. Put all these pieces together on the Edge ST, and the result is a far more intimidating SUV that looks ready to throw down the first change it gets.

Interior

A carbon fiber steering wheel. Let that sink in. The source of this incredible detail is SoCal Garage Works. I’d be good if that were the only aftermarket item in the interior, but in true Blood Type Racing fashion, the tuner isn’t settling for just a fancy steering wheel.

The SUV’s cargo area, for instance, comes with its own organizer and protector. A portable audio from Kicker Bullfrog is also available, and don’t sleep on the tablet cradle and cooler bag, too. They may be inconsequential throw-ins, but they have their specific purpose in this program. And of course, the coup de grâce — not really — of Blood Type Racing’s interior program for the Edge ST: the all-weather floor mats. Can’t leave home without them.

Drivetrain and Chassis

This is where Blood Type Racing’s tuning program for the Ford Edge ST gets really interesting. The tuner didn’t include a software upgrade in its program so throw that out of the equation. The Edge ST isn’t getting a power bump by way of a computer tune.

The first component is the tuner’s very own custom dual intake system, which is naturally designed to help boost power and performance. The second component is an intercooler that Blood Type Racing sourced from Mishimoto. The aftermarket intercooler is there to help cool the intake air on engines, particularly engines with a forced induction unit like, say, a turbocharger.

Unfortunately, neither Ford nor Blood Type Racing has announced the power gains from the Edge ST’s a 2.7-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 engine. We know that the unit produces 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque in a standard setup so if the tuner added a custom dual intake system and an intercooler into the equation, this particular Edge ST could be packing more punch than advertised. An MRT exhaust system would certainly come useful in that scenario. Oh, wait, the program comes with one, too. Let your imaginations take over, folks. Blood Type Racing’s tuned Ford Edge ST has more power than it’s letting on.

The addition of an air suspension system from Air Lift doesn’t answer our question about the SUV’s power, but the system is able to control the SUV’s ride height, presumably by a touch of a button in the interior. Looking at the picture shows the Edge ST sitting too close to the ground. That’s a by-product of the air suspension system’s place in this entire program.

Final Thoughts

Blood Type Racing’s Ford Edge ST showpiece is the sneaky program of the lot of five tuned SUVs that Ford is bringing to the SEMA Auto Show. On the surface, you can point to a lot of things about it that makes it a natural in the aftermarket spectacle that is SEMA. It looks the part of a heavily tuned model. It even dressed up like it’s ready for its public close-up in Las Vegas.

But the aesthetics only paint one part of the canvas. This Ford Edge ST comes with a modified engine with serious power and performance chops. We’re still in-the-dark on what the numbers are, but would you be surprised if this Ford Edge ST has a tuned 2.7-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 engine that produces close to 500 horsepower? None of us here would be.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Ford Edge ST.

Read our full review on the 2019 Ford Edge.

Read our full review on the 2015 Hyundai Genesis Coupe By Blood Type Racing.

Read our full review on the 2017 Ford Focus ST by Blood Type Racing.