Though Ford launched its EcoBoost line of engines with a twin-turbo V6 displacing 3.5 liters, the Blue Oval now has a wide range of EcoBoost engines as tiny as 1.0 liter. But just because its small doesn’t mean the 1.0 liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost can’t be a powerhouse in the right car, and Ford set out to prove that with the Formula Ford street-legal race car.
Though the Formula Ford racer has already been to Germany’s famed Nurburgring, Ford of Europe brought their sprightly little race car for the street back for another run at the North Loop, or Nordschleife as it is called in its native tongue. The video from Ford of Europe is a minute-and-a-half of low-displacement bliss.
Designed to compete in the entry-level Formula Ford racing series all over the world, this new EcoBoost rocket-ship does a lot with a very little engine. The rear-mounted 1.0 liter EcoBoost is tuned to deliver 200 horsepower, more than many engines twice its size. Weighing in at just around 1,000 pounds, this flyweight can rocket from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds, reaching a top speed of 157 mph.
In other “practical” Ford vehicles, like the 2014 Ford Fiesta, the 1.0 liter EcoBoost makes a more-pedestrian 123 horsepower. This little three-banger has proven incredibly versatile, which is why it won Engine of the Year two years in a row.
We know, it’s no muscle car, but it is street legal (headlights, turn signals, and side view mirrors were all it needed!) and by golly it looks like a lot of fun. Why did cars have to go and get so…huge? Imagine how much more fun the morning commute would be if we all drove these glorified go-karts to work every day?
If only gearheads ruled the world. Would you drive it on the street? Tell us in the comments below.