With all the focus on fuel economy these days, it can be easy to dismiss certain engines as being without any performance potential. But such short-shortsightedness misses the fact that today’s engines, especially the turbocharged ones in Ford’s EcoBoost lineup, are technological marvels. A little bit of tuning goes a long way with these modern motors.

We can think of no better example than Ford’s new 1.0 liter, 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine. On the surface, this 123 horsepower engine seems all but useless to performance fiends like ourselves. But as EVO magazine found out, a simple $737 ECU reflash can add a whole lotta whoopass to this fuel-sipping three-banger.

Rated at the factory with either 99 or 123 horsepower, the new 1.0 liter EcoBoost engine is being installed in Ford’s European Focus and Fiesta models. This engine is slated to come to the U.S. sometime next year, but it is already on sale in Europe. While it can return up to the mid-40s for gas mileage, it isn’t exactly peppy, boasting just 125 ft-lbs of torque.

But a new Superchips reflash of the ECU, which comes with a 12-month/30,000 mile warranty, ups the horsepower by 22 horsepower, an almost 20% increase. The real increase though comes in torque, which gains 42 ft-lbs for a total of 167, nearly on par with Ford’s own 1.6 liter, 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine that debuts this year in the 2013 Ford Fusion.

Believe it or not, this Superchips tune gives the 1.0 liter EcoBoost a power horsepower-per-liter rating than even the venerable Bugatti Veyron, while still returning awesome fuel economy. This is the future friends, you better get ready for it.