Hot rodders have always lived by the motto "There's no replacement for displacement," indicating that the more cubic inches an engine has, the better the resulting performance. Ford Powertrain and Detroit Street Rods are out to prove that thinking out-of-date with their EcoBoost™-powered '34 Ford hot rod.
To be introduced at this year's Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show, the Ford hot rod will be the "first" rear-wheel-drive application of the 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 delivering an estimated 400 horsepower and 400 ft.-lb. of torque – power numbers that easily rival a typical hot rod's 302-cubic-inch V-8 or even a modern-day V-8 of similar size.
"EcoBoost technology shows that there is a viable replacement for displacement," said Dan Kapp, director of Ford Powertrain Research and Advanced Engineering, who will be part of a SEMA "Driving Green" technology briefing panel discussion during the show. "As consumers' demand for fuel efficiency continues to grow, and our commitment to delivering best-in-class fuel economy remains steadfast, it's important to show that performance does not need to suffer as a result."
"Hot rod builds provide blank canvases for SEMA member companies and SEMA is uniquely positioned to demonstrate that horsepower and green power can coexist without sacrificing performance or the cool factor," said John Waraniak, SEMA vice president of Vehicle Technology. "This '34 EcoBoost hot rod is a fantastic example of modern green technology being applied in a manner that any performance enthusiast would love."
The EcoBoost family of engines uses turbocharging and direct injection technology to deliver up to 20 percent better fuel economy and up to 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions versus larger-displacement engines.
"The beauty of EcoBoost is that it enables us to downsize for fuel efficiency, yet boost for power," said Kapp. "We're able to decrease the size of the available engine – such as installing a V-6 versus a V-8 – yet boost the power using turbocharging to deliver similar power and torque to that larger engine."
The first EcoBoost engine, a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6, launched this year on the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO and Flex and on the Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT. The EcoBoost V-6 produces 355 horsepower (365 hp in the Taurus SHO) and 350 ft.-lb. of torque.
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