Ford Engineers Bring EcoBoost Lincoln MKS and Flex to Test & Tune Night

[deuceWI]

This is one of those re-posts from another board.

Jalopnik - EcoBoost Goes Drag: Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS Hit The Strip - Lincoln MKS EcoBoost (http://jalopnik.com/5264270/ecoboost-goes-drag-ford-flex-lincoln-mks-hit-the-strip)

EcoBoost looks pretty impressive. Here's hoping we get to see a decent SHO out of it.

[07ROUSHSTG3]

i can't wait to see the new SHO on the road. also the coyote and the ecoboost in the 2011 mustang will be HUGE!

[johnny--2k]

AWESOME!!! 13.9 out of the MKS is bad ass!

[Red97GTP]

Impressive times! I wish I still worked for Lincoln so I could take one of those MKS' out for a beat run!

[Prince Valiant]

Turns out 355 HP and a torque curve as flat as Iowa can really wake up a car's performance.

I hate it when writers mess up metaphors like this...I mean, Kansas is flat...not Iowa. There are quite a few hills in IA.

Looks like a decent engine...though I'm still skeptical that the mileage will be stellar.

[johnny--2k]

Well, considering a standard AWD MKS right now gets 16 and 23 MPG city/hwy and the eco-boost is supposed to net it the same MPG but with almost 100HP more I'd say that's pretty damn good. HWY mileage is supposed to increase by 1 or 2 MPG IIRC.

[Voodoo Chick]

Could one of you explain what "ecoboost" is?? I am unfamiliar.

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

Meh I always liked V8's, small engines that make alot of noise, decent power and get V8 like mileage are usually pretty short lived.

I wonder what Ford's going to do to keep the oil from turning to coal in short order in these engine's. I mean this is Ford I'm thinking pinto gas tank, 3.8 head gasket debacle and early/late? Taurus trans woes........

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

Could one of you explain what "ecoboost" is?? I am unfamiliar.

From what I can see, you get a tiny engine with a big HP number but the horsepower is only if you turn 20 or 10 pounds of boost pressure on, I guess Ford is using twin turbos. :rolf

[johnny--2k]

haha....pretty much. Twin Turbo 3.5L V6 with 355-365 HP and almost equal torque numbers. Mate that to a 6-speed auto and AWD for the MKS, Taurus (SHO), Flex, and more to come later on....

[Voodoo Chick]

From what I can see, you get a tiny engine with a big HP number but the horsepower is only if you turn 20 or 10 pounds of boost pressure on, I guess Ford is using twin turbos. :rolf


Hmmm.....sounds different. Thanks for the info! :)

[Prince Valiant]

Well, considering a standard AWD MKS right now gets 16 and 23 MPG city/hwy and the eco-boost is supposed to net it the same MPG but with almost 100HP more I'd say that's pretty damn good. HWY mileage is supposed to increase by 1 or 2 MPG IIRC.See, that's the thing. They advertise "fuel mileage of a v6, performance of a v8.'

Well, the performance is there...but say the fuel mileage stays the same for the AWD ecoboost v6 as the current v6 (as hyped). Well, that's the same mileage rating as the AWD v8 chrysler 300. We'll see...given that the cars will be every bit as heavy, and no net change to aerodynamics or rolling resistance as near as I can tell, I see no reason for any significant gains in mileage going to the ecoboost...and no doubt, it's far more expensive to manufacture (though probably not to develop) than a v8.


Could one of you explain what "ecoboost" is?? I am unfamiliar.

Bascially it's a high compression, direct-injected v6 with a pair of turbo's. Nothing otherwordly magical about it...and not ford's first effort at this either.

Recall the mazda CX7...direct injected 4 with a small turbo...supposed to be more fuel efficient than a v6, but it wasn't. Likewise, the acura RDX touted the same benefits, but real world testing and EPA numbers both contradicted it...both had decent performance, but really no fuel mileage improvement; if anything, worse city mileage than a v6.

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

Lets hope the execution is better than the 4-6-8 Caddy, I guess if it works for Ford they may have a weiner.
Ford is really claiming some impressive MPG numbers from the Fusion hybrid, sure hope things work out for them.

[BOSS LX]

I am just happy there is actually some hype about what an American car company is doing!

I think the ecoboost motors will be a success! I am looking forward to the 6.0's as well.

[deuceWI]

Recall the mazda CX7...direct injected 4 with a small turbo...supposed to be more fuel efficient than a v6, but it wasn't. Likewise, the acura RDX touted the same benefits, but real world testing and EPA numbers both contradicted it...both had decent performance, but really no fuel mileage improvement; if anything, worse city mileage than a v6.

Same powerplant in my Speed3, but a much better platform for a turbo 4 upgrade over the standard N/A 4 banger. I can squeak out around 30mpg on the highway with my 6 speed if I want to, but also have a pile more power on tap if I decide to mash my foot down from time to time. Watching the instantaneous digital MPG display when she hits boost can be funny, sometimes it's a game of how low can it go?

It a small truck / suv, it's bigger, heavier, less aerodynamic, and in those situations better off with a low revving V6 with guaranteed torque, not power force fed with a gas eating turbo.

I actually drove a CX7 as a rental once. What a waste of a perfectly good engine, shoving it in a fat suv shaped thing. It felt like a slug to drive. As a 4 Cyl upgrade it works, as a V6 replacement it doesn't.

Back to the EcoBoost. Seems like a good idea. 99% of Ford V6 powered cars won't ever get it, but it's a nice option to have available on the top of the options list. Most people will opt for the plain jane car for practical transportation anyway, but enthusiasts love their rare gems.

[Waver]

the eco boost is a very impressive engine, however I am waiting for the return of the 5.0 with over 400 hp in '11