Spy shots of Ford's new "Coyote" V8

When Ford introduced the 2010 Mustang at the LA Auto Show in November, there was some disappointment expressed over the engine lineup. The V6 was unchanged and the 4.6L was only mildly tweaked. Ford officials strongly hinted that this was just the beginning and that the Mustang would follow the pattern of the 2008-9 Escape. In 2008the Escape got new bodywork and the following year the engines got a complete revamp.

Similarly, the Mustangs are expected to get heart transplants next year. It's still unclear what base engine will replace the old 4.0L V6 although a 2.0L EcoBoost four has been rumored. The 3.5L EcoBoost V6 is also expected to be an important part of the lineup. But the most die-hard Mustang fans only seem to care about V8s. A new 32-valve 5.0L is expected to replace the 4.6L and 5.4L V8s in the Mustang and the F-150. Unlike the 5.4L in the trucks, the new "Coyote" V8 uses a significantly lighter aluminum block, and based on the spy pics that have just turned up, it will also use an aluminum intake manifold in place of the plastic unit used on the current V8s. The Coyote should give the Mustang GT 400 hp to play with, putting it on par with the Camaro SS but at a lighter weight. Bring it on!

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

News concerning Ford's future engines, including the 5.0!

PickupTrucks.com is reporting that by the end of 2010, Ford will alter the three engine options that currently make up the engine choices in the F-150. What is coming in time for the 2011 model year will be a new 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and a 5.0-liter V8 code-named "Coyote."

Subbing the V6 EcoBoost for the V8 is about providing the same power with more efficiency. Said to be the premium engine for light-duty trucks, the direct-injection gas engine will offer something like 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque while carrying an EPA rating of "at least 23 miles-per-gallon on the highway." Those power numbers handily beat what you'll get from any of the current engines on offer, even though it's down two cylinders.

The "Coyote" 5.0-liter, modular, four-valve V8 will have "huge heads," and will return the same numbers as the V6: 400 hp and 400 lb-ft. This engine will become the standard F-150 lump, returning the same gas mileage as the current 5.4-liter but with much more power. This same engine will also reportedly find its way into the Mustang. That will leave the 6.2-liter V8 (the Boss) slated for the Raptor later this year as last engine choice (unless there's a 4-cylinder EcoBoost added in 2013), and it will go into special edition F-150s and the Super Duty trucks.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost

More power, coupled with more fuel economy. That's the simple premise behind Ford's EcoBoost engines. Few can argue with the concept, as it pretty much pleases everyone. Except those who yearn for the sound of a V-8, in this case.

Real truck owners need the towing power and the practicality of a truck. Not everyone can drive a small and economical car. Not to mention that small cars bring high insurance premiums with them, that all but relegate fuel costs when gas prices are as low as they are right now.

The obvious solution has been for automakers to put diesel engines in their trucks, but with diesel prices being roughly a dollar a gallon more than regular gas, the thinking has changed for now. Instead, Ford has been developing a direct injected, turbocharged V-6, targeted to be more powerful than a V-8 but return better gas mileage.

Such engines are cheaper to develop than diesels, and less than a $1000 more than the cost of a comparable V-8. That thousand bucks buys you more power, expected to top the targets of 340 horsepower and 340 pound-feet of torque from the 3.5-liter turbo V-6, compared with the 320 and 390 for today's 5.4-liter Triton V-8.

It will also return 15-20 percent better mileage, Ford engineers predict. That extrapolates to 16 mpg city/23 highway for the EcoBoost engine, compared with 13 and 18 for the V-8 today.

Towing and other hard work won't tax the EcoBoost engine, even though conventional wisdom would suggest that a smaller-displacement engine would have to work harder and that a turbocharged engine could be stressed by heavy loads. The direct injection of gasoline has the effect of cooling the combustion chamber, as the fuel absorbs heat when it evaporates. According to an engineer who is developing the EcoBoost F-150, "cooling has not been an issue."

One challenge will be the sound characteristics of a turbo six-cylinder, which will be different from the familiar mellow rumble of a V-8. The company is looking at solutions, including a simplified active sound-cancellation system that will mold the sound waves that emerge from the exhaust pipe, but without a complex closed-loop system using microphones to monitor and adapt to the sounds being produced. The system would instead use a simple data map to know what it should do under different circumstances.

EcoBoost-powered F-150s will arrive in showrooms in 2010 for the 2011 model year.

Ford hits 1 million miles on EcoBoost test engines

Word has recently come out of Dearborn that Ford has racked up over a million test miles on it's soon to be released EcoBoost engines, in combined real world driving and in lab testing.

So far, a group of EcoBoost engines have logged over 12,000 hours on the dyno which represents 500,000 miles of consumer driving, according to Ford. The engines have gone through 20 different tests at maximum loads and speeds to test the reliability during simulated real-world conditions. The engines endured a thousand cold starts and many wide open throttle runs to test their durability, and Ford believes they performed exceptionally well

"EcoBoost is undergoing the durability and reliability tests that we put all Ford engines through, and the performance we are seeing shows that the 3.5L EcoBoost engine is a high-quality, top-performing engine that meets or exceeds all our reliability targets and is deserving of Ford's five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty," said Ford's Advanced Engine Design and Development manager Brett Hinds.

Ford engineers have spent a great deal of time using computer models to simulate wear and tear on the engines and components, as well as model the exact operations of the twin turbos and direct injection to maximize efficiency.

"Because the 3.5L EcoBoost employs the latest in injection and turbocharger thermal management technologies, our tests have shown that we have effectively eliminated the legacy concerns sometimes associated with these systems, including high-mileage combustion deposits on the injectors and turbo bearing coking," said Hinds.

Out on the roads of the real world, Ford has been running a fleet of EcoBoosted Flexs and Lincoln MKS' at their Michigan Proving Grounds in Romeo, Michigan, performing on-road tests including towing tests to determine the new power plant's actual in-car performance.

Ford has also run them around at high altitude in Denver, through the Arizona deserts and in the deep south to test the engine's performance in extreme conditions. The test fleet racked up another 500,000 miles of driving, bringing the tests to over one million combined miles.

"With the extensive dynamometer and vehicle-level durability testing we are subjecting this engine to, we are confident that the 3.5L EcoBoost engine is going to further strengthen Ford Motor Company's reputation for delivering reliable, high-quality engines," said Hinds.

It's comforting to hear that Ford is doing it's homework and ensuring that the EcoBoosted engines will not only be powerful and efficient, but reliable as well.

Now let's take one for a test drive already!

Ford to charge $700 for EcoBoost option, F-150 to have 340+ horsepower

Image by Ford Motor Company via Flickr Ford will reportedly charge $700 for it's upcoming EcoBoost engines as an option on many of it's future vehicles when the engine goes on sale in 2009. The first of the EcoBoost engines will be a 3.5L V-6 that will first find its way into the 2010 Lincoln MKS sedan and the 2010 Ford Flex crossover.

A version of the engine is on it's way for the 2010 F-150 that will reportedly develop in excess of 340 hp and at least as much torque, easily besting the present the F150's 300 hp 5.4L V-8.

Ford is heavily promoting it's EcoBoost engines, which are turbocharged four and six cylinder engines, as an alternative to V8 power with much better gas mileage. Ford will use the increased efficiency of the smaller engines as an explanation of the increased premium in price.

Six cylinder EcoBoost engines will feature direct injection and twin turbos. The smaller four cylinders will use single turbos. The EcoBoost has produced a lot of positive PR for Ford, but we'll have to reserve judgement until they finally hit the road next year.

Check out AmericanTrucks.com and their line of Ford F150 Truck Parts.

Ford to delay the release of Fusion GT and F-100

In some more discouraging news to enthusiasts, Ford has recently decided to focus (no pun intended) all of it's efforts towards it's line of Ecoboost engines. This means a delay in two of the expected recipients of said turbocharged engines, the Fusion GT and F-100.

The F-100 is a downsized version of the company's F-150 pickup, which has been rumored to replace the Ranger. It was scheduled to debut in three years. As part of its restructuring efforts, Ford is looking to double its hybrid and four-cylinder engine production by as late as 2011 and is planning the introduction of a number of EcoBoost powered models beginning next spring.

Through the use of direct-injection and turbocharging, engineers claim the EcoBoost units produce fewer pollutants, achieve greater fuel efficiency figures and make enough power to rival bigger displacement (and gas guzzling) engines.

First to get an all-new EcoBoost powerplant will be the 2009 Lincoln MKS sedan when it hits U.S. showrooms next spring.

Ford's ultimate goal is to increase the efficiency of the F-150 to the point where it doesn't need to build the F-100. So for now the project remains on the back burner.

"We have no intention of giving up our leadership in trucks," Ford's global product development chief Derrick Kuzak told reporters. "Fuel economy (will be) a reason to buy -- no longer a reason to reject -- Ford vehicles."

Ford powertrain head barb Samardzich told company officials the shift from V-8s and V-6s to four-cylinder engines will be a top priority despite initial capacity restraints. "You are going to see more four-cylinder capacity," Fields said. "The key is having the flexibility to respond to the marketplace, whichever way it goes."

In other, related news, the planned Fusion GT is off until the vehicle's next interation in 2012. The biggest obstacle in producing the GT isn't the fact that Ford is afraid to introduce a new performance vehicle, but rather the fact that the company is trying to roll out the EcoBoost for the Lincoln MKS first. The original plan was to produce the GT as an end of production, limited volume performance car. It will be more of an image car for Ford.

Ford is also discussing the possible use of ethanol technology to double the efficiency of it's EcoBoost engines. Produced by Massachusetts company Ethanol Boosting Systems LLC., the system utilizes an additional ethanol tank that automatically injects a small amount of the alternative fuel into the car's gas tank. According to the manufacturer, the ethanol only has to be refilled every 5,000 miles and will add $300 to $400 to each EcoBoost engine -- two compromises Ford is excitedly willing to deal with if the system does what it claims to achieve.

Honeywell to provide turbo power for Ford's EcoBoost

With Ford's plans to provide more European offerings in it's lineups in the coming years, it is quickly moving to implement it's EcoBoost offerings in it's models.

EcoBoost relies on direct injection and turbocharging to develop similar power to a larger displacement engine with much improved fuel economy. The concept is actually an old one, and quite refreshing and cost effective compared to the other alternatives.

Ford has now announced that the turbos will be provided by Honeywell, the world's largest manufacturer of turbos. Offered as a premium engine option, the first EcoBoost will be a 3.5 liter direct injected twin turbo V-6. The engine will offer around 340 lb ft of torque, a minimum 30 lb ft increase over the current 4.6 liter V-8. It also represents a full 90 lb ft increase over the current 3.5.

The technology will debut in the new Lincoln MKS, which is a beautiful but underpowered entry level luxury car. Ford is proclaiming the MKS to be one of the most powerful and fuel efficient luxury cars on the market.

Ford's committment to EcoBoost will spread quickly, showing up in the Flex CUV in 2009 and the F-150 18 months later. It will eventually be spread across 23 nameplates by 2012.

Ford will continue to offer V-8 engines, and the EcoBoost offerings will fall in price below the V-8 and above standard V-6 offferings.