Harry P. Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 Found on Fox News: Ford has announced plans to build the smallest production car engine in the company's history, a turbocharged 3-cylinder that promises to increase fuel economy while delivering the same or more power than larger four-cylinder engines it will replace. The 1-liter motor was first unveiled in concept form in the Ford Start show car at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show. Part of the automaker's EcoBoost line of powerplants, it combines a suite of high-tech features that includes turbocharging, direct fuel injection and variable valve timing to increase efficiency and power. Ford currently employs the same technology in a 3.5-liter V6 that is available in a number of its vehicles, including the Lincoln MKT and F-150 pickup truck, where it is positioned as fuel efficient alternative to 8-cylinder engines. According to Ford's Vice President of Global Powertrain Engineering, the three-cylinder is "one of the most technologically advanced and efficient engines" the company has ever designed. Further details will be revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, but the engine is widely expected to be in production by 2013 and will likely find its way under the hood of the Ford Fiesta, which currently uses a 120 hp 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine that gets up to 40 mpg highway.
ra7c7er Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 That's interesting. it's also interesting that they are planning to put a fuel efficient engine in a car that is already very fuel efficient. Seems like they are just going around in circles. Same with all the car companies though. Instead of making the the larger vehicles more fuel efficient they just continue to make the small already fuel efficient stuff more so.
Harry P. Posted June 4, 2011 Author Posted June 4, 2011 Hold on . . . That link is from FIVE years ago... Pontiac and Saturn don't even exist anymore!
LAone Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 took them long enough to use what they already have. am i correct when i say this. the v6's and 8's run on half of the cylinders at certain speeds right? and then the other half kicks in later to give it more "go" this is why they are fuel efficient right? i don't see why they didn't use a 4 banger with a turbo?? wouldn't that in theory give them more power and still get the "fuel efficiency" they are after?? i guess, since they have that mustang that kicks out 800HP and all those turbo diesels in their line, they need to show more of this^^
Harry P. Posted June 4, 2011 Author Posted June 4, 2011 That's interesting. it's also interesting that they are planning to put a fuel efficient engine in a car that is already very fuel efficient. Seems like they are just going around in circles. Same with all the car companies though. Instead of making the the larger vehicles more fuel efficient they just continue to make the small already fuel efficient stuff more so. They have to meet corporate average fuel standards... and it's a lot easier to make a small, light car fuel-efficient than it is to do it on a bigger, heavier car. A Lincoln with a 3-cylinder? How many consumers would buy that???
sak Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 (edited) Bout time. Always wondered why they can make 300+ horsepower from a 3 liter v6 but not 150 horsepower out from a 1 liter. Hopefully north americans will realize soon that 200+ horsepower is not nessesarry to propel a car and family to grocery store, soccer practice ect ect. Tremendous news for the auto industry in my opinion but there is another but I will begin a new thread for that. Edited June 4, 2011 by sak
ra7c7er Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 Hold on . . . I can see the convo at a car show now. Guy 1 - Just bought my first Corvette Guy 2 - Oh really which one is yours Guy 1 - The silver new one Guy 2 - You mean the Solstice, that's a Pontiac Guy 1 - No man the silver Corvette on the end Guy 2 - You mean the Opal GT? Guy 1 - No No No the silver Corvette look right here on the key fob C O R V E T T E Guy 2 - (walks back to his original 53 covette, laughing) You enjoy your Saturn Oh Chevy you really need to wake up. But the people the Corvette is marketed to will eat it up for the price.
ra7c7er Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 They have to meet corporate average fuel standards... and it's a lot easier to make a small, light car fuel-efficient than it is to do it on a bigger, heavier car. A Lincoln with a 3-cylinder? How many consumers would buy that??? I didn't say anything about putting a 3-cylinder in a Lincoln just saying they should work on making the least fuel efficient cars better than making already good cars better. Just another way to get around the rules.
Harry P. Posted June 4, 2011 Author Posted June 4, 2011 Sorry Harry. This is from two days ago . . . It doesn't say anything about a V6 Corvette in that story, only that the car will be "redesigned." ALL cars get redesigned all the time, so why is this "news?" I don't get how this applies to Ford's new small 3-cylinder engine...
Guest Johnny Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 Too bad they could not have used an AMERICAN made engine! Best mileage I ever had in a full size vehicle was 27mpg in a Custom Cruiser Olds Wagon with the 5.7 diesel!
diymirage Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 a 3 cilinder from ford ? i need to buy a smaller boat if im going to use that as an anchor
Greg Myers Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 It doesn't say anything about a V6 Corvette in that story, only that the car will be "redesigned." ALL cars get redesigned all the time, so why is this "news?" I don't get how this applies to Ford's new small 3-cylinder engine... Other manufactures are downsizing maybe? Sorry the blog was old. I did see the V-6 (downsized , Harry) in an article from Hemmings.
Harry P. Posted June 4, 2011 Author Posted June 4, 2011 Other manufactures are downsizing maybe? Sorry the blog was old. I did see the V-6 (downsized , Harry) in an article from Hemmings. I don't think the Corvette will be downsized... it's tiny already!
Harry P. Posted June 4, 2011 Author Posted June 4, 2011 Too bad they could not have used an AMERICAN made engine! It doesn't say anything anywhere about it not being an American made engine...
Greg Myers Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 I don't think the Corvette will be downsized... it's tiny already! The engine, V-6 < V-8 = smaller.
Harry P. Posted June 4, 2011 Author Posted June 4, 2011 The engine, V-6 < V-8 = smaller. Maybe. But that would totally change the Corvette "image," I don't think they'd ever offer a V6 Corvette. But who knows? It could happen, I guess, but it doesn't seem likely. I mean, nobody buys a Corvette because it's good on gas, that's not the appeal.
Rob Hall Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 It doesn't say anything about a V6 Corvette in that story, only that the car will be "redesigned." ALL cars get redesigned all the time, so why is this "news?" I don't get how this applies to Ford's new small 3-cylinder engine... Yes, the current Corvette is in it's 7th model year..definitely time for a new one. But it has absolutely nothing to do with a Ford 3cyl...a non-sequitor thread diversion?
Rob Hall Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 (edited) I assume Ford will use this engine in the Ka, Fiesta, the upcoming B-Max and probably also the Focus and C-Max in some markets... Edited June 4, 2011 by Rob Hall
Guest Johnny Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 Maybe. But that would totally change the Corvette "image," I don't think they'd ever offer a V6 Corvette. But who knows? It could happen, I guess, but it doesn't seem likely. I mean, nobody buys a Corvette because it's good on gas, that's not the appeal. That has been put on the table a few times but cooler heads have always prevailed and the idea shelved! But they have taken the dream away from the average kid like we had back in the day about owning a "Vette"! They became more of a status sybol and way out of reach price wise taking the older ones right along too! I had a 63 Coupe with FI and Knock off wheels that I bought for 3000 off the dealers lot in 1969! Look what one would pay now!!!
Harry P. Posted June 4, 2011 Author Posted June 4, 2011 That has been put on the table a few times but cooler heads have always prevailed and the idea shelved! But they have taken the dream away from the average kid like we had back in the day about owning a "Vette"! They became more of a status sybol and way out of reach price wise taking the older ones right along too! I had a 63 Coupe with FI and Knock off wheels that I bought for 3000 off the dealers lot in 1969! Look what one would pay now!!! Corvettes have always been premium priced, since day 1... they were never meant to be mass-market cars. I don't think the "average kid" could ever afford a new one, not then, not now. The one you bought was a used car, six years old when you bought it. The price you paid had nothing to do with the MSRP of the car when it was new.
Guest Johnny Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 Corvettes have always been premium priced, since day 1... they were never meant to be mass-market cars. I don't think the "average kid" could ever afford a new one, not then, not now. The one you bought was a used car, six years old when you bought it. The price you paid had nothing to do with the MSRP of the car when it was new. Actually the average kid could work for it and many did achieve their goal back in the early years!
Greg Myers Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 "Ford has announced plans to build the smallest production car engine in the company's history, a turbocharged 3-cylinder that promises to increase fuel economy while delivering the same or more power than larger four-cylinder engines it will replace." Others, as well as Ford, and rightly so, are looking to downsize with an eye to better gas mileage, with added benefits to performance due to weight loss, thus a reference to the Corvette, a popular car some here may be interested in.
Rob Hall Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 (edited) I don't know why a thread about a Ford engine turned into a Corvette thread, but some current rumors on GM blogs about the next gen Corvette are that it will still be a V8 only, but likely a smaller displacement (4.0 or 5.5 litres). Differing intel indicates that it will stay a pushrod design or that it may be a new twin turbo DOHC V8 (which seems unlikely). Edited June 4, 2011 by Rob Hall
Guest Johnny Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 GM should have kept the Geo motor around and expanded on it! A few years back when gas prices shot up those little thing all at once reappeared out of obscurity and were actually bringing hefty prices! Higher powered smaller engines. We have seen this before in the auto industry, but it always faded away rather quickly. But maybe the time has come that they will become the norm rather than the exception!
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