Ford GT Engine Shares '70 Percent' With F-150
Ford’s reborn GT promises to deliver breathtaking performance that should more than match its exotic styling. But don’t let that swanky bodywork fool you, this car shares more with an F-150 or Explorer than you might expect.
And surprisingly that similarity is found in the engine compartment. Unlike rival Lamborghinis or Ferraris, which typically have 10- or 12-cylinder powerplants this humble Ford is making do with a just half a dozen pots under its hood. The origins of this engine might surprise you.
SEE ALSO: Ford GT to Cost as Much as a Lamborghini Aventador
Well you shouldn’t get too upset because this powerplant will deliver more than 600 ponies (hopefully A LOT more). To achieve those inflated figures Pericak said, “We’ve got a different calibration strategy in there, we’ve got different turbo sizing and stuff like that,” but he wouldn’t go into greater detail than this because they’re “still in the engineering phase.” Presumably things could change between now and when the car goes on sale.
In addition to these enhancements this next-generation powerplant features low-friction roller-finger followers instead of the flat mechanical tappets found in today’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost unit. It also benefits from a unique fuel delivery system with both port and direct injectors. This is a technology Toyota has implemented for a number of years, particularly in its Lexus models.
SEE ALSO: Ford Performance Key to Better Mainstream Models
Proving the overall robustness of this powerplant the stock aluminum block is more than capable of handling the GT’s stable of horses. “It’s been proven out on the racetrack so it’s very durable,” said Pericak. In fact vehicles powered by this engine took home three wins in the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship last year. That includes a victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring and more than seven podium finishes. To date the blue oval’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine has proven itself by racking up more than 15,000 miles competing in endurance races.
With the engine in the new Ford GT is it a case of racing-grade hardware trickling down to the street or everyday components making their way into competition? Yes, yes indeed.
Discuss this story on our Ford Forum.
Born and raised in metro Detroit, Craig was steeped in mechanics from childhood. He feels as much at home with a wrench or welding gun in his hand as he does behind the wheel or in front of a camera. Putting his Bachelor's Degree in Journalism to good use, he's always pumping out videos, reviews, and features for AutoGuide.com. When the workday is over, he can be found out driving his fully restored 1936 Ford V8 sedan. Craig has covered the automotive industry full time for more than 10 years and is a member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).
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this engine has proven itself on the race track, solid motor.
A $400k car with a V6...I'm sorry but exotic car money needs an exotic car engine. The Flat Plane V8 in the upcoming GT350 with twin turbos would be much more interesting. I'm guess ing the call to run the eco boost is for homologation purposes for racing with the eco boost. Still for that kind of dough the Ferrari 488GTB and Aventador SV will be tough competition.