We'll admit it. When Ford announced that it was fitting a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine to its Focus, we had our doubts.
A 1000cc engine in a car which weighs well over a tonne sounded like a recipe for disaster; after all, the old 1.4-litre Focus was hardly a Bugatti Veyron.
However, Ford proved the doubters wrong. The EcoBoost is a cracking engine and the 1.0-litre Focus is a good car; however, just to reemphasise how wrong we were, Ford have been showing off.
11th-fastest lap-time round the Nurburgring
They've slotted the 1.0-litre engine into one of their Formula Ford cars and, in doing so, have managed to set the eleventh fastest lap-time ever around the Nurburgring.
The Formula Ford car lapped the fearsome German circuit in a scarcely believable 7 minutes, 22 seconds. That's faster than a Ferrari Enzo, a Lambo Aventador and a Zonda.
Performance Figures for the Formula Ford 1.0 EcoBoost
It can hit 62mph in less than four seconds and has an unofficial top speed of 158mph. Despite this, however, it will return 118mpg at 35mph and 57mpg at 75mph.
"This little engine has people rubbing their eyes in disbelief," said Nick Tandy, the racing driver who lapped the EcoBoost. "It's simply astonishing that a 3-cylinder, one-litre engine can deliver that kind of performance."
The 'road-legal' Formula Ford 1.0 EcoBoost
Of course, you might argue that it's unfair comparing the EcoBoost to the Zonda -- after all, a road car is never going to be as fast around a race track as a pure racing car. Not so, as the Formula Ford EcoBoost is fully road-legal.
However, while it might be legal to take it on the streets, this doesn't mean you can. The EcoBoost racer is a one-off and Ford has no plans to put it into production.
Formula Ford 1.0 EcoBoost - Video
Click on the image below to see a video of the Formula Ford EcoBoost (go to 2:35 to see it in action).
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