Three cylinder 1.0 liter baby Ford blows Lamborghini away!

A baby Ford in there

The International Engine of the Year 2012 is the Ford 1 liter EcoBoost, a very frugal three cylinder, turbocharged, direction injection petrol engine that returns fuel consumption figures of (unofficially) 2.4 liter per 100 km (118 mpg) at 56 km/h, and 5 liter per 100 km (57 mpg) at 120 km/h. That is impressive. But does this return lessen that neck-snapping performance?

So to show just what this engine can do, in the right hands and in the right chassis, Ford produced a unique Formula Ford race car powered by the tiny 1.0 liter EcoBoost petrol engine. This combination turned out supercar-beating performance at the legendary Nürburgring track in Germany, with the 11th fastest lap ever at the Nordschleife circuit - 7 minutes, 22 seconds - higher on the list than the 700 horsepower Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, the 660 horsepower Ferrari Enzo and the 602 horsepower Pagani Zonda. No other three- or even four-cylinder car has posted a faster time at the legendary circuit. (However, in defense of Lamborghini, Ferrari and Pagani, it should be pointed out that the special Ford probably weighed less than 600 kg and could only carry one person.)

“This little engine has people rubbing their eyes in disbelief,” said racing driver and course specialist Nick Tandy, 28, who completed the drive. “It’s simply astonishing that a 3-cylinder, one-liter engine can deliver that kind of performance.” It should also be remembered that performance depends upon both power and weight.

Ford engineers spent several months of work on the project to switch the Formula Ford’s usual 1.6 liter EcoBoost power unit with a specially tuned version of their 1.0 liter EcoBoost.

The project team also modified the vehicle so it would be fully street legal for on-road use by fitting it with wheel covers, front and rear lights and indicators, aerodynamically designed wing mirrors and a horn. The car was fitted with a 6-speed manual gearbox and was driven on road-legal tyres. It also had no roof or windscreen wipers!

The car’s (unofficial) top speed was 255.5 km/h (158.8 mph) with a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of less than four seconds. The vehicle completed the 20.832 km (12.94 mile) Nordschleife circuit at an average speed of 169 km/h (105 mph).

“We wanted to prove that size doesn’t matter by showing everyone what an amazingly capable engine we have developed in the 1.0-litre EcoBoost,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president of Marketing and Sales, Ford of Europe. “What better way than by beating some of the best supercars in the world on the Nordschleife, while using a fraction of the fuel.”

What the Lamborghini saw

Volt looking good Down-Under

Chevrolet Volt

General Motors Holden has received 900 expressions of interest from potential customers for its plug-in petrol-electric Volt that will go on sale in November.

The ANCAP (Australian New Car Assessment Program) safety rating is five stars, as good as you can get, and the fuel consumption is touted as 1.2 liters per 100 km on the combined test cycle, making it the most fuel-efficient petrol-electric car on the Australian market.

The problem to be overcome for GM is ‘range anxiety’ which potential purchasers are showing all over the world. “Will I be left stranded in the middle of the Friday afternoon rush our?” With the Volt having its own on-board charging system, this is not the case, as the Volt offers no-compromise motoring of up 600 km on a tank of petrol, while doing most of their daily travel on electricity alone.

The way it works is that unlike plug-in hybrid vehicles, the petrol engine in the Volt never connects directly with the drive wheels, which are propelled by two electric motors with a combined power of 111 kW and 370 m of torque.

The 16.5 kW/h lithium-ion battery can be fully charged from a 15 amp 240 volt socket in about four hours. Then, as the battery charge is depleted on a journey, the on-board 1.4 liter 63 kW petrol engine - a version of the four-cylinder engine in the Chevrolet Cruze - kicks in to generate electricity to continue the journey for a further 500 km or more, depending on the driving conditions. It is then expected that the daily commute will be all-electric, and there is no anxiety about range. In the US, where the Volt has been on sale for more than a year, many owners state they are not using any petrol in their daily commute.

The driver can select from normal, sports and hold driving modes, with the latter used on a long trip to manually start the petrol engine and maintain the battery charge instead of depleting the entire battery before the petrol engine-generator kicks in.

No official acceleration figures have been released, although it is said to be about 9.1 seconds for the 0-100 km/h.

Safety features include a collision warning system - using a video camera mounted behind the top of the windscreen - that activates above 40 km/h to mitigate against rear-end collisions.

Other high-tech safety features include lane-departure warning, tyre pressure readings, eight airbags and a “pedestrian-friendly alert” that beeps to warn walkers of the approach of the quiet Volt when running on battery alone.

The Australian version has leather heated seats, keyless entry and start, sat-nav, rear-view camera, audio system with DVD, voice recognition and iPod and Bluetooth phone connectivity as standard features.

Will we get the Volt here in Thailand? Somehow I doubt it, but with GM’s Chevrolet models doing very well in the marketplace, it might be worth having the Volt as a niche car, to outdo the hybrids from other manufacturers.

Chevrolet Volt rear view.

What did we learn from the Italian GP?

Well we learned that Sergio Perez (Sauber) really is a spectacular talent. We learned that Alonso (Ferrari) has become a ‘real person’ and we learned that it actually was possible for Maldonado to complete a race distance without hitting anybody! We also learned that The Finger (Vettel) is not averse to questionable tactics.

However, Hamilton (McLaren) was the worthy winner. Quickest through Qualifying, unbeaten for pole position and in command all the way to the chequered flag, though he did need to watch out for Perez after the Sauber driver relegated Alonso to third, coming from 12th on the grid to second in a storming drive. Hamilton’s McLaren team mate Jenson Button was running in a strong second place until the car stopped with fuel pressure problems. That also puts Button out of the running in the World Driver’s Championship.

Popular rumor has Perez going to Ferrari in 2013 to replace Massa, and they would certainly be on a winner. He is young enough and has the talent. Massa really has passed his ‘use-by’ date, and despite occasional flashes of his old self, he is no longer A Grade material. Ferrari did not really need to give Felipe coded messages to let Alonso by - Fernando could do it easily without team orders. Alonso has also won the hearts of the Tifosi and he played to the crowd from the podium. Great PR.

Kimi Raikkonen (“Lotus”) was in the event, even though the camera chaps missed him. A fifth was his reward, but it was difficult to comment on a driver we never saw! His team mate, the stand-in Jerome D’Ambrosio, was also running, but seen even less. At least he did not take out half the field on the first lap, so obviously listened carefully to the pre-race lecture from team boss Boullier.

Mercedes remains at the back of the first group, and remains a disappointment to many. Schumacher again out qualified Rosberg and finished higher and in sixth place. Other rumors have Rosberg out of the seat in 2013, if Schumacher decides to stay! Provided that Schumi is still enjoying himself, there is no need for him to leave. His PR image is much higher than Rosberg, who remains a quiet mouse (and who would not be missed). Other rumors have Hamilton joining Schumacher, but I believe that is just a leverage tool to get McLaren to agree with Hamilton’s desires (as well as a Pussycat Doll).

Red Bull had a weekend to forget. One alternator let go on Vettel’s Red Bull on the Saturday and the crew decided it was a defective alternator and just replaced it (despite the fact that two alternators had gone west during the year) and this one expired too. On the way to expiring, young Vettel decided to give Alonso the elbow through the 300 km/h Parabolica which was frowned upon by the Italian stewards and resulted in a drive-through penalty. If this had not been given, The Finger would have been lynched by the Tifosi after the race.

Mark Webber (Red Bull) has done it again - dropped the ball within sight of the try line. From being second in the championship a few weeks ago, and in a position where he should have been fighting tooth and nail for every point, he was back to “reverse” starts and lack-luster defense. A good driver, who unfortunately will never accomplish the goals that his talent was capable of.

Team Vindaloo needs to put a bit more fire in the curry to get their drivers further forward, with only Paul Di Resta (Italy’s favorite Scotsman after his uncle Dario Franchitti) scoring points. As a team they have performed well, but Vindaloo is not a stepping stone to the front of the grid.

The next race is Yawnapore under lights with go-go dancers on the main straight and singing budgies in the pits. Let us hope for a good motor race and forget the concerts!

Autotrivia quiz

Last week, I asked what car carried its own commuter bicycle beside the driver and passenger? It was the Zagato Z-Eco, based on the Fiat 500, with an electric bicycle alongside, which was kept charged up by the car. Novel, but Fiat didn’t want it, so it was consigned to the tip!
So to this week. What car was this? It had an under 10 horsepower, 346 cc Villiers twin engine. The engine drove only one back wheel. The body was plastic, so should have been indestructible. 20 cars were made as the pilot study, of which only two remain. There were problems with overheating and weak drive shafts. It was undesirable as well. So, what was this car?
For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected]