This little coupe might look old, but it's an all-new car, with a new old stock body, new suspension and interior bits. What's most intriguing is what's going on under the skin though. Up front is the first front-to-back application of Ford's EcoBoost engine lineup. It's a 3.5 liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost unit developing 400 HP, 400 lb-ft of torque and, here's the tricky part, mated to an engine plate adapter and then hooked to a Tremec TKO five-speed manual transmission. Very nice. We're thinking those little goodies need to make it into the Ford Racing catalog pronto. Detroit Street Rods did a fine job putting this little gem together.

The so-far littlest turbo engine that could will be heading to European stables in the also announced C-Max and Grand C-Max, doing duty as the replacement for larger four-cylinder engines. At a projected 180 HP and 170 lb-ft of torque from 1500 RPM, the new motor will be elbowing into 2.0 liter territory with a supposedly 20% improvement in fuel economy. Like other Ecoboost engines, it does this with a combination of direct-injection, a turbo, coil-on-plug ignition, independent variable cam timing for both intake and exhaust. No, it probably won't be bright blue when it heads to production.

We knew the engine was already in development, as a 1.6 liter version was displayed in the Lincoln C Concept from the Detroit Auto Show, but that only made 180 HP and 180 lb-ft of torque, the production version will apparently be getting significantly more grunt. With 230 HP and 240 lb-ft of torque it really is making V6 power in a 2.0 liter four-cylinder package, and if it makes good on the promise of improved fuel economy, so much the better. Ford's hinting that the engine isn't necessarily debuting in a car, which means it might make its way into something like the Escape or next-generation Ranger. [Edmunds Straightline]

Photo Credit: Bryan Mitchell/Getty Image

355 HP from a 3.5 liter twin turbocharged V6 is nothing to sneeze at, but we've never really heard verified quarter mile times for either the Lincoln MKS or Ford Flex, so we jumped at the chance to run them at Milan Dragway when Ford called us up. After all, big talk about stuff like "fuel economy" and "V8-like performance" isn't squat unless the cars can turn in the numbers. Although we've already driven the Lincoln MKS EcoBoost, we've yet to drive the similarly ecoboosted Ford Flex. We weren't allowed behind the wheel this time either, but we did get to watch as Ford engineers peeled out from the starting tree.

So we hit the "Test and Tune" night at the Dragway, better known as "run whatcha brung." The gates open at 5:00 pm and through them pour a wide spectrum of vehicles, everything from clapped together hoopties we're pretty sure tech looked the other way on to drag rails to snowmobiles. Yes, they race snowmobiles, nine second, 130 MPH snowmobiles. So when three MKS and a Ford Flex showed up, let's just say the crowd didn't exactly go wild. Once we popped the hoods though, those in the know crowded around the cars. "Yes, it's the SHO powertrain" was very often repeated.

And then over the loudspeaker "All street tire cars proceed to the staging area." We were up. It's a very strange thing to stage a quiet, luxurious, $48,000 Lincoln next to snarling, barely-road legal Mustangs and GTO's, but we made our way to the front of the line. We lined up at the lights, windows up, air conditioning off, traction control disabled, brake stand, revs at 3000 rpm and green! The unassumingly Lincoln then proceeded to return a 14.1 second quarter mile with a trap speed of 104.4 MPH. When we parked, there were quite a few more people interested in what was under the hood. Ours wasn't even the fastest time of the evening. Later in the evening, when the temperature had dropped and the cars had cooled down, former Jalopnik hack and Car & Driver man about town Mike Austin managed a 13.9 second run at 104 MPH. Yes, that's right — you can buy a 13 second Lincoln.

But what about that EcoBoost Flex? Well, despite all our ribbing and negotiating, Ford wouldn't let us behind the wheel, but that didn't stop them from having a good 'ole time of it. Would you believe the Flex, with all of it's 4500 lbs of heft and the aerodynamics of a brick wall managed a 14.5 second run at 98 MPH? Turns out 355 HP and a torque curve as flat as Iowa can really wake up a car's performance.

Here's the thing about both of these cars — they were running consistently all night long. If you want to be a bracket racing hero and take the kids out to soccer practice the next day, the Flex will do 14.5 s at 95 to 98 MPH run after run after run. Same with the MKS, speeds were in the 103 to 104 MPH range and we picked up 1/10 of a second for each 5 degrees the temperature dropped, 14.1 to 13.9 as the night grew cooler.

Someone should really tell Ford they need this setup in the Mustang.

If ever there was a Lincoln we could call "hot rod, " this is it, but not in the way you might imagine. The MKS with EcoBoost boasts the same interior refinement and space, amenities and electronic wizardry, pleasant road manners and a price point starting at $47,760 — about ten grand more than the base MKS, but only about $4,000 more than an equivalently-optioned non-EcoBoost MKS. For that added price, you'll get some tasteful upgrades to the already handsome exterior with a subtle lip spoiler at the back, smoked headlights, a chin spoiler and nice wheels.

That sweet twin-turbo V6 moves this thing off the line like a scalded monkey and the transmission stays out of your way when you want it to. The first time you smash the happy pedal and get that whoosh of power you know this is a velvet hammer. Accelerating all the way up to the car's tire-limited 135 MPH top speed is effortless, with the engine providing no hint of protest. Loping along at that speed, burning fossil fuels at 9.5 MPG, it feels planted, with the only drama of speed communicated through the windows. Even at this speed, it's silent as a coffin and steady as a rock. But when you then start exploring the other car's other limits, your brow begins to furl.

Toss it hard into a sweeping corner and accelerate, it's balanced with a hint of understeer, but while the tires aren't protesting the chassis is. It feels... unsettled. You feel as if you're about to oversteer even if the car's understeering. Drop down from a panic stop and the ABS calibration is absolutely perfect, no pulsation, no loss of traction and you're stopping so hard the car leaves behind two perfect tire tracks and a breeze of sublimated rubber blows by as you come to a halt. But the pedal is mushy, there's no real feel in it and the travel before it engages is too long.

We really wanted this car to be an 550i fighter, but it isn't. It's a very big car with a very bad-ass engine which doesn't quite tackle corners with the aplomb we'd like. Don't get us wrong here, it does everything very well. The powertrain is perfect for the segment — fast when you want it fast, quiet when you want it to be quiet and loud when you want it to be loud. It tackles corners respectably and the brakes do their thing, but it doesn't feel right. The MKS is super fun in a straight line, and delightful in the corners to about 80%, but after that it gets spooky, and that final 20% is what makes legends. Which this MKS sadly isn't. But, what it does mean is there's hope that the Taurus SHO and the expected lower weight, suspension tuning and 10 more ponies we'll be seeing later this year will show us the final 20% we're looking for.

The new MKT presents us with a tremendous decision to make. We're bound by the car-guy creed to hate all things "crossover" and love all things "awesome wagon," so naturally the MKT, like the Ford Flex upon which it's based, makes it difficult to draw a bead on where our preformed opinions should lie. We like the Flex, but the combination of too-small back seats and a relatively dear pricetag make it a tough proposition as a middle-class family standard. The MKT has its sights firmly set on a higher class of customer.

The MKT ups the fancy quotient in a number of ways, first and foremost is the inclusion of Ford's much anticipated TwinForce EcoBoost twin-turbocharged direct-injection V6, the same high-end motor in the Lincoln MKS and the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO and hopefully in everything else Ford makes pretty soon. It offers better fuel economy, a mesa-flat torque curve and a much higher hell-yeah quotient than the base model 3.7 Duratec which we found profoundly adequate and nothing more.

The other avenue of differentiation is the styling, it's received a thorough revision inside and out. Since Lincoln is Ford's top-shelf brand, the car is predictably pulling from the parts bin marked "expensive." The body has so far been one of the most controversial pieces of the MKT. As opposed to the Flex's super-sized Mini Clubman form, the MKT goes about things with the nose coined on the MKS flowing to a bustle-back hiney. We'll be the first to say the shape doesn't translate well to photography. We like it, but we like wagons. The front is perhaps the toughest part to get on-board with, it's a little buck toothed, but it's handsome in person, try it in white.

The interior will be less polarizing. The various woods are flawless, the gadget load is heavy and the leather is supple. Other cars offer all the stuff this Lincoln does, but not all at once and definitely not with the same level of integration with the flowing shapes. It's gadget-heavy with Sirius Travelink, Bluetooth, power-whatever-you-want, acres of skylight, heated and cooled seats front and rear and the list goes on.The second row is akin to any first class airliner, especially with the optional mini-fridge/freezer. If there's any chink in the MKT's armor it's a third row that's still too small. Legroom isn't so much the problem as it is headroom. At six feet tall, I found the ceiling to be about six inches too low. We will say the other amenities are top notch all the way back, not like some three-rows (we're looking at you, Mercedes R-Class).

But what about the drive? What about that EcoBoost? We have good news to report. This thing is a rocketship. The MKT launches hard off the line and you're bumping up against the 120 MPH speed limiter before you can say "EcoBooooooooooost!" It's been a long wait to get behind the wheel of an EcoBoosted car and the MKT was a strange pick for first ride, but man, this engine is a gem. Zero turbo lag. None. Instant power at any RPM as the torque curve basically goes flat from 800 RPM all the way to 5500 RPM, this thing is a monster of a V6. In cruise control at 65 MPH we observed about 24 MPG, which is pretty standard V6 performance, but keep in mind this is producing a very V8-like 355 HP. It'll also run happily on 87 octane because of the direct injection. We do have one complaint to make to Ford though. Where did you put the turbo whine? You have two turbos so there should be twice as much of that zesty whistle, and yet there is none. So sad.

When you're talking great engines from domestic automakers, they usually get paired with stinkers for transmissions. Not so here. The MKT gets a brand new six speed automatic with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters actually capable of doing their job as advertised. Pop it into manual mode and you hit the rev limiter and the gear selection stays put, not to say it's lightning fast on the change once you do tell it to swap cogs, but it is acceptable.

We hit the twisty stuff at Ford's Michigan Proving Grounds and, by golly, the MKT actually handles. Well even. Drop it into manual mode, pop it in third and it drives like it isn't a huge crossover. Even plowing it through rough roads and heaves the car is well behaved. Body roll and wheel control are surprisingly good, jounce and rebound are damped for a nice mix of smooth ride, and good road feedback. We might even say this traditional suspension is better behaved than GM's active system in the 2010 Cadillac SRX. And did we mention the EcoBoost? It powers the 4,924 lb car out of corners with real urge

With a price point somewhere in the neighborhood of $45,000 to $55,000 and a well equipped model coming in around $50k, it's placed pretty well in the luxury crossover/three-row SUV market. The MKT will also be available with the standard 3.7 liter V6, but there's no reason to buy it, the EcoBoost is worth the extra $3,005. So we're back to the initial problem, is it a crossover or a wagon? We're going to declare the Lincoln MKT a wagon, because doing so makes it okay to daydream about the torque curve and the fantastic interior. Now excuse us, we need to draw little hearts in our notebooks around the EcoBoost logo.

The new 3.5-Liter twin-turbocharged V6 EcoBoost engine takes the current Duratec 3.5-Liter V6 found in the Ford line and adds two turbochargers, direct injection and a host of upgraded parts needed to handle the newly achieved torque. As excited as we were about the prospect of 350 HP, as previously discussed, we're not upset Ford engineers found enough extra power to beat 100 HP-per-liter.

The two Honeywell GT15 turbochargers run provide up to 12 PSI of boost and, with parallel setup, reduce lag almost completely. The addition of a cam-driven fuel pump provides the high pressures necessary to pump fuel through the six injectors and into the cylinders. This combination provides a major increase in power with a 10-15% fuel-economy benefit over a comparable V8.

This new engine will be featured in the 2010 Ford Taurus, 2010 Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT.

ford’s new ecoboost technology at a glance

DEtroit, Jan. 11, 2009 – The first in a wave of new Ford EcoBoost™ engines makes its debut in the Lincoln MKS, MKT and Ford Flex later this year as part of Ford Motor Company’s global initiative to provide powertrains that deliver the fuel efficiency and power customers demand.

The twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 EcoBoost engine delivers the performance found in a normally aspirated V-8 while maintaining the fuel economy found in a normally aspirated V-6 engine.

A look at the highlights of the EcoBoost story:
• Power and fuel economy: The twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Duratec V-6 EcoBoost engine produces 355 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 350 ft.-lb. of torque at 3,500 rpm. A 10-15 percent fuel-economy benefit is expected versus normally aspirated 4.6-liter V-8 engines in the same competitive class.

“The beauty of EcoBoost is that it enables us to downsize for fuel efficiency, yet boost for power,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development. “We’re able to decrease the size of the available engine – such as installing a V-6 versus a 
V-8 – yet boost the power using turbocharging to deliver similar power and torque of that larger engine.”

• Engine: Base engine architecture comes from the proven Duratec 3.5-liter V-6. To handle the increased torque that EcoBoost delivers, some upgrades were made to some of the components, such as the cylinder block, crankshaft, connecting rods pistons and exhaust valves to ensure the EcoBoost V-6 engine is as robust as possible.

“The Duratec 3.5 family is a good example of Ford’s forward planning in terms of powertrain technologies,” said Brett Hinds, EcoBoost design manager. “The engine architecture itself was well protected for high-boost applications, so it didn’t require an extensive durability program. It was in good shape to start with.”

• Turbochargers: Two Honeywell GT15 turbochargers with water-cooled bearings and operate in parallel, spinning at approximately 170,000 rpm up to 12 PSI. They are rated for a 150,000-mile, 10-year life.

“We’ve tested the turbochargers at a much-higher duty cycle than a customer would ever experience,” said Keith Plagens, turbo systems engineer. “Our whole goal from the beginning was to make the operation of the turbochargers seamless, so the customer wouldn’t even know they were there.”

• Direct fuel injection: A cam-driven high-pressure fuel pump feeds the fuel injectors at pressures ranging from 200 to 2,175 PSI (pounds per square inch) depending on customer driving. A typical port fuel injection system operates at pressures of around 60 PSI. Six sprayers in each injector target fuel into the cylinder, resulting in a cleaner and more-efficient fuel burn and better cold-start emissions.

“By injecting the fuel directly into the combustion chamber and under high pressure, the fuel is sent exactly where we want it to be for a given combustion cycle,” said Joseph Basmaji, direct injection fuel system technical specialist. “This aids burning of fuel more efficiently and effectively.”

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: With diesel operating costs living in a world of pain these days and the price of entry for a diesel mill much higher to begin with, ethanol DI engines present an interesting alternative. Even though diesel is a perennial favorite with people who need to drag stuff around, it's quickly becoming a problem of economics. With the $700 premium for EcoBoost, and the projected cost for this system adding another $400, an $1100 gasoline option which is cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, and cleaner to operate may be a big draw — even if filling up the ethanol tank every couple months might get annoying. Test engines are set to run this year, but no word on a green light for production yet. [Pickuptrucks.com]

We met up with Patrick Hespen from SVT communications, who guided us through the rows of workbenches stacked high with engine parts from every imaginable engine product. Deep in the back was a set of parts which, when fully assembled, would form a production-intent twin-turbocharged, 340 HP, 340 lb-ft Ford EcoBoost engine. You know, the one they're touting as a V6 which delivers the power of a V8.

The beauty of the EcoBoost system is that it takes relatively few changes to go from a standard 3.5-liter V6 to a fire-breathing, twin-turbo monster developing peak torque at 1500 RPM. What it all boils down to is the combination of direct injection and two turbos. Those two main updates drive the smaller, but smartly executed, changes around them.

So, let's follow the fuel through the engine: The first difference the gas sees is the addition of a mechanically actuated, high-pressure fuel pump. The pump rides on top of the drivers' side cylinder bank and gets its motive power from a four-sided cam lobe, brilliantly added to the intake cam. The fuel then passes into a high-pressure (like 3000 PSI high) stainless-steel common fuel rail to which is mounted three injectors, one assembly per side. The injectors are mounted to the underside of the cylinder head and poke into the distal edge of the compression chamber.

Since the system direct-injects fuel into the chamber, games can be played with the actual flow of the spray. For instance, on start up, when the engine is cold and the catalysts aren't functioning, the engine injects a half-shot of fuel into chamber on the downward stroke of the intake cycle, then, as the piston comes back for ignition, a second half-shot is fired at the piston head. Notice the shape of top of the piston (sans the CNC'd EcoBoost logo): The little trough is designed specifically to ramp that secondary spray at the spark plug — the result is a locally rich mixture good for ignition, but a globally lean mixture, great for making heat fast.

As the spent fuel leaves the combustion chamber, it meets another innovative feature: a stainless steel, stamped and welded two-walled exhaust manifold. The manifold is much lighter than its cast counterparts, but more importantly, its insulative properties keep the exhaust hotter, transferring more energy directly to the turbo. Speaking of the turbo, surprisingly, when we get to the turbo we find nothing notably exciting. The impeller side of turbo itself is made of a high-nickel-content alloy good for an operating temperature up to 1750 degrees Fahrenheit. The compressor side, while rated up to 220,000 rpm maximum speed, isn't really all that different than the one found on every other turbo on the market.

Since the gas is spent, we're going to hop onto the intake air side now. That air gets compressed by the two turbos we just met, and then joins in a common tube. That tube has an electronic boost controller which dumps excess pressure electronically, instead of the "Fast and Furious" approved vacuum-driven blow-off valve. The air then makes it's way into an air-to-air intercooler, and the cooled air heads off to an all-new intake manifold, optimized for compact packaging and easy assembly. An interesting feature is the integration of the coolant pipe which runs under the whole length of the intake; it attaches at the rear to the coolant line in the valley and locates the thermostat and outlet for the heater core out of the way. Anyway, that air gets directed straight into the cylinders by valves enhanced with Inconel alloy for greater strength.

Because we're engine geeks, there are myriad little details and upgrades we could go on about, like the addition of piston head oil sprayers, used to keep the piston head cool by hitting the bottom side with oil, and how they're brilliantly integrated into the crankshaft bearing oil pocket. Or the million miles of durability testing the engine has already undergone. Or the crazy ability to retard the timing up to 20 degrees...but we won't. We're happy to sit back and let the pictures do the rest of the talking, eagerly awaiting the day we get to put that bonkers power curve to the test.