More V8s from Ford: News on Ford's third-coming turbocharged "Bobcat" V8

Although Ford has been fussing about their all-new EcoBoost 3.5L V6, that has 'V8 power, with V6 fuel economy', it seems now that the future for Ford engines comes through proper V8s! Following the news on Ford's new engines other than the amazing EcoBoost, Ford announced earlier this year, that they're coming up with an all-new 400 hp 5.0L 'Coyote' V8 that replaces the current 4.6 in the 2011 Mustang model year. As for truck engines, Ford got a patent for a turbocharged 6.7L 'Scorpion' V8, that works with petrol and diesel as well. Now though, more news come that Ford is preparing for a THIRD V8!

It's called the 'Bobcat'. Being developed in Dearborn, the Bobcat is a turbocharged 5.0L V8 that promises what the EcoBoost is doing now, 'proper V8 power, with V6 fuel-economy'. However, with the Bobcat, that aim is going to a lot harder on Ford.

The secret behind this engine, is a set of two direct-injections. One injection is responsible to port petrol for extra power. The other injector is used to feed a small amount of environmentally-friendly ethanol directly to the cylinders. The ethanol is used primarily for charge cooling, allowing the engine to run at higher boost and compression levels. It also allows the engine to run much leaner and calmer. Running lean causes higher combustion temperatures increases production of NOx. Ford has also been able to increase the Brake Mean Effective Pressure (BMEP) of the Bobcat from the standard 17 BAR to about 27 BAR.

That BMEP of 27 BAR, result that the Bobcat V8 can produce over 500 hp and 750 lb-ft of torque. That's the kind of numbers that are associated with big diesel engines like the 6.4L diesel currently offered in the Super Duty pickups. Nevertheless, because this is only a 5.0L in engine-displacement, runs on ethanol, and high BMEP, the Bobcat V8 actually produces monstrous amount of power, but fuel economy that is quite similar to the 3.5L EcoBoost V6, at around 25 mpg.

So the beauty of the Bobcat V8 isn't just about power. It's the harmony between pure power and fantastic fuel economy. With these V8s, from the Coyote, the Scorpion, and now the Bobcat, the future for Ford V8s seem very bright!

Source : [PickupTrucks]