EcoBoost Formula Ford & Caterham: driving test and video
Posted on 26-05-2014 at 16:00 by CasperH – 34 Comments”
How to make a tiny three-cylinder interesting? Ford gave two EcoBoost 1.0 blocks to the department of Crazy Projects and invited us to their hermetically sealed test location.
[ First look, then read? Watch the video HERE! ]
Let’s start with that block to explain: the 1.0 liter EcoBoost is in the Netherlands to get in the Fiesta, Focus and C-Max with 100 or 125 hp. Nothing wrong with that if you every day to work want to come with a roof over your head and like a low tax have because you’re an ultra-Hollander’re not too much CO2 will emit because you care so much about the environment. The 1.0 EcoBoost is already not a bad engine, as was Wouter was in the Focus 1.0 EcoBoost, but really exciting, it is also not natural.
Is it possible that a car exciting is with a block that consists of three cans of soda? That is the question one of themselves to Ford. There are a number of things that contribute to driving pleasure and the main two are: power and weight. If you are not a lot of power at your disposal, you need to looking for compensation by weight overboard to throw. The results of these efforts, we will today at the Lommel Proving Ground in Belgium to the tooth feel. In this hermetically from the outside world in a closed area 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, and test drivers with future and current models of Ford 85 kilometres userdefined roads in all shapes and sizes. A part of the area is closed for our test drives today.
A first possibility for the application of the 1.0 EcoBoost on a car with little weight were seen in the already existing cooperation with Caterham. That produced the famous Seven with a 1.6 liter Ford, but the small 1.0 small block with turbo is also fine, you would think. Not completely true, the hood had to be raised to the compact but high block well. Eennmaal fit is the block good for 140 hp and 200 Nm of torque, according to the engineer, in addition to this Caterham. The hp/weight ratio with a weight of 588 pounds of thick 210 hp per ton. That is more than enough for a healthy dose of fun. If the sprinttijd of 0-100 in six seconds, that does not confirm, then do the driving.
Before we drive we must, however, first, some awkward issues to overcome. The chair is as far as possible backward and the steering wheel is on the passenger seat, but it still costs me with my 1.85 m struggling to find myself in the cabin to squeeze. After securing the wheel, it strikes me that that is literally between my knees. The space for my feet, size 44,5 is very tight, and be careful that I but one pedal at a time use. Shifting with the left is also new for me, but I practice the pattern for a moment while I’m standing still and I must admit that even now is already pretty easy seems to work. But enough complaining, this is not a comfortable car, this is light weight and pure driving. I start the engine and engage first gear with the short pookje. First, we create some shots where I’m behind the camera-car aanrijd. To the right, steering is reasonable because it is something out of space, thanks to the lack of a side door, but to the left I can with my leg has nowhere to go thanks to the high centre console. That gives you just don’t drive for problems, but I am afraid that the later problems will worry if I’m upset, it must absorb. There is a windshield in front of my nose, but in corners, spray the rechtervoorwiel of this right controlled caterham really each tile that it can find right in my face. When I get out after a few laps the front passenger seat is also full of small stones, to wear a helmet can really do no wrong in this car.
After cameraman Rob his shots, I go apart; a round on this simulated mountain road. My fear for the counter-clockwise steering appears not to be unfounded, a quick fix should I do with my left hand to the steering wheel let go because otherwise I do not pass my knee. It’s going to be happy just good but a well-trained right arm is not a crazy option for the larger Caterhamrijder. Furthermore, it is one and all kind of fun: send in the Caterham superdirect, then tap the apex and your right foot back to push down to the corner with a big rush to leave. Electronic aids are of course in this lightweight funcar so you have to be a little careful, but with a trained right foot, you can be damn fast from corner to corner. But suppose, you have a big piece of asphalt and some pawns to make a circuit to convert. There’s a lot of grip, but the thrill of control with your accelerator pedal is a trick that is really fun to practice. It starts the same: braking hard, wait until your inner front wheel to the apex touch, and then something more fanatical on the gas. Then you send it with the gas pedal left. You are a bit too slow with the catch of upset than to punish the Caterham you mercilessly and you are standing backwards. A lack of talent, and the will to make a long drift, made sure that me that a couple of times it happened. However, once you understand that you don’t endlessly have to like drifting, but the surplus of power and torque only needs to use it for a subtle glijdertje the bend, then the reward is enormous. This is fantastic fun, and I am inclined Ford a “mission accomplished”, then I realize, however, that there is still something spectaculairders ready.
7:22. That is the time that this Formula Ford with the 1.0 EcoBoost block on the Nürburgring knew how to convert. Faster than a Ferrari Enzo or Lamborghini Aventador. Also, with less comfort, but that we take for granted. The EcoBoost is in this case equipped with a slightly bigger turbo and therefore pumps the block 205 hp to the rear wheels. And that in a car with a weight of 495 pounds, so the hp/weight ratio is almost twice as heavy as in the Caterham: thick 410 hp per ton. After I put myself in the cockpit have gewurmd and the handlebars have snapped tells an engineer to me that I don’t love the sequential gearbox. Ferme blows, switch to your pull and down by the lever of your print. Fortunately this just with my right hand this time. I use it dry, get an approving nod, turn the N of neutral and press the start button. Start the engine and I fear equally the sound. Damn, that doesn’t sound very subtle.
With a jerk I turn off the first gear and I release the clutch. Fortunately, no need to do that but once because not only is the space around the pedals are tiny, the operation is also loeizwaar. Once rolling, I notice quickly that the block of rows you want: to spite and deny I roll in the garage. It is now well start to rain so I start with a few straight runs on the huge piece of asphalt where the circuit is turned off. Interestingly enough, I’m better in the Formula Ford than in the Caterham and I’m even drier due to the more closed cockpit. The only thing really uncomfortable is the battery just under my upper legs and pretty hot. A grouser that note, with an acceleration of 0-100 in 4 seconds, this must be quite an experience. I hit the gas and I hear how behind me, everything starts to life. A bizarre aanzuiggeluid and a dark grunt of the block, drown out everything if I have the gas press. A tug on the lever, second gear, still a jerk, third gear, I see two curtains of spray left and right, this is bizarre! I let go of the gas, hear the turbo blow off, turn around and do the same again. And one more time. Full throttle is scary in this car, but so much fun. I decide the circuit to search for and what to go round in circles. The grip seems endless in this car, I have more of a grip on this wet asphalt than on dry with my own car. A long bend to the right and I decide to gripgrens to exceed, I’m building my speed way too fast on the car, pastes, and stick to it, the grip is so great that I feel that my upper body against the inside of the bodywork is pressed, but still, I notice no wheel spin. Holy shit! I decide a round later to try, same result, attempt three is successful: the rear is somewhat wide but it is actually very easy to catch. Drifting is not an option, but that is also not to be in a überkart like this.
The Formula Ford Ecoboost 1.0 is equipped with lights, turn signals, fenders and some other gimmicks that make this car straatlegaal is (in England anyway). D us, we also drive some laps on the simulated public road, where we had previously with the Caterham reason. Comfort is not there, but that has mainly to do with the lack of a chair, I’m now simply on a kind of pre-moulded part of the base plate, with a vierpuntsharnas that me in my place. With a little bit of leather and some foam, it is already a very different story I think, and although it would be technically impossible to prove, I would still agree with this rock hard thing. Really, Nicholas, I don’t make jokes: I want such a thing. And the other thing is that Caterham is a fun alternative, but with a slightly nicer cabin, please!
Conclusion: less weight makes cars more fun. Of course, it is provisionally not possible for cars to build, with a weight of less than 600 pounds without a huge having to compromise on the comfort, but still: less is more, and weight-saving materials, we will be happy more in the future. Still not enough image after seeing the video? Check out the megagallery below, with thanks to photographer Louis Blom.
Gallery: Caterham Seven and Formula Ford 1.0 EcoBoost
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