EcoBoost F-150 To Run Baja 1000 This November


There are few races are grueling or as unforgiving as the Baja 1000. Racers from across the world gather in Baja, Mexico and race across the peninsula in cars, motorcycles, and of course, big-ass trucks. Two years ago, Ford took its then-new F-150 SVT Raptor to the Baja 1000 to show off its off-road capabilities. This year they return with the F-150, though the 6.2 liter V8 engine has been replaced by a 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6. Say what?

That is what Automobile Magazine reports. Ford is taking an unmodified 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6 engine and running it in the Baja 1000 to test its durability. Sounds like a good plan to drum up some publicity, though it could also backfire.

Ford faces an uphill battle convincing truck buyers that a twin-turbo V6 can take the place of their V8 engines. Truck buyers are naturally wary of a technologically advanced engine when most of them just want something simple with plenty of torque that can get the job done. Still, Ford has priced the EcoBoost F-150, the first rear-wheel drive application of an EcoBoost engine, to be very competitive with Ford’s own engines and the competition. In fact, the EcoBoost V6 makes 420 ft-lbs of torque, which is more torque than Chevy, Dodge, or Toyota’s V8 engines.

So confident are they in the durability of this engine, that Ford is placing it in a modified F-150 to take part in the Baja 1000. This race demands the most from driver and vehicle alike, and Ford apparently selected an EcoBoost V6 at random from the assembly line for this task. While the engine itself is unmodified, the truck certainly is, and many of the trucks in the F-150’s class will outpower the EcoBoost. This isn’t about winning though; it’s about durability.

To that end, Ford is taking another EcoBoost F-150 to Oregon to work as a log skidder, and then down to Miami to tow two Sprint Cup cars around a track for 24 hours straight. If the truck survives, the engine will be torn down to see how it held up. Pretty brutal, don’t you agree?

About the author

Chris Demorro

Christopher DeMorro is a freelance writer and journalist from Connecticut with two passions in life; writing and anything with an engine.
Read My Articles

Blue Oval Muscle in your inbox.

Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from FordMuscle, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE!

Free WordPress Themes
FordMuscle NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

Ford Muscle - The Ultimate Ford Mustang Magazine

FordMuscle

We'll send you the most interesting FordMuscle articles, news, car features, and videos every week.

Ford Muscle - The Ultimate Ford Mustang Magazine

FordMuscle NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

Ford Muscle - The Ultimate Ford Mustang Magazine

Ford Muscle

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...


Muscle Car & Hot Rods
Muscle Car & Hot Rods
Drag Racing
Drag Racing

Ford Muscle - The Ultimate Ford Mustang Magazine

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...

  • Muscle Car & Hot Rods Muscle Car & Hot Rods
  • Drag Racing Drag Racing

Ford Muscle - The Ultimate Ford Mustang Magazine

Ford Muscle

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Ford Muscle - The Ultimate Ford Mustang Magazine

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Loading