If you’re like us, you’re absolutely enthralled by the power and potential of Ford’s new EcoBoost engines. Designed to deliver performance and fuel economy, EcoBoost engines are currently only offered as top-of-the-line engine options on many of Ford’s most expensive vehicles. Yet we have been holding out hope that Ford would eventually offer EcoBoost engines as a crate engine option for those of us who can’t afford a whole car, just for the engine within.

Today Ford Racing Performance Parts took the first step towards that path, announcing that for 2012 Ford Racing will offer a four-cylinder “Crate Engine Concept,” the first in a series of engines that will eventually offer EcoBoost engines as well.

Note; this is not an EcoBoost engine. Rather, it is a 2.0 liter naturally-aspirated engine offering direct injection, variable-valve timing, and between 140 and 170 horsepower, depending on which car it is in and how the engine is setup. So the new lineup of Ford Racing crate engines is off to a mild start.

But Ford explicity mentions that EcoBoost engines will eventually be part of this lineup as well, and will feature Ford’s plug-and-play system to allow these engines to drop into a wide variety of vehicles. This means the possibility of using Ford’s 1.6 liter, 2.0 liter, and 3.5 liter EcoBoost engines into Fox-body Mustangs and other classic Fords.

Also buried in the announcement was the availability of two new pushrood engines, a 500 horsepower pushrod 5.0 and the X427 based on the BOSS 351W pushrod engine. But we’re more excited about the future of EcoBoost engines to be honest. Full press release below.

Official Release

DEARBORN, Mich., December 9, 2011 – Part of the expanded crate engine lineup that Ford Racing Performance Parts has announced for 2012 includes a naturally aspirated, 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder “Crate Engine Concept.” This engine is the precursor for a range of production-based I-4 offerings.

With the introduction of several all-new B- and even C-Segment Ford cars and small utilities now powered by Ford’s latest global 2.0-liter I-4 engine architecture, Ford Racing will be making a variety of these new four-cylinder powertrains available to enthusiasts as part of its FRPP Crate Engine program.

The “Concept” that kicks off the I-4 lineup is a direct-injection, 2.0-liter engine that features independent variable valve timing and will be available in the spring of 2012. Other offerings will mirror the new line of powerful and technologically advanced engines in production Ford vehicles, including those with “EcoBoost™” turbocharging.

All engines will be available as “plug and play” kits that include the necessary interface components for proper installation. The range of applications for this new line of production-based I-4 crate engines is enormous – from race cars to street rods, kit cars to off-road buggies and even marine installations. The new four-cylinder lineup will form the widest range of production-based crate engines since the debut of FRPP’s successful 5.0 V-8 crate engine program.