Source: Ford
The team to watch over the next few years may not be the Cavs, the Pats, or the Cubs after all. In fact, it may not even be a sports team at all. It might be…Ford? Like a shrewd general manager rebuilding a team, Ford has spent the last few years looking at their roster, quietly making an addition here and an upgrade there, until they suddenly have a world-class lineup that puts everybody on notice – not only GM and Chrysler, but more recently, Ferrari and Porsche too.
Much of this performance push is the result of Ford’s turbocharged and highly versatile EcoBoost engines. Ford famously introduced the three-cylinder EcoBoost engine by bringing the engine block to the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show in a carry-on bag. The ingenious engines can be tuned for either economy or performance, with the same basic inline-four engine putting out 197 horsepower in the Fiesta ST, or 310 horsepower in the Mustang EcoBoost. The same V6 block that powers the 350 horsepower Taurus SHO is also found in the mighty all-new Ford GT, putting out a whopping 600 horsepower. Proving that power is no longer necessarily linked to displacement, here are 10 reasons why Ford’s performance line-up is world class in every way.
Source: Ford
10. Taurus SHO
Ford’s entry into the sport sedan segment is a revival of the legendary ’90s-era Taurus SHO nameplate. The original 1989 SHO (which stands for “Super High Output”) was a $20,000 sleeper car with a suspension designed by Ford’s elite SVT performance team, and could do 0-60 in under seven seconds, and put out 220 horsepower from its Yamaha-sourced V6. While Car & Driver billed the original as “The fastest four-door sedan you can buy for less than $50,000,” the 21st century SHO has some serious competition in the Chevrolet SS and Dodge Charger. Still, it has a 3.5 liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 that puts out 350 horsepower and a 0-60 time in the low-five second range. It may not be the fastest sedan anymore, but it’s still a serious performance contender.
Source: Ford
9. Ford Focus ST
It may not look like it, but the Focus ST is a true muscle car. With the turbocharged inline-four EcoBoost mated to a six-speed manual transmission and a brilliantly updated suspension, it puts 252 horsepower and a 0-60 time in the sub-seven second range. With these upgrades, Ford has taken a practical five-door hatch and turned it into a snarling over-powered track toy.
Source: Ford
8. Ford Mustang EcoBoost
In a move that made purists cringe, Ford not only put an four-cylinder turbo back into the Mustang, they priced it above the base-model V6. Resurrecting an unpopular idea from the ‘70s, Ford was determined to do things right this time, and astonishingly, this four-banger doesn’t disappoint. The Mustang EcoBoost is no slouch – with 310 horsepower launching the car 0-60 in 5.2 seconds with an automatic transmission, it’s proof that the four-cylinder has finally arrived in the muscle car world.
Source: Ford
7. Ford Fiesta ST
Ford performed a minor miracle in creating the Fiesta ST, an affordable performance car with universal appeal that’s beloved the world over. The mighty ST is a sub-$25,000 daily-driver with a 1.6 liter inline-four mated to a big turbo putting out 197 horsepower, a sweet-shifting six-speed manual transmission, and world-class handling that draws comparisons to the original BMW M3.
Source: Ford
6. 2014 Shelby Mustang GT500
This big Shelby may be last year’s model, but it will still hang with today’s best – and you can still buy one new. The outgoing Super-Snake packs a massive 660 horsepower V8 that was designed to take on the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. It may not have been a true Corvette-competitor, but with the latest Camaro Z/28 and Dodge Challenger Hellcat upping the muscle car ante, we can expect the next generation Shelby (set to be unveiled in 2016) to take performance to an even higher level.
Source: Ford
5. 2015 Mustang GT
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original ponycar, Ford released an all-new Mustang that finally lives up to the “Grand Touring” badge. With its big 5.0 liter V8 putting out 435 horsepower, and taking the car from 0-60 in the low four-second range, the ‘Stang finally has a thoroughly modern suspension to properly handle all that power. Now it its fifth decade, the Mustang is finally grown up and ready to take on all comers – even ones made outside Detroit.
Source: Ford
4. 2017 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
Although the fearsome and highly capable SVT Raptor is sitting out of Ford’s 2015-2016 line-ups, it will return as an all-new 2017 model that’s set to put its formidable former self to shame. The F-150-based beast will be significantly lighter thanks to a new all-aluminum body, and the old cast-iron 6.2 liter V6 will be replaced by a twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 – a move that Ford promises will best the outgoing model’s performance. The outgoing model became an instant off-roading legend, we have high hopes that the new one will be even better.
Source: Ford
3. 2016 Shelby GT350
It may look like a Mustang, but that’s where the similarities end. Sporting unique bodywork from the windshield forward, the GT350 is powered by the most powerful naturally-aspirated engine Ford has ever built: a race-inspired flat-plane crank V8 that revs at over 8000 RPM and is rumored to put out over 500 horsepower. Due out later this year, the Shelby GT350 is a track-day monster with its sights set on the Camaro Z/28.
Source: Ford
2. 2016 Shelby GT350R
Ford didn’t even give the GT350 time to hit showrooms before they took the insanity to the next level with the unveiling of the GT350R. A true street-legal racer, the R is lower, lighter and faster than the “base-model” GT350. Ford has taken away creature comforts like a radio, air conditioning, a rear seat, and even the spare tire, and added a revised aero body kit, carbon-fiber wheels, and a suspension specifically tuned for the track. Performance numbers for the GT350 haven’t been released yet – let alone the R, but the all-business R should make the snarling GT350 feel downright civilized.
Source: Ford
1. Ford GT
After releasing the best Mustang in decades to celebrate the nameplate’s 50th anniversary, Ford bested itself with the surprise release of the Ford GT. A spiritual successor to the iconic GT40 cars that won Le Mans from 1966-1969, The new GT is a mid-engine supercar powered by a twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 that puts out a screaming 600 horsepower, and is bred for the racetrack.
Alongside some classic big V8s, the versatile EcoBoost engines give Ford a serious performance edge. As a result, the folks at the Blue Oval have one of the most comprehensive performance car line-ups in the world, with models in every segment and price point that can blow the doors off of the competition.
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