I’ve been a busy, busy Fiend lately. Aside from hooning the delicious Covertte Convertible Z51, the good people at Ford had us up to the company’s Michigan Proving Ground to sample the much celebrated 3.5-liter twin-turbo Ecoboost engine in the 2010 MKS. The Blue Oval has spent a good amount of time pontificating on the mill’s attributes, the most important of which is V8 power with V6 fuel economy. Does the mill live up to the hype? Hop the jump to find out for yourself.

Ford calls its Ecoboost engines a “downsize solution” for both environmental and fuel concerns. For a company lodged in a segment that thrives on big, thirsty motors, that’s a bold statement. If you have the cash to spend, why pick a V6 over a V8? Eight-pots just seem to command an audience, where as their six-cylinder cousins are left to family sedans idling patiently in school parking lots across the nation. Ford’s hell bent on changing that perception, and we’re pretty sure it’ll only take six seconds behind the MKS’s Ecoboost-blessed wheel to get the job done.

Why six seconds? Because that’s about all it takes to launch the beefy all-wheel drive sedan to 60 mph. Despite its small displacement, Ford has managed wring 355 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque out of its new V6. Two small turbos work in conjunction with the direct-injection fuel system to essentially eliminate turbo lag. Plop your right foot on the skinny pedal and the engine instantly responds – delivering every last lb-ft of torque from just 1,500 rpm, and holding it all the way to 5,200. It’s eye-widening gusto at its best.

The engine delivers a sweet little growl at higher rpm, but you’d be hard pressed to know it was anything but naturally-aspirated go-go under the hood. There’s no whistle, whoosh or buzz usually associated with high-strung forced-induction motors, thanks partially to the amount of work Ford has put into keeping the MKS as quiet as can be. That may be a downer for folks wanting to hear exactly what it is that makes the sedan so damn fast, but Ford insists that’s because Lincoln buyers aren’t looking for a roaring powerplant. We hate it when they have a point.

Of course, the motor is as much about fuel economy as it is unholy performance. The EPA hasn’t had its grubby hands on the MKS Ecoboost long enough to come back with legitimate mileage predictions, but Ford’s hoping for a very conservative 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. Considering we saw 28 mpg while lapping the company’s high-speed test track, we wouldn’t be surprised to see those numbers climb skyward by the time the final verdict comes down.

Pages: 1 2