Ford has taken its 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine to the Nürburgring and blitzed the times of cars such as the Lamborghini Aventador and Ferrari Enzo.

Naturally enough, to complete a lap of the fearsome Nordschleife circuit in a time of 7 minutes 22 seconds, the three-cylinder unit was not mounted in its usual home of the Ford Focus. Instead the engine was fitted to a specially developed Formula Ford single-seater race car.

Of course setting the eleventh fastest time around the circuit - and thereby beating 600hp exotica - in a race car is not exactly difficult, which is why Ford went to great lengths to make this particular car (barely) street-legal with lights, indicators, mirrors, horn and treaded tyres. Ford also tuned the 1.0-litre EcoBoost to 205hp.

"This little engine has people rubbing their eyes in disbelief," said racing driver and course specialist Nick Tandy, 28, who completed the drive. "It's simply astonishing that a three-cylinder, one-litre engine can deliver that kind of performance."

Ford's figures suggest a top speed just shy of 160mph and a 0-62mph time of less than four seconds. While lapping faster than any three- or even four-cylinder vehicle has previously Ford also reckons that the specially designed car maintained an average speed of 105mph.

Paul Healy - 5 Sep 2012