Ford has got the idea to create an engine that could match a diesel’s power and torque figures for less money for over a year. The “Bobcat” is a 5.0-liter V8 that features turbocharging and two independent fuel injection systems. The primary system utilizes traditional port injection to deliver gasoline to the cylinders, while the secondary system injects E85 directly into the combustion chambers.  E85 is an alcohol fuel mixture that typically contains a mixture of up to 85% denatured fuel ethanol and gasoline or other hydrocarbon (HC) by volume. On an undenatured basis, the ethanol component ranges from 70% to 83%. There are questions about the use of biofuels like E85, ostensibly to reduce carbon emissions, when they may have a large carbon footprint according to one study.

Now that Ford has officially revealed the new 5.0-liter V8 for the 2011 Mustang GT, we began wondering whether the new engine was the basis for the Bobcat. We found out that the 5.0-liter Bobcat was actually derived from the old 5.4-liter V8 currently used in the F-150 and the Shelby GT500.

For the Bobcat experimental engine, the longer-stroked 5.4 was used in combination with a smaller bore that provided thicker cylinder walls needed to withstand the high internal pressures of the boosted 750 pound-foot engine.

According to Harrison, the Bobcat was part of a Department of Energy funded research project and there are no current plans for a production engine based on the technology. I could think of one reason: the cost of the dual injection systems and more robust block and heads negates much of the savings from not needing a diesel after-treatment system.