Ford->ke31 isn’t averse to trying out some unconventional methods to highlight its products and no more was that evident than its recent attempt to showcase the versatile capabilities of its new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine. The American automaker tapped Dolph Lundgren, himself a man of many hats, to demonstrate the kind of things the EcoBoost engine is capable of when you pry it out of its main purpose in life. And so, Ford created “The Boost,” a three-part video series starring Dolph Lundgren that showcases the many functions of the EcoBoost engine.

Think the small engine is only good for cars? Think again. The Swedish actor/martial artist/chemical engineer gets creative with the EcoBoost, first by strapping it into a skateboard and then using it to power a pitching machine and the so-called Blender of Brutality. Cheekiness aside, the three videos do paint a clear picture of what Ford’s EcoBoost engine is capable of. Whether it’s using it to power a skateboard to travel more than 60 mph or strapping it to a pitching machine shoots a baseball at more than 200 mph, the videos succeed in establishing a different line of thinking when it comes to the EcoBoost’s versatility.

The age-old adage “big things come in small packages” definitely applies in these videos.->ke278 Dismiss the 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine as much as you want, but as Lundgren successfully showed to us, this engine is capable of powering a blender so devilishly brutal, it can devour anything from wood, silverware, and another blender.

Check out the videos for yourselves to see the various functions Ford’s EcoBoost engine is capable of doing if you decide to use for purposes other than its intended. Just remember, don’t try these “experiments” on your own. But if you do, make sure that you at least have Dolph Lundgren by your side.

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Why it matters

Ford’s new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine has been touted as one of the best engines Ford has created. It’s won the admiration of auto pundits and it’s earned its fair share of awards. But one thing that it hasn’t received was the stamp of approval from Dolph Lundgren. Well, consider that accomplished.

All joking aside, the EcoBoost engine is real impressive feat of engineering. It’s arguably the most versatile engine Ford has in its lineup today. Despite its size, it’s capable of producing 123 horsepower and can be tuned to produce as much as 205 horsepower in race-spec applications. That kind of power range is normal for four- and six-cylinder engines. But Ford managed to pull it off with a three-cylinder. It also has a similar power density – power per liter – as the Bugatti Veyron. That’s a feat worth celebrating in it of itself.

Apparently, the EcoBoost’s functions go way past than just being a car engine. As Lundgren was able to demonstrate, it can do all sorts of things too, provided that you know how to program them for these purposes. I’m not usually the type to be easily impressed with stunt videos like the one Ford and Dolph Lundgren created, although I did find myself chuckling at the demonstrations, especially the Blender of Brutality. I don’t think the engine will end being used for those purposes, but the mere suggestion of what the EcoBoost is capable of makes me wonder what else Lundgren can do with it. The guy is a chemical engineer, after all. He’s smart enough to figure those things out.