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Ford 1.0L takes third-straight International Engine of the Year award

Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost is proving to be The Little Engine That Could, and it continues to acquit itself well, finding favor as one of the best powerplants in the world. To confirm it yet again, the tiny mill just won the International Engine of the Year award for the third year in a row, likewise also nabbing the title in the Sub 1.0-liter category.
Packing 123 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque with overboost (125 lb-ft normally), the tiny engine combines impressive power in a size small enough to be a carry-on item for a commercial flight. US buyers only got a taste of the award winner in the 2014 Fiesta, while the 1.0 EcoBoost has been available throughout the Ford lineup in Europe for a few years now. American sales have reportedly been strong, however, and next up in the US, the mill will find its way into the 2015 Focus.
The panel of 82 jury members from 34 countries also named the Mercedes-AMG 2.0-liter turbo found in the A45, CLA45 and GLA45 AMG models with 355 hp and 332 lb-ft as the best New Engine for 2014. The electric powertrain from Tesla won Green Engine prize, and the 4.5-liter V8 from the Ferrari 458 Italia took home the honor of top Performance Engine yet again. You can check out all the winners below, and scroll down further to read Ford's celebratory announcement of its award.

Ferrari Classiche returned this 275 GTB Competizione to million-dollar form

When this 275 GTB Competizione rolled into the hands of Ferrari Classiche, it was all out of sorts. Like so many of its brethren, it wore a red overcoat, but Giallo Fly yellow was its original color. The air intakes were mismatching lengths, the front suspension had an extra shock, certain areas of the bodywork were reshaped, and several other parts had been swapped throughout its adventurous life. With time and meticulous attention to detail, however, Classiche brought the GTB/C back up to Ferrari factory standards. Ferrari does not give an exact year of when it reattained chassis No. 09027, only saying it happened a few years after the car was sold at a 2004 Bonham's auction in Monte Carlo. Before that, it lived quite the tumultuous life. It left the factory on June 14, 1966, and four days later, it placed second in its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Pierre Noblet and Claude Dubois drove the No. 57 car for the Francorchamps team and finished 10th overall. According to Ferrari, the racing team made numerous on-the-fly adjustments, including cooling aero and fog lights, to make it properly race-ready. It later won the Mont Ventoux hillclimb, but was damaged during the Marathon de la Route race at the Nurburgring. The car returned to Maranello, and Carrozzeria Scaglietti, who originally built the car, fixed it up before it was sold to amateur racer Patrick McNally in 1967. McNally, after changing the car to silver, wrecked at the 1,000 km of Montlhery. Again, it was fixed, this time by Maranello Concessionaires Ltd. in the UK, and was painted red. Ferrari says the car bounced from owner to owner before it was sold at Monte Carlo. In addition to the previously mentioned issues, the Ferrari faced unoriginal parts that included the oil recovery tank, front brake discs, petrol tank, exhaust system, wheels, tires, steering wheel, and much of the interior. For some reason, the identification plaque had even been changed, but the important original pieces were there: the chassis and the engine. Today, the car is back to tip-top shape and more valuable than ever. Back in 2015, a Barrett-Jackson auction saw a 1966 Ferrari GTB Competizione sell for $9.4 million. We have a feeling Ferrari will keep this one, though. See full photos in The Official Ferrari Magazine. News Source: The Official Ferrari Magazine Auto News Ferrari Automotive History Coupe Performance Classics

Ferrari Classiche brings priceless crashed 250 GTO back to life [w/video]

When a car is worth millions of dollars, you don't simply write it off when it's damaged – you have it painstakingly repaired. But when that car's worth tens of millions, there's hardly any expense to be spared in its restoration. So after a rare Ferrari 250 GTO crashed a couple of years ago during a special event, its owner (presumably at the behest of his insurance company) sent the damaged specimen back to the factory for a full restoration to its original condition. The Ferrari in question, GTO No. 3445, is owned by American collector Christopher Cox, who was driving it during a special tour in France organized for the legendary sports racer's 50th anniversary when he collided with another car – fortunately not another one of the GTOs on the road – inflicting significant damage on the highly coveted collector's item. That was two-and-a-half years ago, and shortly after the accident, Cox entrusted it to the Ferrari Classiche division, which is responsible for restoring classic Prancing Horses and certifying their authenticity. Now the repairs and restoration are complete, right down to the Swedish blue and yellow livery it was originally give in April 1963 by Ulf Norinder and the number 112 he gave it for the 1964 Targa Florio. Spending over two years restoring a single automobile may seem like overkill to most, but considering the $52 million said to have been paid the last time a GTO traded hands, and the $30 million spent on the one before that, suddenly two years doesn't seem like that long after all. Watch the reconditioned car undergoing its final, post-restoration shakedown around the Fiorano circuit in the video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Lady in Blue A stunning 250 GTO is restored by the Classiche department Maranello, 28 November 2014 – One of the stars of the tracks of the 1960s was a Ferrari 250 GTO which has just emerged from a two-year-plus renovation at the Ferrari Classiche department, ready to return to its owner in America. During its stay in Maranello, the car was restored to the original engine and bodywork configuration in which it was delivered to Bologna-based publisher Luciano Conti in 1962. The latter also drove it in its maiden race, the Bologna-Passo della Raticosa. The Volpi era. In June 1962, however, Chassis no. 3445 was sold to Count Giovanni Volpi di Misurata, a passionate racing driver, who competed under the S.S.S.