Rumor: Shelby Unveiling Ecoboost Engine at Detroit?

Shelby announced today that they have big plans for 2013 with lots of new projects planned for the upcoming year. Vice President Gary Patterson says that the company will make debuts at both the Detroit Auto Show in January and New York Auto Show in April, and while he doesn’t specifically say what will be unveiled, he does provide a clue. On the Shelby American web site Patterson states “2013 will be a big year for Shelby as we unveil projects in Detroit and in New York- so get ready! While I can’t talk about any Detroit details now, I will quote Carroll from last year.” That quote? “I think you’re going to see the industry going completely to small engines with turbochargers. That’s the only way you can get the mileage that the government is going to be demanding.”

So what does this mean? The obvious interpretation is that Shelby will be introducing a car with EcoBoost power for the very first time. A likely candidate is the Focus ST with its 2.0L twin-turbo inline-4 that produces 252 horsepower and 270 lb-ft torque in factory-spec. A more unlikely, although more appealing scenario in our opinion, is that Shelby could transplant an EcoBoost motor, either a four-cylinder or six-cylinder into a Mustang.

We’re guessing that Shelby will be mum on details until they officially make the announcement until January. Until then, stay tuned…