Achates Power Opposed-Piston engine makes this F-150 one of the most unique vehicles on display in Detroit.
Ford Motor Company has a huge spread of F-150 and Super Duty pickups on display at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit’s Cobo Hall, but the most unique half-ton Ford pickup isn’t in the automaker’s display. The F-150 that will draw the most attention from lovers of new automotive technology is found in the Aramco booth, sporting one of the most unique engines in the show.
The Achates Power F-150
The new Ford F-150 shown above looks like your average half-ton pickup with the exception of the graphics and the hole cut in the hood. If you walked past this Ford truck and glanced at the engine through the custom hood, you might assume that it is powered by some variety of modified Ford engine, but you would be wrong.
This Ford pickup is powered by the 2.7-liter Achates Power Opposed-Piston (OP) inline-three-cylinder gasoline engine. After designing the unique engine architecture, the company chose the F-150 – America’s best-selling vehicle – to showcase their incredible engine at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show.
This 2.7-liter, three-cylinder, gasoline-fed engine delivers 270 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque, and it does so without any spark plugs or valvetrain. The Achates Power OP Inline-3 does have six pistons, six fuel injectors, two crankshafts, a supercharger and a turbocharger, essentially packing the features of a compound-forced induction V6 into a three-cylinder engine with big power.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
