Like many young boys, I spent my formative years playing with various Matchbox and Hot Wheels toy cars, and now I get to see these cars come to life. Ford has taken its multiple award-winning 1.0 liter EcoBoost engine and stuffed it into a compact package called the Rip Rod, and I freakin’ love it.

While Tesla may have replaced Ford as my favorite automaker, the Blue Oval still holds a special place in my heart for this exact reason. Teams of Ford engineers from the US and Europe joined forces with the Bandito Brothers to build a snot rocket of a hot rod that makes the most of a small motor and tiny chassis. And it looks like just heaps and heaps of fun.

The Rip Rod actually built back in 2012 and made its first appearance at the 2013 SEMA show as a static (non-operational) vehicle pulled behind a colors-matching Ford Transit van. The video below documents the build process, while the video above briefly shows what it took to get it from a static visual piece to a functioning 158 horsepower race-ready vehicle. 158 horsepower from an engine you can carry on an airplane? No wonder the 1.0 liter EcoBoost has won Engine of the Year three years running.

My only question is when can I buy it, and how much does it cost?

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