The Australian Engine America Was Never Supposed to Get

Ford Australia built one of the most legendary turbocharged engines of the modern era, but Ford never sold it in an American production car.

The Ford Barra became famous for huge horsepower, incredible tuning potential, and its ability to turn ordinary Australian Falcons into serious performance machines. But why did America never get Ford Australia's legendary 4.0-liter turbo inline-six?

In this episode of Unleashed Engines, we uncover the story behind the Ford Barra engine, from its origins in the Australian Ford Falcon and the BA XR6 Turbo to the high-performance FG X XR6 Sprint.

We explore how Australia's legendary Ford vs Holden rivalry helped create a completely different performance culture, why Ford Australia continued developing the inline-six while America remained focused on V8 power, and how tuners eventually discovered just how much potential was hiding inside the Barra.

As Australian Barra builds began producing enormous horsepower, comparisons with legendary Japanese engines like the Toyota 2JZ and Nissan RB26 became inevitable.

Then something unexpected happened.

American tuners started importing the engine Ford America had never sold them.

Barras began appearing in Mustangs, Fox-body drag cars, RX-7s and extreme engine-swap projects across the United States.

But just as the rest of the world began discovering Australia's incredible turbo six, Ford ended Australian vehicle manufacturing in 2016.

This is the story of the Australian Ford engine America never got.


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