I promise this isn’t clickbait. You’re about to be shocked by the full-size Ford Transit Van. That’s because you can equip it with a 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6 engine that cranks out 310 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Is this the potential return of Supervan? With some light modification, it just might be.
[Disclaimer: Ford tossed us the keys to the Transit and included a tank of fuel. I tried to do a brake stand but it wouldn’t let me…]
The Ford Transit is a plus-size sports car
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28 responses to “The Ford Transit is a plus-size sports car”
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I’m totally behind this. I just wish the Transit we got in the U.S. looked more like the Euro ’06-’13 van. That nose is pure ugliness. I would need to spend a couple of days with Photoshop to come up with alternatives before I replaced the family minivan.
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See video below.
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It is a real snout isn’t it?
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It’s awful.
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If you are going to compare a van to a sports car, I expect a slalom time.
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Noted for next time
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My money’s on a sub 9 minute ‘Ring time. With Sabine driving of course.
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I’ve driven a standard-height Transit on a few geology field trips and have found that the ludicrously wide window frames in the rear doors, particularly near the top where they are at their widest, make the center rear-view mirror essentially worthless unless one needs to check the status of the inner surfaces of the window frames themselves. Apparently the taller Transits aren’t as bad but the Econoline was much better in this regard.
http://3-photos7.motorcar.com/used-2016-ford-transit_wagon-transit350t35012passengervan-1186-15756673-3-1024.jpg-
The center mirror is mandatory I guess. Two rows with head rests don’t help, neither.
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Center mirror actually isn’t mandatory as long as you have a passenger side mirror, FWIW.
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Right, I remember the second outer mirror was often an option in the 80ies, too.
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With all headrests up and the DVD player folded down from the ceiling, I can’t see $#!+ out of the back of our minivan.
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Damn, the Hooniverse got the alternate car world covered with a front page consisting of a family Miata and a Transit sports van. And I believe both accounts, you just need to lose the hairy font, cough.
Transits and Sprinters with well-known package express logos have been haunting German highways doing 100-120 mph in the bravest hands for years. Personally, I find that a bit scary, but since the Transpocalypse hasn’t yet destroyed the Autobahn, it probably is much safer than it looks.-
I hope the font is just seasonal, for Halloween.
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If I had the money a I’d get one, I just wish Ford offered some sort of crew van option with 1 row of seats and windows like the Sprinter. They do exist in the UK although those have a solid barrier behind the seats for tax reasons.
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The thing is Ford used to offer a crew van option on the E-series with flooring, side panels and headliner to the 1 bench row and then plain steel from there back.
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Who needs V6 ecoboost? Sabine Schmidt is such a good driver she can get the previous model Ford Transit in four cylinder diesel form around the Nurburgring in under ten minutes.
Which is faster than Jeremy Clarkson can get around in a V8 Jaguar S Type.
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Oh yeah, I remember that episode well, though I do recall them chucking seats and other dead weight from the van between runs in order to get better times.
The facelifted model of that van was one of my favorite hooning vehicles in Forza Horizon 2/3, especially after I dropped a big V8 in it. -
Says more about Clarkson than the Transit!
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What a girl !!!! She is the best.
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Considering that my first van was basically a tall Mustang, this is not a shocking thought.
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The 5.4 Triton in the old Econoline was no slouch either, although the 255hp of that is much less than the 310hp seen here. I use to beat the crap out of an old workvan over a decade ago. I even had it drift (although not on purpose) on a back road in the rain up in PA loaded with Oxygen bottles… I never claimed to be smart
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My E350 was rated at 275hp, 525lb-ft from its 7.3L Turbodiesel. Those motors have a healthy aftermarket, too.
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I drove one of these about 1200 miles this summer. Empty, it was like driving a metal shed. Forget about the radio; earplugs required. Loaded, well, it wasn’t too bad. The fuel door next to the drivers door is kind of a cool detail.
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Traditionally, sports cars were about handling, not power. Think MG, Morgan, Lotus, Triumph, etc. This is more like a muscle car – straight line speed.
Interesting stats:
0-60 – 6.8 secs.
Skidpad – 0.60 g
Observed Economy – 14 MPG
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2017-ford-transit-350-cargo-van-ecoboost-test-review
For comparison, 2018 Odyssey:
0-60 – 6.7 secs.
Skidpad – 0.77 g
Observed Economy – 23 MPG
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2018-honda-odyssey-long-term-test-review
Yeah, the Ody is more nimble and more economical, but the Transit is nearly 2 feet longer, 2.5 feet taller and nearly 1,000 lbs heavier. Pretty impressive. -
I still prefer the looks of the old Econolines, but I do appreciate the architecture of the newer ones and all the conveniences that came with the Euro influences. Towards the opposite end, I’ve become a big fan of what guys are doing with the NV200s. This looks like fun. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ca949eb0d501c9054855773b9226d4ca67fef1cc94caad1172f53c50b240c31a.jpg
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i would so love to get a passenger NV200 (with a manual, natch) in the States.
i keep trying to love the Ford Transit Connect but it really just doesn’t seem to be a good minivan.-
A passenger version in the USA?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/NYC_Taxi_Nissan_NV200.jpg/1280px-NYC_Taxi_Nissan_NV200.jpg
If you want to be patriotic look out for the Chevrolet version. Van only, not taxi, now discontinued, partly due to lack of parts compatibility with other GM models. (What a surprise!) It turns out to be just as much Chevrolet as the Leyland version is a Leyland in India.
Imagine that! Absolutely nobody could have predicted that in 2018 Chevrolet and Leyland (of all the car brands possible!) would be making a Nissan as their own vehicle. The ‘L’ badge lives on!
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/2015_Chevrolet_City_Express_LS_front_left.jpg/1280px-2015_Chevrolet_City_Express_LS_front_left.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Ashok_Leyland_STiLE.jpg/1280px-Ashok_Leyland_STiLE.jpg
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