Ford Motor Company has got the wheel of speculation turning again, this time with a recent trademark filing. Just last week, Ford secured the rights to the term “ECOBEAST,” which hints to additions to the company’s successful EcoBoost line of engines.
Caught by the team over at Motrolix, the patent declaration doesn’t say much beyond the name being filed by the Detroit-based automaker under the “Goods and Services” category, specifically for use on “Automobiles and automobile engines.” What we can take away from this is that the “beast” part hints at something performance related, so it may be a higher output version of the 3.5-liter six-cylinder, the largest engine in the EcoBoost family, or even a separate, sporty division of EcoBoost engines of all sizes, optimized for performance.
It’s also fair to speculate that this could have something to do with the rumors of a next-generation SVT Raptor appearing at the Detroit Auto Show. Lastly, though unlikely, is that it could possibly mean nothing.
Filing for trademarks is a tiny peek behind the curtain of what a company may have in store for the future. It could also just be a move to cover its bases, either to lock down a name in case of future use, or to prevent someone from using branding that’s a little too close for the company’s comfort.
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Ford has been quite clear in its belief of the EcoBoost engines, even putting them in the Mustang and F-150 pickup, so actively expanding the lineup is more likely than filing a trademark as a defensive move.
Related: Ford Performance confirms Focus RS as part of 12-model blitz
As it turns out, this just brings us full circle, with this info remaining as rumor fuel. Hopefully, with the Detroit Auto Show around the corner, Ford will have some more substantial news to announce.
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