Anyone who thinks this was a level test should be slapped with vacuum line... Multiple car manufacturers have run tests to show how altitude affects performance. There was a test a while back where a basically stock A4 2.0T was ran against an S4 at about the same elevation. Dyno proven at sea level the A4 was down 100hp to the S4. They took them up to high elevation, and the A4 was just as quick as the S4 at that altitude. This isn't even a comparison, its a commercial. A this statement comes from a Ford owner...

racinghcr:  Both Porsche and BMW have been running circles around their competitors w/ 6 cylinder cars from the beginning.  Put an equally-priced 335i v. the Lincoln and the Lincoln loses, regardless of format.  Ford is doing good things, no doubt about it.  But it's comical when American mfrs claim they can compete against the world--only on their own terms.  Look at what Buell has done in motorcycle racing.

Fact is the American Engineered ECOBOOST V6 Lincoln beat the best sedans from around the globe with TWO LESS CYLINDERS!!  To those whiners trying to downplay the test--see for yourself what the ECOBOOST V6 can do --DRIVE ONE !Not to mention you'll get much better FUEL MILEAGE while blowing the more expensive European sedans in the ditch ! ECOBOOST technology engineered by Ford Motor Company is the wave of the future!

Nice car. I've been hearing about this engine for some time now and I don't feel disappointed. However, I don't know why this showdown had to take place in the mountains. Aircraft manufacturers have been installing turbochargers in airplanes to achieve higher altitudes. So the results seem a bit 'skewed' due to the conditions. It would be much more interesting to have this test done at sea-level and just to make it interesting, add a Pontiac G8 into the lineup.

Nice job Ford--one American company that continues to drive forward.  I won't be trading in my BMWs though.  I'd like to see a level playing field at elevation though, say, a 535i v. the Lincoln and see the results then.  Or if it must be 6 v. 8, let's see another contest at the Dragon's Tail.  You get what you pay for and if you look at cost of ownership over a longer period, (run the test at 100k) that propeller just looks sweeter.