Ford Revs Up High-Output Mustang V-8

Ford Motor Co.'s new 5.2-liter V-8 is the company's most powerful naturally aspirated engine, generating 526 hp for an impressive 102 hp/l and 429 lb-ft of torque. The engine, which is paired with a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission, redlines at a Ford record 8,250 rpm.

Ford will launch the engine in the Shelby GT350 Mustang and its track-ready GT350R stablemate. The vehicles will be priced at $50,000 and $63.500, respectively, when they hit the streets this fall.

To achieve such high performance levels, Ford says it simulated millions of intake, cam and exhaust configurations. This resulted in a completely redesigned small-blockV-8 with a flat-plane crankshaft design, which typically is limited to race cars and ultra-pricey supercars.

The configuration enhances exhaust-pulse separation by alternating ignition firing between the engine's two cylinder banks, which Ford says improves airflow, boosts power and broadens the torque curve. The engine produces 90% of its peak torque between 3,500 and 7,000 rpm and has a racetrack-friendly spread of nearly 3,000 rpm between horsepower and torque peaks.

Traditional V-8 engines use a cross-plane design in which the connecting rods are attached to the crankshaft at 90 intervals, creating a "cross" of counterweights when viewed down the crankshaft axis. In Ford's all-new 5.2-liter mill, the connecting rods attach to the crankshaft at 180-degree intervals to create a flat appearance.

Second-order vibration issues inherent to the flat-plane design were minimized by balancing techniques, Ford says.

The engine's lightweight aluminum block is machined with a torque plate in place to enhance the accuracy of the cylinder bores. The cylinders are lined with a plasma-transferred coating, a deposition process that replaces heavy cast-in-place iron liners. The combination allows for a larger bore that, in turn, enables the engine's oversize valves, which are actuated by high-lift (14 mm) variable camshafts.

Additional weight-saving techniques include "gun drilling" the forged-steel crankshafts, a dual-mass flywheel, a die-cast aluminum transmission case and clutch housing, and a composite oil pan. The latter contains special baffling and an additional two quarts of oil to help maintain oil pressure during high-speed cornering, with temperature controlled by an air-to-oil cooler.

A single, fast-acting 87-mm throttle body Ford's largest ever funnels air to the engine, enabling a simpler and lighter intake. Performance is enhanced via the engine's 12:1 compression ratio.

The GT350/GT350R's purpose-built chassis includes a redesigned suspension with an aluminum front knuckle and stiffer bearing assemblies, powerful six-piston brakes and carbon fiber wheels. The track-ready GT350R is stripped of all unneeded options, making it 130 lbs lighter than the GT350. The GT350R also gets aerodynamic aids in the form of carbon fiber air dams and spoiler.