Ford finally unveiled its new Mustang Shelby GT350 track scalpel this week, and the car is packed with tons of interesting details—but none as tantalizing as the Blue Oval’s first-ever flat-plane-crankshaft engine, a 5.2-liter screamer of a V-8.
We still don’t know some of the most important details, like exact output or how much the car will cost, nor do we even have photos of the engine or its internals. But that doesn’t mean we weren’t able to squeeze some of the Ford personnel involved with the GT350 for more information about the heart that beats under this monster’s hood.
1. It’s Ford’s most powerful naturally aspirated engine ever—and revs to 8000-plus-rpm.
Ford has been all about forced induction lately, with turbocharged EcoBoosts finding their way into everything from the tiny Fiesta to the massive 2015 F-150. For the GT350, however, Ford skipped the turbos—and the supercharger of the GT500—and opted for the low inertia and high rpm of a naturally aspirated mill. To this formula, it added a flat-plane crankshaft, which optimizes breathing and evenly spaces exhaust pulses in both cylinder banks by having the crank pins attached at 180-degree intervals. The upshot is more power and the ability to rev to the high heavens. With more than 500 horses and maximum torque somewhere north of 400 lb-ft and an indicated redline of a staggering 8200 rpm, it’s certainly a Ford engine unlike any other.
2. Coyote foundation, but not a parts-bin build.
2. Coyote foundation, but not a parts-bin build.
The engine may have been birthed from the same architecture as the 435-hp Coyote 5.0 from the new Mustang GT, but nearly everything has been replaced. The new 5.2-liter engine has its own block casting, new crankshaft (duh), new pistons, new connecting rods, new heads, new cams, new intake, new oil pan, and a new harmonic balancer to smooth out the flat-plane’s inherently tricky vibrations. The only carry-overs from the Coyote 5.0 are hangers-on such as the alternator and starter and a few small components in the valvetrain. The 5.2 also utilizes plasma-transferred wire-arc cylinder coatings like the outgoing GT500.
3. It’s lighter than the Coyote 5.0-liter.
Ford’s folks steadfastly refused to divulge concrete numbers, but performance division chief engineer Kerry Baldori said the 5.2 “definitely has a weight advantage” over the 5.0. We already love the moves of the latest10Best-winning GT, so we’re completely stoked to find out what pulling a bit of weight off the nose—combined with the GT350’s myriad other chassis tweaks—does to a V-8 Mustang. Also saving weight: There won’t be a plastic engine cover.
4. It’ll kind of bolt right in to your 2015 Mustang GT.
Since it’s based on 5.0 architecture, the new engine—which was known as Voodoo in development—shouldbolt right in to the Mustang GT. You’ll have to swap the exhaust for the one meant for the flat-crank V-8, but otherwise all the necessary holes should line up. There’s no official word on whether a crate Voodoo will make its way to the Ford Racing catalog, although Baldori called it “a great opportunity.” Read what you will into that.
5. Finally, the flat-crank V-8 sounds like this (the good stuff comes in about 57 seconds in)
5. Finally, the flat-crank V-8 sounds like this (the good stuff comes in about 57 seconds in)
