For years, the V8 engine has been used for Ferraris and various other Euro-exotic brands and models because of its powerful, high-revving, extroverted nature. But now, Ford is offering one in the widely manufactured and affordable sports coupe, the Shelby Mustang GT350, and the GT350R. These are both legendary models that have their own place in the pages of history.
The new 5.2 L engine in the Shelby is not a derivation of the engine in the other Mustangs. The only things that are in common are the keys, valve keepers, some fasteners, and a rear seal retainer. That's it! The GT350 is just plain incredible.
Displacement
Even though it is 20 percent more powerful than the 5 L engine and larger in terms of displacement, the new engine is 13 pounds lighter. It has a higher compression, lower friction, higher volumetric efficiency, and an amazing redline. The main reasons behind its flat-plane crack are the high airflow levels and maximum revs. It seems that the Ford team has given a lot of thought behind the new gen Shelby.
The Idea
The team started with an idea to create a car which was supposed to be a good track car that was also capable to handle the streets. Discussions were held about making it light weight and increasing its performance. It is not just about power but also about the broadness of the power band and torque curve especially when it is being used on tracks.
The Target
Initially, they had targeted 500 hp with a 7,500 rpm peak and 410 lb-ft of torque at 4,750 rpm. But they over achieved their target and were able to get 526 hp at 7500 rpm and 429 lb-ft at 4750 rpm. They have originally targeted an engine speed of 8,000 rpm, but once they built and tested the hardware, they realized it could be taken to 8,250 rpm. It peaks at 7,500 rpm and then drops off slowly.
Track Test
While being tested at the Grattan Raceway in Michigan, the V8's howl and willingness to rev were just like a racing engine which is exactly what it is. Even without common technology like supercharging, turbos, or direct fuel injection, it is easily the most powerful and the most power-dense road going engine.
The old techniques for enhancing power with a high flow intake manifold and long tube exhaust headers will help maximize the flow if the long headers didn't move the catalytic converters far from the emissions compliant light-off. The intake and exhaust on the 5.2 L flow much better even when compared with the Ferrari 458's V8 which is what it was benchmarked against. This car is amazing.
Even though the engine team has benchmarked the 458's flat-plane-crank, they analyzed a front-engine Ferrari California with their engine for noise, harshness, and vibration. They look at parts and took measurements and implemented a few things. The only thing left now is some bracing on the underbody of the car so as to minimize the engine-driven shake.
The engines are assembled by a couple of skilled engineers and are also signed by them once they are done. Ford had built 100 GT350's in 2015 and 37 GT350R's to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Mustang GT350. But, the car is going to be a regular production model from 2016, and they are going to produce between 3,000-5,000 of them a year. Well, if the economy was not growing at a sad 1.2% GDP, they would probably produce even more than 5,000.
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