10 Things to Know about the Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang's V-8 Engine - Automobile
Its 5,163 cubic centimeters produce 526 hp at 7,500 rpm and 429 lb-ft of torque at 4,750 rpm, and it revs to 8,250 rpm—making this Ford’s highest-revving V-8 and its highest output naturally aspirated engine of any type. That’s less power but more torque than Ferrari coaxes out of its 4. 5-liter V-8 (562 hp at 9,000 rpm and 398 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm, though that includes ram-air effects at high speed). Of course, Ford wasn’t trying to build a 458-fighter, it’s building the ultimate track-star Mustang, so it designed and engineered this engine from the ground up in Allen Park, Michigan paying little attention to those prancing horse V-8. Yes,... Looking at the crank lying on a table with the front on the left, the connecting-rod throws can be up-down-down-up (like Ferrari’s, and like most four-cylinder engine cranks), or up-up-down-down, or up-down-up-down. Maximizing airflow is a primary driver of the flat-plane crank design, which inherently delivers improved exhaust airflow, because you never have two cylinders on the same bank firing within 90 degrees of crank rotation. Ford has one big intake plenum for the whole engine, which the UDUD crank serves better in terms of airflow. Source: www.automobilemag.com
