The 1995 Mustang GT was the last to feature a 5.0 V8
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One of the big shortcomings of the 2010 Ford Mustang GT is the V8 engine. Its 315 horsepower is certainly fine when looked at on its own, but when compared to pony car rivals the new Dodge Challenger R/T and the Chevrolet Camaro SS, which have 372 horses and 422 horses respectively, it seems pretty weak. In 2011, though, the Mustang line will get a major powerplant shake-up, and a new 5.0-liter V8, codenamed the "Coyote," will give those other cars a run for their money.
The 2010 F-150 will reportedly be powered by a 5.0 V8, replacing the current 5.4 V8
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Russel Christophers, who is Ford's product development chief for the Australian division, confirmed in an interview with
Drive magazine that a long-rumored new 5.0-liter V8 is in fact in development and will be the engine for the Australian 2010 Ford Falcon and the U.S. 2010 F-150, replacing the aging 5.4-liter V8 currently in the truck. The engine will then make its way to the Ford Mustang in 2011. Also, the Shelby Mustangs of that year will reportedly also replace their 5.4-liter V8s with a supercharged version of the 5.0.
The next Shelby Mustang will have a supercharged 5.0
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Specific details of the Coyote V8 are limited, but it looks to be a four-valve SOHC design with a power output in the neighborhood of 400 horsepower and about 400 lb-ft of torque. Also, the smaller displacement and more efficient engineering are rumored to increase fuel economy by a few mpg over the soon-to-be-retired 5.4-liter V8.
The reintroduction of the 5.0 won't be the only engine change for the 2011 Mustang, however, as sources also report that a new trim level will be added to the model featuring Ford's EcoBoost V6 engine, which produces 355 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. The lineup would then have the base model, which would keep the current 4.0-liter V6, the next trim would be the 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6, followed by the GT with the new 5.0, and then the Shelby GT500 with a supercharged 5.0.
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