The Ford Mustang GT500’s 760-HP V8 Is Ford’s Newest Crate Engine

That ought to fit a Town Car, right?

byPeter Holderith|
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If you want big power from a pre-built crate engine, the Big Three should be able to help. Dodge just restarted its classic Direct Connection parts service and Chevy is dishing out 1,000 horsepower big blocks to anybody who can afford them. Now, Ford—it must've been feeling left out—has released the supercharged V8 out of the Mustang GT500

as a crate motor. With 760 horsepower on tap, it's nothing to sneeze at, but you'll have to be okay with the price tag.

Costing $25,995, it's not much less than you'd pay for a brand new Ecoboost Mustang. However, taking a look at its specs, it becomes clearer why Ford wants so much for this engine. It's far from your average V8.

The 5.2-liter, cross-plane V8—also known as the "Predator"—features a DOHC valvetrain, which is a cut above the cam-in-block systems found in engines like Chevy's LT-series of V8s (outside of the LT6), Chrysler's eight-cylinder Hemis, or the Blue Oval's own "Godzilla." Along with more sophisticated heads, the engine also has a roots-type Eaton TVS R2650 supercharger, a forged steel crankshaft, and forged steel connecting rods. The pistons are forged aluminum as well, and they offer 9.5:1 compression. Torque is rated at 625 pound-feet.

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In the GT500, this engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Since this is a crate motor, no transmission is included, so you could theoretically adapt this engine to whatever sort of gearbox you want. Indeed, somebody who buys one of these will likely be the first to experience it with a stick shift. 

If this is all a bit too rich for your blood, Ford is also coming out with a standalone blower kit for the F-150's regular 5.0-liter V8, which will pump it up to a warranty-backed 700 horsepower. Pricing hasn't been announced for that setup yet, but a similar unit for the previous F-150 costs $7,800. If you want even more than 760 horsepower, you can have a chat with Chevy or Dodge; both of them offer 1,000-horsepower crate motors, as I mentioned before. 

Electric may be the future, even for crate motors, but the Blue Oval and the rest of the Big Three certainly haven't thrown in the towel yet. Supercharged V8 horsepower can still be had from all of them in abundance. 

Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: peter@thedrive.com

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