Ford Motor Co. will offer its all-new 5.0-liter “Coyote” V-8 engine in the 2011 Mustang GT, which will be unveiled next week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Based on the existing 4.6-liter mill, the new V-8 generates 412 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque-up 100 hp and 65 lb-ft, respectively. This puts the Mustang GT on nearly equal footing with the 426 hp Chevrolet Camaro SS and 425 hp Dodge Challenger SRT8 pony cars, both of which use larger-displacement V-8s.

The 2011 Mustang GT will look nearly identical to the current model. Modifications include an enhanced rear lower control arm to improve stiffness and a new rear stabilizer bar to help bolster on-center steering. To better handle the higher output, the new GT will offer 14-inch vented Brembo disc brakes in front. Electric power steering replaces a traditional hydraulic setup. The car’s NVH characteristics also have been improved, according to Ford.

The new V-8 is paired with a choice of six-speed transmissions in the Mustang. The automatic gearbox is expected to have a U.S. EPA rating of 25 mpg on the highway and 17 in the city, compared to 23/17 mpg for its 2010 counterpart. Fuel economy for the manual is expected to remain at 24/16 mpg.

The new V-8 benefits from Ford’s motorsports operations and experience with the Coyote IndyCar engine and Cammer V-8 crate engine. The DOHC design is derived from the 4.6-liter engine’s architecture but features new components. The powerplant has three threaded mounting bosses on the cylinder head and an extra pulley on the front of the crankshaft to accommodate the addition of a supercharger in the future.

At 430 lbs, the 32-valve Coyote V-8 with an aluminum block and steel cylinder sleeves is more than 85 lb lighter than the old iron-block OHV 5.0-liter V-8 that has powered Mustangs for decades. It is just 10 lbs heavier than Ford’s three-valve-per-cylinder 4.6-liter engine.

Key to the new engine’s design is its twin independent variable camshaft timing, which provides increased volumetric and thermal efficiency for faster response across a broad range of engine speeds. With a relatively flat torque curve for a naturally aspirated system, the engine redlines at 7,000 rpm.
The cam phasers use engine torque, with assistance from engine oil pressure, to adjust valve timing.

Ford says this arrangement allows the engine to use a conventional oil pressure pump that contributes to lower parasitic drag, compared with the higher-pressure oil pumps typically used in other VVT systems. The company introduced the system on its 3.0-liter V-6 and plans to install in on 90% of its engines by 2013.

Performance is maximized with a nearly square bore (92.2 x 92.7) and stroke (3.63 x 3.65 in).

Increasing the bore any further would require a sprayed-on liner, the company says. Thin cylinder liners help accommodate larger pistons.

The engine uses larger fasteners for increased strength, and bulkheads are 2 mm thicker. The diameters of the cylinder head bolts and the cross bolts on the six-bolt main bearing caps have been increased by 1 mm.

Valve gear has been moved farther away from the engine’s valley to improve intake airflow through the middle of the “V.” The engine’s innovative tubular exhaust header system contributes 6 hp and 15 lb-ft of torque. Ford says the internally developed design, which pairs adjacent cylinders, minimizes the effect of destructive power pulses. Benteler Automotive Corp. supplies the tubular headers.

Although Ford is increasingly using direct injection in other engines, the company opted against the system for the V-8 to help cut cost and development time. It also says direct injection in this case would have provided only a marginal gain in power and efficiency.