If you’re worried that internal combustion is dead, I have good news: Ford just dropped a new 5.0-liter Coyote crate engine. The same manufacturer that sells electric crate motors from the Mustang Mach-E is still committed to naturally aspirated, gas-powered performance. The Blue Oval would really like it if you celebrated that by purchasing the dual-overhead cam powerplant that survived the demise of other V8s. (Pour one out for the Hemi.)
This fourth-generation Coyote V8 is more powerful than ever, matching the 2024 Ford Mustang GT‘s output of 480 horsepower at 7,150 rpm and 415 lb-ft of torque at 4,900 rpm. That’s made possible by port and direct fuel injection, dual throttle bodies, high-flow heads, twin-independent variable cam timing, and a 12:1 compression ratio. The last-gen “Aluminator” Coyote crate engine topped out at 460 hp and used a lower 9.5:1 compression ratio, but made 420 lb-ft of torque. Ford Performance explicitly says the Aluminator was built to accept forced induction, and while this Gen 4 unit can surely handle it as well, it’s not a major consideration.
You’ll be happy to hear that at $11,500, the fourth-gen Coyote is also cheaper than an Aluminator by a whole $3,080. It gets away with that by skipping out on higher-end components like forged Mahle pistons in favor of hypereutectic aluminum ones. You still get cross-bolted main caps, plasma-transferred arc spray in liners, and the lot.
Interestingly, the Gen 4 is listed at 592 pounds, which is 52 pounds heavier than its predecessor despite both featuring aluminum blocks and cylinder heads. Still, it’s 145 pounds lighter than the cast-iron block 7.3-liter Godzilla; just keep in mind it’s also wider than the pushrod lump.
The new Coyote V8 can be spec’d to fit a manual transmission (Part# M-6007-M50D) or a 10R80 automatic (Part# M-6007-M50DAUTO). It’s also offered with a single throttle body if you’re concerned about packaging in your project car, in which case the Gen 4X makes identical power numbers to the Aluminator Gen 3—460 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. It costs the same as the dual throttle body option, but if dual won’t fit, then there really isn’t much choice.
Ford says the engines will begin shipping in June, and they’re available for pre-order right now. Control packs for the new Coyote will also hit the market this summer.
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