10 Best Engines Ever Put Into American Cars
Engines are the heart and soul of the cars we love. America has long produced some of the most iconic engines, especially in V8 form. These are 10 of the best engines ever installed under the hood of American cars:
2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R (5.4L V8)
The 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R was a no-compromise, track-focused machine, and its engine was the star. Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) took the modular engine architecture and cranked up the naturally aspirated 5.4L DOHC V8, a significant departure from the standard 4.6L engine.
This potent powerplant featured unique high-flow cylinder heads, aggressive camshafts, an exclusive "trumpet-style" intake manifold, and a high-flow exhaust system with Borla mufflers exiting out the side. With a robust 9.6:1 compression ratio, this engine produced a stout 385 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque, all channeled through a Tremec T-56 six-speed manual transmission.
Designed for high-RPM performance, it could rev to 7,000 RPM, making it the most powerful and race-ready engine ever put into a factory Mustang at that time.
2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 (5.2L Supercharged Predator V8)
The 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is defined by its 5.2L Supercharged "Predator" V8 engine.
Unlike the flat-plane crank Voodoo engine in the GT350, the Predator uses a traditional cross-plane crankshaft and was reinforced to handle immense power.
It's crowned by a massive Eaton TVS R2650 supercharger, and internally, it features a high-strength aluminum block with plasma transferred wire arc cylinder liners, forged steel connecting rods and crankshaft, and forged aluminum pistons, all designed to withstand extreme cylinder pressures.
It delivers 760 horsepower at 7,300 RPM and 625 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 RPM, making it the most powerful production engine Ford has ever put in a road car.
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