Detroit 2010: A closer look at the Mustang's 5.0L V8

Ford's 5.0L V8 – Click above for high-res image gallery

While Ford might not be pulling out all the stops here in Detroit to promote its updated Mustang like it did for the 2010 model year, the 2011 model's improvements are just as significant, if not more. The new 305 horsepower, 30 mile per gallon V6 debuted at Los Angeles back in December, and the long-awaited 5.0L V8 made its official debut here at the NAIAS. Fortunately, there's plenty more to the legendary 5.0 badge than an increase in displacement, and a cutaway motor on the show floor gave us a closer look at all the details.

For starters, the new V8 uses a different bore and stroke to give it an even five liters of displacement, last employed in the Mustang GT in 1995. A larger, single-blade throttle body that replaces the dual unit now works in conjunction with a composite intake manifold runner to provide for better breathing, as do the all-new aluminum cylinder heads that include an extra exhaust valve for a total of four valves per cylinder.

Additional upgraded components include a forged steel crankshaft, stronger forged powder metal connecting rods, high compression pistons, and a fantastic set of tubular stainless steel exhaust headers on each side. Perhaps most importantly, the 5.0-liter V8 receives Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT), a technology that allows for optimal power or fuel economy depending on throttle input. You can read our in-depth article for even more details on the Mustang's new 5.0-liter V8, or you can see our live photos of the car and the cutaway engine in the galleries below.