A Ford Mustang with a V10 engine could have happened in the 2000s

Also known as the Triton V10, the energy-guzzling leviathan appealed to Carroll Shelby and SVT chief John Coletti very much. According to Camilo Pardo, the chief designer of the GT, “The decision was to take Ford’s best engine, replicate it in aluminum, and then put a supercharger on it.

“In the early 2000s, Ford’s advanced powertrain research and engine development group began work on a Mustang powered by an all-aluminum version of the Triton V10. According to Driving Line, the high-performance powertrain based on the modular 4.6-liter V8 featured a pair of ECUs for the fuel injection and ignition systems, limited edition Cobra R quad cams and a short stroke design which resulted in 5.8 liters.

As you know, the first generation GTs and Mustangs of this era – the S197 – did not receive this magnificent engine. The cited publication quotes “Difficult finances and a tight development schedule” for the cancellation of the project, which is understandable if you are moving quickly a few years into the financial crisis. Of the Big Three in Detroit, only the Blue Oval has withstood this crisis without asking the US government for a bailout.

If it had found its way under the hood of a Mustang, the most likely application for the 5.8-liter V10 would have been the Shelby GT500. In terms of sucking-squeeze-bang-bang, the ten-cylinder engine would have matched the 550 horsepower of the supercharged 5.4-liter V8 of the GT supercar or 540 horsepower in the case of the four-wheeled snake.

Before removing the plug from the all-aluminum V10, the brass top ordered a 7.0-liter version of said engine for the 427 Sedan Concept. This one produced 605 ponies, which is a pittance compared to the Predator V8’s 760 horsepower we now have in the Shelby GT500. As for the GT, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 has been boosted to 660 horsepower for the 2020 model year.