Evolution Of Ford's Coyote V8 Engine

Ford vs. Chevy is the automotive equivalent of a pair of boxers going toe-to-toe in the ring. This heavyweight slugfest has been going on for decades, pushing the limits of everything from truck towing capacity to pony car performance. In the 1990s, Ford looked for a competitive advantage with its new line of modular V8 engines, but as the pony car wars reemerged with the return of the Chevy Camaro in 2010 (and the Dodge Challenger in 2008), the Mustang upgraded to a new family of engines called the Ford Coyote V8.

You’ve undoubtedly heard of this engine family if you’ve read anything about the Velocity Ford modernized classics (or the Ford Mustang over the last 13 years). Keep reading to learn more about the evolution of the Ford Coyote V8 engine, including the Gen IV version that was introduced with the all-new sixth-gen Mustang.

Modular Roots

The Ford Coyote V8 engine family is essentially the second generation of Ford’s modular engine that debuted in 1991, so here’s a quick look at the Coyote’s predecessor. Throughout the ’90s, these engines replaced the pushrod V8s in all Ford products, including the Mustang in 1996 - up until that point, just about all Mustangs had offered the 302CI/5.0L V8 since 1967 (except for the 1974, 1980, and 1981 model years).

There were three versions of the 4.6L, with 16-, 24-, and 32-valve versions debuting over the next 14 years. The 16-valve 4.6L was offered from 1996 through 2004, with power ranging from 215 hp to 265 hp based on various improvements. The 24-valve version of this engine was available from 2005 through 2010, varying from 300 hp to 315 hp over this time (a 32-valve version of the 4.6L was offered in the SVT Cobra and Mustang Mach 1 from 1996 until 2004).

Ford needed a more powerful engine as the Mustang GT saw increased competition from the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger. Enter the Coyote V8!

What Is The Coyote Engine?

Introduced for the 2011 model year, the Coyote V8 gave the Mustang GT a much-needed performance boost against the 426-hp Camaro SS and 375-hp Challenger R/T. The Coyote features an all-aluminum construction and a 32-valve DOHC configuration, but the real difference is the Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing (Ti-VCT) to maximize performance and efficiency. A key element to the Coyote’s design was the 5.0L displacement, allowing the Mustang to proudly wear the “5.0” badge again after a 15-year absence. In addition to factory applications like the Mustang and F-150 pickup, Ford also offers the Coyote as a crate engine.

Since its debut, the 5.0L Coyote V8 has seen four distinct generations, each with a significant increase in horsepower, and this engine spawned other performance variants with larger displacements.

Evolution Of The Coyote V8

Gen I

Ford launched the 5.0L Coyote V8 in 2010 for the updated 2011 Mustang GT. The displacement was a nod to past Mustangs, and while the engine was smaller than the 6.2L in the Camaro SS and the 5.7L in the Challenger R/T, power output was comparable to its rivals and considerably more than its predecessor. Horsepower increased from 315 hp in the 2010 GT 4.6L to 412 hp for the 2011 GT 5.0L, and it was apparent this engine was capable of even more power when Ford introduced the 444-hp Boss 302 in 2012. Some of the engineering used to squeeze that power from the Boss 302 trickled down to the GT in 2013, which saw an increase in output to 420 hp.

Gen II

The first major evolution of the Ford Coyote V8 engine came in 2015, when Ford updated the engine for use in the all-new 2015 Mustang. This second-generation Coyote V8 added charge motion control valves (CMCV) in the intake manifold, larger intake and exhaust valves, increased camshaft lift, and modifications to Ti-VCT. These changes equated to higher output ratings of 435 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. In 2017, Velocity was the first major restoration shop to engine swap the Coyote V8 into a restomod, and that Gen II-powered classic Ford Bronco redefined Velocity builds from then on.

Gen III

The biggest changes to the Coyote engine were made for the 2018 Mustang, starting with high-pressure direct injection (while retaining the low-pressure port injection) and a 12:1 compression ratio. The Gen III Coyote is lighter than previous versions and features larger cam lobes and valves. Cylinder wall construction also changed, replacing the steel sleeves with a Plasma Transferred Wire Arc process, which resulted in a larger cylinder bore, giving the engine a displacement of just over five liters (307CI)—the largest displacement ever for Ford’s 302/5.0.

These changes gave the Mustang GT an output of 460 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. In 2019, Ford introduced another Bullitt Mustang, giving the 5.0L Coyote V8 a performance exhaust system, revisions to the intake manifold, and a throttle body from the GT350, which gave this car an output of 480 hp. When Ford ended the Bullitt in 2020, this engine was used for the 2021-23 Mach 1. The Gen III Coyote engine is currently used as the exclusive engine in all Ford-based Velocity builds, including the classic Ford Bronco, Mustang, and F-Series trucks.

Gen IV

The most recent evolution of the Ford Coyote V8 engine was the debut of the Gen IV, under the hood of the 2024 Mustang GT. This Coyote features dual throttle bodies, a revised intake manifold, and improved engine cooling to bump power output to 480 hp on the stock Mustang GT and 486 hp when equipped with the optional Active Valve Dual Exhaust. The all-new Mustang Dark Horse uses the Gen IV 5.0L Coyote V8, adding revised camshafts and stronger connecting rods (engineered for the GT500) to produce 500 hp.

The Gen 4X is a more tuner-friendly version of the factory Gen IV engine designed for custom, aftermarket applications. This crate engine uses a Gen III intake manifold with a single throttle body, making it an easier engine swap for fabricators. Even better, Ford Performance sells the Gen 4X crate engine with a Gen III computer, which, unlike the Gen IV’s computer, is actually tunable. Compared to a Gen IV Coyote, the Gen 4X’s single throttle body reduces stock power output to 460 hp and 420 lb-ft, but these engines are known for their capability of being tuned to an excess of 800 hp. Velocity is the first company to have a Gen 4X in a running and driving restomod (a classic Ford Bronco in this case).

Non-5.0L Variants

Since its debut in 2011, Ford has continued to engineer higher-performance versions of the Coyote engine. As of 2024, three distinct performance variants of the Coyote with displacements larger than the 5.0L have been released.

Voodoo

The first performance version of the Coyote was the 5.2L Voodoo V8 used on the 2015 to 2020 Shelby GT350. This naturally aspirated engine features a distinctive flat-plane crankshaft, a new intake manifold, high-lift camshafts, a larger throttle body, and CNC-ported cylinder heads. The Voodoo has a higher 8,250-rpm redline, and its output is rated at 526 hp and 429 lb-ft.

Predator

Stepping up from the Shelby GT350, the 2020-2022 Shelby GT500 revealed the Predator V8. This 5.2L supercharged received an even larger throttle body, forged aluminum pistons, 9.5:1 compression, and a forged-steel cross-plane crankshaft. The Predator has a Coyote engine’s highest factory power output with 760 hp and 625 lb-ft.

Carnivore

The 5.0L Coyote has been used in the F-150 since 2011, but the 2023-current Ford F-150 Raptor R marked the first performance application of a Coyote engine in this truck. Based on the GT500’s Predator engine, the Raptor R’s Carnivore is a 5.2L supercharged V8 with a cross-plane crank that has been tuned for a higher torque rating (640 lb-ft of torque); the 2023 Raptor R has 700 hp, while the 2024 model increased to 720 hp.

Velocity and the Coyote V8

Velocity performed its first Coyote swap in 2017 on a classic Ford Bronco, and the company hasn’t looked back. That vintage Bronco was named one of the top 10 4x4s during the 2017 SEMA Battle of the Builders, and a couple of weeks later, it was picked as a PPG Dream Car during the Southwest Nationals. Since that build, Velocity has exclusively used Coyote crate engines in its Ford-branded restomods, including the Bronco, Mustang, and F-Series.