Ford developing a 6.8-litre engine for Mustang, F-150 – report
Trade union boss lets slip about a new 'big block' engine on the way from Ford.
Ford may be developing a brand-new engine for use in the Mustang and F-150, according to the head of the Canadian auto workers union.
President of Unifor, Jerry Dias, mentioned a new 6.8-litre Ford engine a number of times during a recent half-hour press conference, reports Canadian newspaper Windsor Star.
During the conference, Dias told press the new 6.8-litre unit would be used in the Ford Mustang and F-150 pick-up.
A media release from the union was a little more vague, stating "Ford has committed to source new 6.X-litre engines to the Windsor Engine Plant".
This isn't the first time a leak has come from a union official. In late 2016, a senior official from the United Auto Union in Michigan confirmed the Ford Bronco was headed for production, three months before the official announcement.
Ford has produced a 6.8-litre petrol V10 engine in the past, however it's more likely the new mill will be a relative of the 7.3-litre pushrod V8 currently built at the same Windsor plant in Canada, which is available as an option on F-Series Super Duty pick-up models.
In the heavy-duty, towing-oriented F trucks, the engine develops 320kW of power and 644Nm of torque. Should a derivative of the engine find its way under the bonnet of a Mustang, it's likely it would receive a unique tune to better suit the coupe's sporting intentions.
The Blue Oval might be feeling the heat from the Mustang's long-time rival, the Chevrolet Corvette, which for its latest generation has positioned itself as a supercar competitor, using a mid-engine layout for the first time and stepping away from its front-engined muscle/sports car history.
While the Corvette may be chasing European supercars, the Mustang could be embracing its muscle car roots by fitting the largest engine it could under the bonnet.
However, such a move would likely be reserved for the car's next generation, given the 6.8-litre engine is not slated to enter production until 2022, according to Dias.
It has long been rumoured the next F-150 Raptor will gain the 567kW, supercharged 5.2-litre V8 from the flagship Mustang GT500, but it's now possible both vehicles could end up with a new 'big block' V8.
At this stage, Ford has refused to confirm the development of the 6.8-litre engine.
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