Australian Supercharged 5.0 Miami V8 Details

Australia’s go-fast performance skunk-works Ford Performance Vehicles is readying the launch of their own versions of the new 5.0 Coyote V8 that has been tearing up streets under the hood of the 2011 Mustang GT. Going on sale late in October down under, FPV Australian Falcon GS and GT models will have a supercharged versions of the new 5.0 liter engines producing 422hp and 449hp codenamed as “Miami”.

The first thing you might say is why is the power so low with a supercharger, given that naturally aspirated versions of the 5.0 liter engine produce 412hp and 440hp right here in America? That’s a good question. The reason is because to meet Euro IV emissions regulations with tight Co2 measurements a different approach had to be taken. Additionally, Australia is a much harsher environment for cars and engines need a stronger balance of durability and longevity than those for the States.

Keep in mind that the new supercharged Miami 5.0 replaces the 5.4 liter naturally aspirated DOHC Boss 315 V8, an engine related to that which powered the 2000 Cobra R Mustang. Both versions of the new 5.0 for Australia more powerful, more fuel efficient and cleaner than the naturally aspirated 5.4.

The supercharger system and calibration was developed in Australia by Prodrive in program costing some $40 million Australian. “The new supercharged V8 engine program represents FPV’s biggest-ever investment in the Australian market, and has been the most extensive and exhaustive development program we’ve ever undertaken,” Prodrive Asia-Pacific Managing Director Bryan Mears said today.

Boost pressure is a lower than average 5 lbs and a lower compression ratio of 9.25:1 is used instead of the American naturally aspirated Coyote’s 11:1. Both measures serve to provide the durability and longevity needed for life in the Australian continent.

The new supercharged Miami 5.0 engine is 103 lbs lighter and more compact than the outgoing 5.4 liter Boss 315 (420hp) engine. The Australian 5.0 engines are assembled down under with components imported from the States as well as locally sourced parts. Internal components such as the pistons, rods, and camshaft profiles are unique the the Australian Miami 5.0. Additionally, the Harrop-Eaton supercharger system, accessory drive and exhaust manifolds are made in Australia.

“It’s important to emphasize just how Australian these engines are,” Bryan Mears said. “Although the basis of the engine is imported, all the components utilized in the supercharged configuration are locally sourced, and the engines are completely hand-made by the team at FPV in Melbourne.”

FPV says it began its development of the new GS and GT engines in 2007, initially with a 5.4 liter XR8 ‘mule’ engine fitted with a supercharger and custom manifolds. This was used for cooling system development and initial engine calibration strategy development before the first of three levels of prototypes were built around the 5.0 liter Coyote Mustang engine.

Each of these prototypes advanced development of the engine, at first with hand-made components to experiment with various configurations until a final specification was locked in. Engine power levels, torque curves and emission outputs were all refined throughout this process.

“One aspect of the program that was very important to us was the aural output of the engine … it is at the heart of the FPV brand that the engine sounds right as well as means business, so we put enormous effort into that,” Bryan Mears confirmed.

Whether the Australian supercharged 5.0 will be able to be tweaked to achieve the 500-500hp that aftermarket solutions are seeing in the States is unknown at this time. But because of its inherently lower native compression ratio it will require different approaches.