A recent Ford news release said it best: “no Ford Mustang engine lineup would be complete without a great V8 engine at its core.”

Ford gave the 2015 Mustang GT’s 5.0 liter “Coyote” V8 a host of upgrades, allowing it to breathe better, thereby making an already-great engine even better. The improvements, many of which are derived from the lessons learned in developing the special-edition 2013 Mustang Boss 302, allow for better breathing, especially at higher engine speeds.

Naturally, getting air into the cylinders and exhaust out is key to generating more power and torque from any engine, and that’s what Ford focused on. Revisions to the five-oh consist of:

• Larger intake valves
• Larger exhaust valves
• Revised intake camshafts
• Revised exhaust camshafts
• Stiffer valve springs to ensure that the valves close completely at high rpm
• New cylinder-head casting, including revised ports that provide a straighter path to the valves for less-restrictive intake and exhaust flow and combustion chamber modifications to accommodate larger valves
• Sinter forged connecting rods that are lighter and more durable for high-rpm operation
• Redesigned piston tops with deeper cutouts to clear the new larger valves
• Rebalanced forged crankshaft that supports higher-rpm operation

Furthermore, a new intake manifold features charge motion control valves to partially close off port flow at lower engine speeds. This increases the air charge tumble and swirl for improved air-fuel mixing, resulting in better fuel economy, idle stability, and lower emissions.

On the intake side, variable camshaft timing now has a greater range of adjustment available due to mid-lock phasers. This enables better optimized control of the valve timing over a broader range of engine speeds and loads for improved fuel economy and emissions.

All in all, Ford expects the upgrades to the already highly-potent 5.0 liter Coyote V8 to generate over 420 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque, which is the current rating of the engine in the 2013-2014 Mustang GT. But something tells us that the horsepower number will be closer to the 450 number, and that fuel economy will either remain the same or improve by a single point across all measurements. Notably, direct injection remains mysteriously absent from the five-oh.