Ford recently announced that it was discontinuing the Shelby GT350, a somber fact that Ford Authority was the first to report back in April. Since then, Ford has also discontinued the Ford Mustang Bullitt and Performance Package 2, while adding the Mach 1 back to the lineup. But the loss of the Shelby GT350 in particular raises one important question – what will become of Ford’s excellent and beloved 5.2L Voodoo V8 now that the only model it’s available in is going away?
“We don’t talk about future products, but we’re really happy with what it’s accomplishing right now both in the GT350 and the GT500,” Head of Mustang Marketing, Jim Owens, told Ford Authority executive editor, Alex Luft, in a recent interview. “We don’t have a crate version of the Voodoo right now.”
The 5.2L Predator V8 in the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 does share its displacement and some components with the Voodoo, but it lacks the flat-plane crank that gives the Voodoo its signature sound that has endeared so many enthusiasts who’ve come to love the special engine and its performance potential.
Ford is seemingly content to move on with the Predator and its also-beloved 5.0L Coyote V8, a special version of which powers the new Mach 1. But many enthusiasts would love to at least see the Ford Voodoo live on in crate motor form, if nothing else. The question is, will Ford actually offer it to consumers in that way?
| Engine | Horsepower | Torque | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GT | 5.0L Coyote V8 | 460 | 420 |
| Mach 1 | 5.0L Coyote V8 | 480 | 420 |
| Shelby GT350 | 5.2L Voodoo V8 | 526 | 429 |
| Shelby GT500 | 5.2L Predator V8 | 760 | 625 |
We certainly hope so, and we imagine we aren’t the only ones. There are already a handful of Voodoo-swapped Mustangs of various generations out there in the world, and there would likely be a lot more if Ford would sell the engine in crate form.
The automaker already sells a plethora of crate engines, including the Coyote, the new 7.3L Godzilla V8, the old pushrod 302 and 351, and even a variety of EcoBoost engines, so this would be a natural fit. Regardless, we’re curious to hear how many people believe this is a good idea, so be sure and let us know what you think in the poll below.
We’ll have more on the future of the Voodoo very soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Mustang news, Mustang Shelby GT350 news, and continuous Ford news coverage.
Comments
Well, it’s an interesting conundrum, especially with the Coyote getting within spitting distance of the VooDoo’s horsepower and torque figures in its latest iteration. Add to this that the lower RPM bands are where most spend the majority of their time. So, does the unique sound make a transplant a worthwhile consideration?
Yes, most definitely. The sound alone is the infections and gets into your soul. These sounds are what we are loosing with the newest generation of vehicles. A flat plane v8 from ford would be my choice in an old mustang verses a standard coyote.
But would anyone pay more for a voodoo, when the coyote is available and is almost as good? Heck, some would argue it’s even better, as it also makes great sounds, is nearly as powerful, and is better balanced?
Yes we need the voodoo at least keep a little dignity and we need to save the stick
The name alone gives notice to it’s being special. As a track performer and earlier Mustang upgrade, having the option of this unique piece of hardware to install is paramount to the Ford nameplate. Like the Boss 429, the engineering needed to produce this powerplant should not be lost.
I need a Voodoo crate engine for my Miata. I’ll take 400whp and all the RPMs you can give me.
I have a Kia… sure would be awesome to have a Mustang GT.
Yes,Yes & Yes!😆
The inherent high rpm advantage of the Voodoo engine with that balanced flat plane crank just begs to be exploited…. could you imagine what a monster it would be supercharged to around 600hp at 8,000 rpm?!?!!??
To Richard: a Miata with a Voodoo would be awesome…. reminds me that a Miata weighs about as much as the original Cobra. The thought of a Miata with a 427 side-oiler is just ridiculous 😲
One advantage a crate 5.2L would have over the Coyote is it is not readily available as a used engine. Very seldom does one appear on Ebay. Someone may be willing pay a premium price for it in crate form due to it being so unique. The 580HP 5.2L Aluminator crate from Ford is untouchable to the masses at $22K so perhaps offering the standard 5.2L 526HP engine will be in Fords future.
Can we get the voodoo engine the new bronco please. We need a bigger motor in a car with the legacy of the bronco.
I doubt they’ll offer a crate version. As amazing as the Voodoo is alot of them were blowing up and/or consuming massive amounts of oil. I know they made some positive changes to the ’19 and ’20 models but they probably don’t want to take any chances.
The problem with the Coyote engine is that the power band falls off a cliff after 5000 RPM so the monster pulling power of the Voodoo is what I love about it and the low end torque issue can easily be fixed with E85 tune thus killing the Coyote engine performance wise
Having driven a GT350 I must say it is different than anything else out there. The sound and the acceleration are mind altering to say the least. It would make an awesome crate motor.
Ford should keep it going, put it in the raptor and the explorer ST
The voodoo would also make a great addition to the handling edition Mach 1, to further separate it from the lame automatic transmission packages. I mean the automatic transmission is very well done and is great if all your going to do is drag race, but for a road course car the Voodoo would be the perfect fit!
The voodoo will probably not come back. As sad as it sounds, the warranty costs with some of the complex engine issues might be hurting Ford since they don’t make many parts for this engine.
The engine is an amazing one though, and it would do well as a crate motor
This is the engine they should have put into the Explorer ST, it would actually be able to compete with the likes of a Durango SRT or some of the euro SUVs that still use V8s (still not quite Trackhawk or Hellcat territory yet, need the blown Predator for that). The Explorer ST is awesome, and that 3.0 EcoBoost is a great motor, but it belongs in something like the Edge ST or Taurus SHO. A 5000 pound, three row, 4-wheel drive SUV needs some bark to go along with its bite.
Ford, just do it. Give us a Voodoo Explorer. It would also be a good fit for the Raptor, again need some bark to go along with the bite. The EcoBoosts just can’t provide that.
At my local track. They run an NA Coyote crate motor class in all types of Mustang bodies. These are stock internals with no power adders. I’m not completely familiar with this class but round winners are weighed after each run which appeared to be around 3300 lbs with driver. The RPMs these engines turn is off the chart running wheel standing 9 second passes. The Coyote is such a fantastic motor. I doubt we’ll see a Voodoo crate motor not only due to pricing, but the 5.0 has so many power adders available. This said. I hope it finds it’s way back into a Ford vehicle. Maybe a limited run Mustang like a Boss Voodoo.
I would love to have a voodoo in an A/C Cobra, or a GT40 kit. ♥️
Can I get a 5.2 L “VooDoo in a F150 ?