It wasn’t long ago the 760-horsepower supercharged, 5.2L Predator V8 found exclusively in the S550 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 (M-6007-M52SC) was officially added to the Ford Performance catalog as a crate engine. Six weeks later the engine has seen its price increase by $1,300.
When the engine first came online in mid-November following SEMA 2021 the cost of entry was $25,995. Fast forward to Christmas, and that same chunk of metal now costs $27,295 representing a 4% price inflation. On the surface that may seem absurd, but upon further investigation, the crate motor now includes the highly integral CAN bus control pack, electronic throttle pedal, and wiring harness. Those key components were missing the last time we covered the M-6007-M52SC and are likely the source of the price increase.
Photo copyright Matheus Pach, Muscle Cars & Trucks.
Without the CAN bus package, customers would have been left sourcing their own control electronics as well as being tasked with writing their own engine mapping. Not a terrible task if that’s what you do, but perhaps too far a reach for those seeking a ‘simple’ plug-and-play solution.
As a refresher, the M-6007-M52SC crate engine is the exact same engine prowling the streets beneath the hood of the S550 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.
Spinning inside a high-strength aluminum block, the rotating assembly is entirely forged. The top end is crowned by an Eaton TVS R2650 jamming the oversquare cylinders full of the compressed intake charge. The steel crank, steel rods, and aluminum piston heads are capable of withstanding much more than the stock-rated 760-hp and 625 lb-ft of torque.
The Shelby American GT500KR has already shown us the 5.2L Predator can pump out more than 900 horsepower courtesy of a larger 3.2-liter Whipple supercharger. Even without further modifications, the forged components and serial construction mean it should be one of the most reliable 700+ horsepower engines to ever exist.
The best part is, the M-6007-M52SC 5.2L supercharged V8 includes all the ancillary components like exhaust manifolds, alternator, starter, and A/C compressor. All you really need to do is install the supercharger and water pump/alternator belt to make it run.
Image via Shelby American.
