New GT500's hand-built engine?

1. Will the new Shelby GT500's engine be hand-built like previous SVT Mustang Cobras at the Romeo plant? It will have aluminum cylinder heads from the Ford GT.

2. Will the closing of the Wixom plant affect the Romeo plant?

http://www.fordgt.net/gt_wixom.html

3. Is this the new Ford Shelby GT500's engine?

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/330/11593.jpg

From Detroit

Yep, that's it. Do you have any more pics of the production version of the GT 500 engine bay?

No.

Are there any tech articles about the new, hand-built 5.4 liter supercharged V-8?

The heads on the Shelby will not be "exactly" the same as the ones on the Ford GT. As mentioned on the stangnet site main web page on the Shelby the heads are a different casting in order for them to fit in the Mustang engine bay. Flow wise and performance wise they will work AWA the Ford GT castings even though they are not exactly the same heads.

Tony

That is inaccurate. They are the same castings.

...from the link on the home page....

"Machining changes are incorporated into the outside ends of the heads and to the left rear cam cap to fit the engine into the Mustang chassis"

Here are a few more pics of the engine bay. These pics are from the convertible version at the Detriot Auto Show. I like the strut tower brace. Simple but effective. I would love to get one for my GT.

Don't forget this phrase:

"The cams and valvetrain are specific to the Shelby GT500. The cam drive system is unique and designed to fit into the Mustang engine compartment, which is narrower than the Ford GT’s."

You wouldn't be able to switch cam drives from a Ford GT to a GT500 and vice versa, hence the heads are slightly different.

Tony