The Ford V10 Horsepower Specifications
by Justan Brandt
The large-displacement Ford V-10 engines are best known for powering commercial trucks, including the Super Duty based motor homes, shuttles and panel vans. During the 2011 model year, the V-10 engine is available in the Class IV and V truck segment. Although Ford's V-10 engine has only been available in production trucks, it has also been concealed inside high-performance prototypes and concepts as well.
Horsepower of Ford V-10 Truck Engine
For the 2011 model year, the Ford V-10 engine features three valves per cylinder, a single overhead camshaft (SOHC) and has a displacement of 6.8 liters. Available in the Super Duty F-450 and F-550 chassis cabs, the gasoline V-10 engine will also find its way into medium-duty chassis cabs during the 2012 model year. Ford's 2011 6.8-liter V-10 engine is rated at 362 horsepower at 4,750 rpm and 457 foot-pounds of torque at 3,250 rpm.
High-performance Ford V-10 Engines
During a three-year period, 2003-2005, Ford debuted several high-performance variants of its V-10 engine. In 2003, the Ford 427 Concept was home to a 7-liter V-10 rated at 590 horsepower. The 2004 Ford Shelby Cobra and 2005 Shelby GR-1 concepts were both equipped with a 6.4-liter V-10 engine producing 605 horsepower. In addition to those concepts, a 2003 Ford Mustang equipped with a 430 horsepower, 5.8-liter V-10 engine was known to have existed.
Defining Horsepower
The term horsepower was originally coined by James Watt (1736-1819), a Scottish inventor, to describe the power his engines generated. At the time, horses were used to calculate the rate at which they could haul coal per minute. This was then translated into the power an engine could produce. The result was 1 horsepower is the equivalent of moving 33,000 lbs. over 1 foot every minute.
References
Writer Bio
Justan Brandt became a journalist and writer who specializes in automotive coverage in 2009. He has been a student at Bob Bondurant’s School of High Performance Driving and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in technology commerce.
