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The Daily Insight

What Ford engines have a flat-plane crank?

Author

Sarah Martinez

Updated on April 04, 2026

Ford Motor Co. The flat-plane crankshaft in the Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang’s 5.2-liter V8. With a flat-plane crankshaft, pistons in each bank of the engine rise and fall in pairs.

What is a flat-plane crank in a V8?

A flat-plane V8 fires one cylinder every 180-degrees of rotation, which means a primarily well-balanced crank and pistons with less counterbalance mass required. The result is cylinders that perform identically. Put simply, a flat-plane crank V8 will always offer a higher tuning limit than a cross-plane equivalent.

Which Mustangs have a flat-plane crank?

The GT350 is the only Mustang right now with a flat plane, but they’re common in Ferraris and many other European sports cars like the McLaren. There are also rumors about a flat-plane crank engine being used in the higher-performance trims of the new Chevy C8 Corvette.

Who made the first flat-plane crank V8?

Cadillac L-
The first automotive V8 engine to reach production was the 1914–1935 Cadillac L-Head engine introduced in the Type 51. The L-head had an alloy crankcase, a single iron casting for each cylinder block and head, side valves, a flat-plane crankshaft and a displacement of 5.1 L (314 cu in).

What cars have flat plane cranks?

So to celebrate the talents of these screaming, operatic engines, here is a quick list of the greatest cars to feature a flat-plane V8!

  • McLaren P1.
  • Ford Mustang Shelby GT350.
  • Porsche 918 Sypder.
  • Lotus Esprit V8.
  • The Ferrari F430 is a stunning piece of kit.

Is a Ford Coyote a flat-plane?

Out of all the Coyote variants, the Voodoo may be the most unique. It has a 5.2L displacement, but unlike other modular V8 engines, the Voodoo uses a flat-plane crank. To achieve the 5.2L displacement, Ford enlarged the bore size, and it also moved from a traditional crankshaft to a flat-plane crank.

Is the Ford GT a flat-plane crank?

But while you’ll read this and that about the GT 350 it was all about the flat-plane-crank engine. Most American engines use a cross-plane crank arrangement.

What cars have flat-plane crank V8 engines?

There are some exceptions such as the Ferrari-designed crossplane crank V8 of the Lancia Thema 8.32 and the flat-plane crank Ford Mustang GT350.

What is a flat plane crank?

Flat-plane crank. The flat-plane crank (sometimes flatplane) is a type of crankshaft for use in internal combustion engines that has a 180 degree angle between crank throws.

What kind of crankshaft does Ford’s new V-8 have?

Per Ford’s press release, “Unlike traditional V-8 engines, the all-new 5.2 liter uses a flat-plane crankshaft more typically found in a Ferrari sports car or in a racing application.” Sounds mighty impressive, doesn’t it? But here’s the thing. My wife’s minivan has a flat-plane crank.

How much power does a cross-plane crankshaft add to a V-8?

Swap out the 5.2L’s flat-plane crank with a cross-plane crank, and it would turn just as many rpm and do so without the bolt-snapping secondary vibrations. In fact, the fastest and most powerful Ford modular V-8 on Earth—John Mihovetz’s Accufab Mustang— produces well over 3,000 horsepower and turns 10,000 rpm with a cross-plane crankshaft.