Ford's 580 HP Aluminator XS Crate Engine

Two distinct stories from the classic car world highlight a pilgrimage to Argentine automotive history and a new powertrain option for builders. The first follows a group's journey to Balcarce, while the second details the specifications of Ford's newest crate engine offering.

An Expedition to Balcarce

The Autoclásica Expedition 2026 delivered two Brazilian sports cars to an exhibition in Argentina after a four-day journey from São Paulo. The convoy, which included a 1982 Chevette, a 1992 Gol, and a 1972 Triumph GT6, arrived in Balcarce, the birthplace of Juan Manuel Fangio, near midnight.

The group visited Crespi Competición, a racing car manufacturer founded in the 1960s by Tulio Crespi. The company, now run by his sons Luciano and Matías, designs and builds its own chassis and bodywork. Among the projects in the factory were 22 functional replica race cars built for the Netflix miniseries Senna.

Later, the expedition toured the Autódromo Juan Manuel Fangio, a 4,592-meter circuit reopened in September 2026 after fifteen years without national competitions. The track is built on the slope of the Sierra La Barrosa, featuring significant elevation changes. Its simple infrastructure-a shed, bathrooms, and a viewing deck-was noted for fostering a local racing culture that supports mechanics, preparers, and component manufacturers.

Ford's 5.2 XS Aluminator V8

Ford Performance offers the 5.2 XS Aluminator crate engine, a 580 horsepower V8 with a displacement of 5.2 liters. It is assembled from high-end parts used in modern Shelby GT500 and GT350 models, featuring an aluminum block and heads.

The Aluminator line began in 2007 with a 4.6-liter modular V8 crate engine. It has evolved through 5.0-liter Coyote versions to the current 5.2-liter cross-plane design, which is related to the Shelby GT350's Voodoo V8. No Aluminator engine has ever been fitted to a production car from the factory.

The latest 5.2 XS engine starts as an M50C crate engine from Ford's Essex plant. Its Gen 3 block has 93 mm bores and uses the same plasma-transferred wire arc coating as the GT500's Predator V8. Factory components are replaced with performance parts including Mahle forged pistons, Manley forged H-beam rods, and GT500 head bolts. Each unit is cold-tested before sale.