The Ford SVT Lightning certainly...
The Ford SVT Lightning certainly qualifies as a super Ford with a factory supercharged engine, performance-enhanced suspension, huge tires, and great brakes. Toss in the muscle-truck looks and you're looking at the baddest factory super truck ever assembled.
Horse Sense: We have our fingers crossed that at least some of the technology displayed on the Gen 3 Lightning concept vehicle will make production. Not only did the concept sport a more efficient screw blower, but also it had a unique intercooler package with on-demand SuperCooler technology. The SuperCooler uses the air-conditioning system to chill intercooler coolant, which is then released on demand to provide an additional 20-percent cooler charge and a brief, nearly 50hp burst of extra power.
We check out the meanest factory super trucks ever assembled at the track, on the dyno, and in the history books
If you go to a big Ford-only race, you're guaranteed to see at least a dozen of Ford's SVT Lightnings in one form or another, whether they're at the car show or tearing up the dragstrip or open track. These trucks are everywhere. It's not uncommon to see more than 100 Lightnings in competition at the Mobil One World Ford Challenge. Their influence can also be felt at the cruise-ins and street races, where it's not a rare occurrence to see a 4,700-pound F-150 take out any Corvette, Firebird, or Camaro that gets in its way. When a vehicle has that kind of influence, you know it's made it. And SVT's Lightning has made it big time.
The Lightning's interior is...
The Lightning's interior is finished off in style with all available creature features-bucket seats, a steering-wheel wrap, attractive gauges (including a boost gauge), and other small finishing items that let you know you're driving a legend. The column shift has a button you can push to turn off the Overdrive gear. By the time you've hit 5,000 rpm in Fourth gear (Overdrive), you'll be close to 150 mph-in a truck!
Since we wanted to uphold the "& Super Fords" part of our magazine's title, we put together a test drive, a drag thrash, basic bolt-ons, and a history of the truck.
Typical of all Ford vehicles that wear the SVT badge, the F-150 gets breathed on in a top-to-bottom strategy that raises the entire performance of the truck. Oh, sure, you get a torque-crankin' small-block with a supercharger under the hood, but you also get a world-class suspension and-most importantly-huge brakes to haul this thing down from speed. But we're getting ahead of ourselves here.
First off, all Lightnings are standard-cab, Flareside F-150s. The strategy here is that the lighter the truck (and more structurally sound), the better it will perform. And, as Lightning owners will tell you, this truck is all about performance. SVT has also added a tasteful body kit and front grille treatment. This augments the already muscular lines of the short-bed, standard-cab unit. The SVT enhancements add nicely to the visual effect of the truck without going too far and making it dressed for The Fast and the Furious crowd.
The brute that powers this...
The brute that powers this monster is a 5.4 (330ci) single overhead cam, Eaton supercharged (8-psi), 380-horse animal. But it's the 450 lb-ft of torque (at only 3,250 rpm) that will really kick you in the seat of the pants. SVT borrowed the super-heavy-duty 4R100 automatic transmission from the diesel truck line to put up with the torque. Rear gears are 3.73s. The throttle is like a light switch with this combination-stand on it and it doesn't let up until you have sense enough to get off the gas.
The first thing that goes through your mind when behind the wheel of the Lightning is that it feels like a sports car with a higher seating position. The suspension is super-safe and responsive (especially when compared to your author's daily driven '01 F-150 XLT), and it allows you to do things with this truck that you wouldn't dare do with some cars. As with all SVT products, the seats hold you in while the powerful engine and sticky suspension try to throw you out. Other than the power, the biggest difference between the Lightning and its production counterpart is the braking system. If you drive a truck or heavy SUV on a daily basis, then you've been in a situation where you needed more braking power. The Lightning stays stable and under control, even with the brakes crushed through the floorboard.
Then there's the engine. Flowing, heaping, endless fields of torque send this truck from 0 to 60 in as little as 5.2 seconds and through the quarter in an advertised 13.7 seconds-that is, if you have enough self-control to keep from melting the super-expensive Goodyear F1s down to the cords (burnouts are no problem). The first time you whack this truck, it's magical. The second time is for pure addiction. The blower begins letting out this sound that reminds you of a food processor stuck on pure, and before you know what hits you, 4,700 pounds of Ford tries to separate you from your butt. Your mind tells you that you're going faster than your physics professor would imagine possible, but you don't let up. It's just too good. Second gear slams home, and the thing still wants to eat up earth. The suspension holds everything together, and you just have to see what happens next. By the time you realize you're going 100 mph in a truck, you're already doing 120. If you have enough room (and that's not too much), you can see north of 140 mph in this thing. We don't recommend it, but it's there for the taking any time you need the fix.