Test Mule Spotted

[427Windsorman]

I think it is a good plan by Ford to do the Raptor. The F150 is their bread and butter, and to be honest, there are a lot more 4x4 F150 owners than lightning owners.

Not to mention that Ford can still do a Lightning, it is not like they can't have more than 1 niche vehicle per model lineup.......

 

[ON D BIT]

The fact that a 3rd gen would be "almost 800lbs heavier" is quickly made irrelevant for acceration purposes by another 100hp, which would not be hard with a shelby/twin force motor. SVT has always been about street performance vehicles, and this is clearly a waste of their resources. WHen you look at the scarcity of places to use something like the raptor the way it was intended, and then combine that with the minuscule number of people would take said $50k truck on such an expedition, clearly you can see this truck is marketed to the posers of the world.

Oh well, maybe the engine will at least mae it into somehting that doesn't suck.

the qoute that i put up was from someone very knowledgable with the svt program. the numbers that he pointed out are very real. why build a performance street truck? if you want real performance buy a car. a truck can not compete in the performance arena, its as simple as that. something about hieght and wieght.

this is perfect exposer for svt. for all those posers you speak of. all the ones with a lifted truck. all the ones that drive thier 4x4 daily. all the ones that go up to the mountains on the weekend. the ones that go the desert weekends.

(the other two things working against high power output are the climate around fuel economy/regulations, and the fact that the last time someone tried a huge power pickup, the Ram SRT-10, it was a total flop financially)

now do you really want a 550hp truck and gets 6 mpg that will be just as fast as the last lightning? do you really believe it will sell?

 

[Nathan'sTsi]

WHy build a perofrmance street truck? I could just a simply ask why waste deveopment dollars on building a psuedo trophy truck for the street. For the money this thing is going to cost, did you for a second think that someone wouldn't rather buy a regular FX4 and put a big lift on it. That is what a lot of these guys you see driving on the street do, becuase they want to be high with a lot of ground clearance. They don't do it to have huge suspension travel to take big jumps. Get real. Of the people you speak of, you know the ones that go to the desert and mountains, I don't know of any personally. I do know lots of people who love their aging lighnings.
You seem to ask about interst in a 550hp sprot truck with bad gas mileage, but Ford intent on building a 550hp truck, with big ass tires and a shitty ride, that will get even worse gas mileage.

You need to stop looking at it like a lightning is supposed to out perform sports cars and need to realize the market for it is people that want a truck with nuts. I enjoy drving a sports car but also need a truck at times. When I'm in the truck, I don't want to drive somehting that can't get out of its own way.

 

[capnkirk52]

I think it's a great idea. I wanna drive one.

 

[ON D BIT]

Of the people you speak of, you know the ones that go to the desert and mountains, I don't know of any personally.

you dont know anyone that goes fishing, camping, hunting, skiing? you must only live in the material world. im sorry.

 

[NYstanger]

I love the lightning and think they should recreate it, but this concept truck is pretty sweet. Everyone opposing it just doesn't have the need for an off road truck. Granted I think a twin turbo engine in it is rediculous becuase as stated the majority of people are not gonna be flying across the desert with it. But a plain 6.0 liter engine would be great. I think it would be a descent seller if it was 4wd and didn't have an exotic engine. Hunters, farmers, construction workers, etc all have 4x4s for the reason of 4wd. Its ok to run to home depot with your lightning but you gonna take it across trails or what not to go fishing. Not to mention people like buying factory modified cars. Why buy a cobra for 25k now when you can buy a 1999 gt for 9k with higher milegage but spend the difference in rebuilding and supercharging that engine for more power?

 

[Cobra Jet 429]

Well I actually go wheeling, literally there are like 15 trails within 45 mins of my house. I'm stoked for this. I'm sure it will be tough to swing with school and apt, but that looks like debt that will be worth the money. Plus no worries about voiding warranty with a lift, tires, fenders, re-gearing, engine work etc..

Hell even if I had no where to wheel the thing, I would still rock it. Urban 4 wheeling, drive over honda's and sidewalks, benches, hot dog stands, hookers, ya know GTA type stuff!

And anyone who seems to think a big truck like this won't be comfy, get real.
My jeep has 4" lift and 33's, it handles better than it did stock, and takes bumps and nasty roads far better than most of my friend's vehicles. If a lift is done right (IE: drop pitman arm, heavy duty steering etc), the vehicle drives better. My buddy has a 97 Chevy with 5" lift and 33s, it drives like a freakin Camry....

 

[Hrbdizzle]

Is this Smack Down?

 

[blksn8k]

Guys I would buy the Raptor in a heartbeat. I always thought the Lightning was cool but I could never justify owning one. I need a truck that I can drive year-round and in places that I would never in good conscience take a Lightning. About a year ago I bought a 4x4 Limited Sport Trac with the 4.6L 3V and 6-speed auto. With a few intake and exhaust bolt-ons it easily tops 300 hp. After replacing the stock tires with BFG All-Terrain TA's I can take it hunting in the same places I used to go with my old Ranger FX4. It rides well and handles just fine on the street with its factory IRS and 3.55 gearing. It probably won't run 13 sec quarter miles but it will climb hills thanks to a 2-speed transfer case and it has a 6000 lb tow rating with the factory Class III/IV hitch. The Raptor would be just more of the same. If the BOSS V8 comes with some form of cylinder deactivation and VVT it will probably get similar fuel mileage to my ST (high teens - low twenties) and it should have a longer bed for my ATV. Perfect!:beer:

 

[Blue_Oval]

As someone from the south with TONS of places to offroad and push this truck to its limits, i'd buy it in a heart beat. Almost everyone i know with a truck turns theirs into something like this AND USES IT OFFROAD. Yeah, they'd all buy one too.

More people would want a HIPO offroad truck than a HIPO road only truck.

 

[JOEY A]

you dont know anyone that goes fishing, camping, hunting, skiing? you must only live in the material world. im sorry.

Any normal pick up is capable of doing that, hell a cross over can do it



People like to feel ultra manly, and cool thinking they need off road animals!

 

[ON D BIT]

Any normal pick up is capable of doing that, hell a cross over can do it



People like to feel ultra manly, and cool thinking they need off road animals!

8 months late huh?


thats one hell of a statement right there! you just identified the soul purpose why ford has not built another lightning. any normal car is able to drive on the road. even a 60mpg hybrid can do it.

that is why the 40k 500hp 10mpg trucks dont make money!!!!!

 

[mc01svt]

this thread is full of crap! How many on here have actually driven more than 20-30mph off road? There is absolutely no need for a baja style truck in most of the U.S.. Sure as hell aren't any deserts around here. A standard 4x4 f150 is more than capable of most outdoor activities (hunting, fishing, camping. etc). STOP THIS NONSENSE FORD AND GIVE US A HI-PO STREET TRUCK!! :bash:

 

[onebadf150]

this thread is full of crap! How many on here have actually driven more than 20-30mph off road? There is absolutely no need for a baja style truck in most of the U.S.. Sure as hell aren't any deserts around here. A standard 4x4 f150 is more than capable of most outdoor activities (hunting, fishing, camping. etc). STOP THIS NONSENSE FORD AND GIVE US A HI-PO STREET TRUCK!! :bash:

you must have never driven in new orleans before the roads are getting so bad that I can't drive my Lightning in some places. I would love to see the raptor and a new Lightning I would by them both !!

 

[5.0 Ford Power]

I want one sooooo bad. As soon as it hits the dealers im going out and picking one up.

 

[ShortThrow50]

LOL. Now if toyota made something like that, you gus would be bashing the hell out of that thing. Eh, ford loyalty i guess

 

[WVUAnt]

LOL. Now if toyota made something like that, you gus would be bashing the hell out of that thing. Eh, ford loyalty i guess

What else would you expect from a Ford based site?

 

[sunburned]

this thread is full of crap! How many on here have actually driven more than 20-30mph off road? There is absolutely no need for a baja style truck in most of the U.S.. Sure as hell aren't any deserts around here. A standard 4x4 f150 is more than capable of most outdoor activities (hunting, fishing, camping. etc). STOP THIS NONSENSE FORD AND GIVE US A HI-PO STREET TRUCK!! :bash:

I have. Got up to about 40 on an empty stretch of OBX beach in my Jeep. I'd imagine the ride would be eternally smoother in this new Raptor. It's not just that people are gonna take the thing baja racing, but they want a truck that has the capability to do many things in stock form. Most guys will put bigger tires and 3-6" lifts on their trucks and not even take them offroad. Dealers are installing lifts and tires now and selling trucks like hotcakes. Why wouldn't a factory off-road capable truck succeed, especially if it has decent power. I would absolutely love to have a truck like this. It might not be good for tight trails or rock climbing, but I wouldn't hesitate to take it anywhere I wanted.

 

[Sirhc7897]

this thread is full of crap! How many on here have actually driven more than 20-30mph off road? There is absolutely no need for a baja style truck in most of the U.S.. Sure as hell aren't any deserts around here. A standard 4x4 f150 is more than capable of most outdoor activities (hunting, fishing, camping. etc). STOP THIS NONSENSE FORD AND GIVE US A HI-PO STREET TRUCK!! :bash:

Oh man you've never been in the woods of NE Florida / SE Georgia during dog season for deer hunting.....Crazy rednecks (I would know...I qualify) drive down dirt roads, fire breaks, tram roads, ditches, pine fields, etc. at break neck speed all in a attempt to get ahead of the deer and empty a magazine only to hit nothing.....so then they repeat the process to the next road only to do it again......Almost looks like dirt track racing with no track...

They'll love this truck......Out where I live I'd go so far as to estimate 3 of 10 trucks I see on the road have some form of lift/bigger tires/extreme off-road treatment......

They build this truck with a decent engine and a even remotely reasonable price point and it will sell quite a few...

 

[GTSpartan]

There is a big difference between an open desert/baja truck (raptor) and a rock crawling/mudder (Jeep).