Performance West Group Ford F-350 Striker to debut at SEMA

In stock form, the Ford F-350 is a formidable sight. It looks much like a freight train coming down the highway, both in size and looks. It's the perfect platform for excess.



Enter the F-350 Striker, a heavily fortified show truck version of the F-350 created by the mad scientists at Performance West Group which will make it's debut at SEMA. Part truck and part Mustang GT500KR, the Striker will be intimidating other, lesser vehicles at the show.



Gale Banks is tuning the PowerStroke V8 engine above its 350 hp and 650 lb-ft. Hulst Customs is fabricating the bodywork. American Lightweight will be providing the aluminum 24" wheels. Katzkin Leather and Sony are doing duty inside to make sure you enjoy what will surely be a monster system in beauteous comfort.



The truck will then be covered in Striker Silver and Badass Blue before being set loose. Even if the thought of fueling the thing up scares you more than seeing it behind you on the highway, the Striker would make a nice driveway conversation piece.

2009 F-150 pricing drops

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeFollowing up yesterday's post concerning the new 2009 F-150's fuel economy ratings, today Ford announced pricing for the truck. While the economic outlook isn't too friendly for trucks, Ford is touting the trucks value, improved fuel economy, and introduction of the new SFE package that will help the truck average 21 mpg on the highway.



Ford is also saying that it's MSRP will be comparable or better in all three cab formats. According to Ford marketing manager Mark Grueber, the new F-150 lineup offers "better-equipped trucks at a greater value than the competition," with more towing capacity, hauling ability, and safety features "at a starting price of more than $1000 less than a comparably-equipped competitive truck." As an example, the automaker cites the F-150 Lariat SuperCrew starting at $35,820, which it claims is more than $5000 less than a similar 2009 Dodge Ram. In addition, the Blue Oval says that the 2009 F-150 will come with more standard safety equipment than any other half-ton truck on the market and is sure to earn an NHTSA 5-star crash test rating and IIHS "Best Pick."



Here's how the range's pricing breaks down:



2009 Ford F-150:



* XL $21,320 - $33,340 4.6L V-8, four-speed automatic



* STX $24,120 - $31,365



* XLT $25,290 - $36,015



* FX4 $34,605 - $38,315 six-speed automatic, Sirius satellite radio, trailer tow package, six-way power driver seat



* Lariat $33,160 - $39,265 10-way power driver and passenger seat, heated seats, SYNC, power pedals



* King Ranch $39,815 - $43,260 heated/cooled seats, universal garage door opener



* Platinum $41,415 - $44,860 20-in. wheels, power running boards, unique exterior and interior treatment, rain sensing wipers



The new F-150 automatically faces an uphill battle when it comes to market, with Americans shunning trucks for more fuel efficient vehicles. Its healthy list of standard equipment and competitive pricing, however, should enable the F-150 to continue to maintain its crown as the best-selling truck in the country. With 10 million different configurations to choose from, most buyers will find a model that meets their needs.



Check out AmericanTrucks.com and their line of F150 Parts.

2009 F-150 fuel efficiency details revealed

Image via WikipediaWe still don't know when it will officially go on sale (maybe in a month or so), but more details of the upcoming F-150 have been revealed, including fuel efficiency ratings. Ford is promising that it will be the most fuel efficient truck in it's class.



Using the tried-and-true fuel-saving techniques of lowering weight and improving aerodynamics, Ford claims the 2009 F-150 models will get, on average, 8%-better fuel economy than their 2008 predecessors. The SFE package will get as much as 21 mpg city with a V-8 engine, which, as full-size-truck drivers know, is a substantial improvement.



"Ford has committed to have the best or equal to the best fuel economy with every new product we introduce, and we are delivering with the new F-150," says Matt O'Leary, Ford F-150 chief engineer. "Fuel economy has moved from 10th to third place among pickup buyers' top purchase considerations -- right behind durability and value. The new F-150 delivers on all three as the industry leader."



To maximize your fuel economy with the F-150, you'll want to opt for the SFE package, which stands for "Superior Fuel Economy." The SFE package is available only on the F-150 SuperCrew XL and XLT 2WD models with the 5.5-ft beds. They'll come with a 4.6L three-valve V-8 that's been worked over to squeeze every last bit of efficiency out of it. It will feature a new technology called open-valve injection, which will allow the engine to run more spark advance at high engine speeds and loads and get the most efficiency out of each drop of gas. The engine will also use an aggressive fuel cutoff program that will cut fuel to the engine the instant you take your foot off the gas pedal and turn it back on when the engine reaches a low speed, or when you put your foot back on the gas.



Proprietary Ford software keeps the fuel cutoff and restart smooth, unlike, say, the fuel cutoff when you hit the rev limiter. The SFE also picks up a six-speed transmission, 3.15:1 rear-axle ratio and 18-in. chrome wheels with low rolling-resistance tires. The SFE's drag coefficient has been dropped to 0.403, 6% better than the 2008 F-150. All this is good for 15 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway. Even with the small V-8 and low-ratio rearend, the SFE can still tow up to 7500 lb. The SFE package will be a no-cost option on SuperCrew XLTs, but will cost $1095 on SuperCrew XLs.



Across the entire 2009 F-150 lineup, Ford has switched to lighter-weight ultra-high-strength steel that shaves 100 lb off the curb weight. Every model also features improved aerodynamics, such as a reworked front valence that will improve airflow under the truck. Up top, the rear of the cab has been reworked to smooth out airflow over the bed, and a lip on the top of the tailgate helps direct airflow cleanly off the back of the truck. The larger 5.4L 3-valve V-8 in non-SFE-equipped trucks also gets open-valve injection for maximum power and efficiency, though it isn't clear whether non-SFE equipped trucks will get the six-speed automatic. The 5.4L-equipped trucks will tow up to 11,300 lb and can haul up to 3030 lb in the bed, the best in the class.



Delaying the new F-150 may have aggravated some that were anxiously awaiting it's arrival, but Ford has seemingly done the right thing by fine tuning the truck. With the economy in a state of flux and gas prices still rising, it will be important for the venerable F series to continue to enjoy some success. Even if it's long run as the best selling vehicle in America has finally come to an end.



Check out AmericanTrucks.com and their line of Ford Truck Parts.

A look back at the SVT Lightning Bolt Ranger

Ford's Special Vehicles Team has been known for producing several awesome rides, enhancing quite a few performance vehicles and some not exactly performance vehicles.

One that got lost in the shuffle was a prototype V-8 Ranger that unfortunately never saw the light of day. The Lightning Bolt started life as a regular cab flareside Ranger and was the brainchild of Dave Dempster, an SVT Powertrain Systems engineer. Dempster's goal was to build a small pickup "that would get your full attention on those occasions when the accelerator pedal might get exercised aggressively." Well by all appearances he succeeded.

Using many off the shelf pieces to simplify fabrication challenges and keep the costs down, the Lightning Bolt was a beast. In place of the stock 2.5-liter I-4 engine rests a supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 transplanted from a 2002 SVT F-150 Lightning. This two-valve SOHC pumps out 380 horsepower at 4750 rpm and is backed by a 4R100 four-speed automatic transmission. Surprisingly the big modular motor fit the engine bay pretty well. The swap included the fabrication of new engine mounts, a new air intake, two-inch exhaust headers, and a three-inch stainless-steel dual exhaust system.

The battery was relocated from under the hood to the bed, and the large HVAC plenum was replaced with a smaller unit from an E-Series Ford van. Torque output is 450 pound-feet at 3250 rpm--more than enough to twist the stock frame into a pretzel.

To counter these forces, the SVT engineers boxed both framerails and added cross-braces. This meant replacing the production plastic fuel tank with a fuel cell mounted in the bed (filled through a Bullitt Mustang aluminum fuel door mounted inside the bed).

In the front SVT fitted SVT Lightning front springs, lower control arms, and steering knuckles were fitted to the Ranger's front end, then dropped two inches so the engine would fit under the stock hood. The Bolt uses a production Lightning rearend that's been narrowed almost 11 inches and fitted with 3.73:1 gears. The spring perches also have been relocated inboard to accommodate the massive 345/35ZR18 Michelin Pilot Sport tires on widened 18x12.5-inch Lightning wheels (stock wheels are 9.5 inches wide). Up front, the rolling stock is 235/40ZR18s on narrowed 18x8.0-inch Lightning wheels.

To be sure the modified Ranger has adequate stopping abilities, SVT engineers fitted Lightning brake components all around.

In the 1/4 mile Dempster's little truck ran consistent 13.60's at 108 mph.

There are scores of enthusiasts that have converted Rangers and S-10's to V-8 power. It's unfortunate that we haven't seen a hot truck like this be produced by Ford or Chevrolet. And with gas prices in the stratosphere and the Ranger seemingly dying a slow death, it's unlikely we'll see it anytime soon.