The Ford F-150 Lightning was one of the fastest pickup trucks of its day.
The Lightning was reasonably popular and lives on in infamy in the minds and hearts of Ford enthusiasts.
Today, though, there aren't very many high-performance pickup trucks. The Ford F-150 Raptor is the only one, featuring a 450 horsepower turbocharged V6 engine and all-wheel drive, and a shiftable automatic transmission.
This is the direct opposite of what its ancestor, the Lightning, truly was. The Lightning featured a supercharged V8 engine and rear-wheel drive. It shared its automatic transmission with the Ford F-350 diesel in the first generation models.
Despite the restrictive gearbox, the Lightning was very fast. The second generation model featured a 5.4 liter V8 producing 360 horsepower, and reached 380 horsepower in later models. This lets the Lightning go from 0 to 60 in just 5.1 seconds.
It is a terrible shame that the Lightning was axed with the updated generation of the F-150, which launched in 2005. However, a Georgia dealership recognized the market for a supercharged, V8, rear-wheel drive pickup truck.
Pioneer Ford of Bremen, Georgia partnered with world-renowned Ford tuner Roush to create a modern interpretation of the Ford F-150 Lightning. It features the 5.0 liter V8 that is an option for the F-150. It is fitted with a supercharger, which gives the "Lightning" a staggering 650 horsepower.
There is no official 0-60 time released, a test by Hooniverse on low-quality tarmac brought a 6.2-second sprint. We estimate that it would reach 60 in the high-four second, low five-second range under ideal conditions.
Pricing is quite reasonable for a 650 horsepower sleeper. You can take an F-150 Lightning tribute home for just under $50,000, with a 3-year, 36,000-mile warranty.
The F-150 had a special place in the hearts of car and truck enthusiasts alike, and it is exciting to see a company trying to recreate its charm.
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