F-150 Lightning with GT500 Parts: The Ultimate Half-Ton Sport Truck

Return of the F-150 Lightning with the engine and styling influence from the new Shelby Mustang would be legendary.

Ford truck fans and lovers of high performance street trucks have been begging for a modern rendition of the F-150 SVT Lightning basically since the last version was discontinued. Although the Raptor offers quite a bit more power than the last Lightning, not everyone wants a high-performance off-road truck to take to the drag strip or carve through the local canyons. That is why, even with the success of the Raptor, F-150 fans continue to call for a modern-day Lightning.

In the past few years, those proponents of a new Lightning suggested that Ford Performance apply their supercharged package to a short bed, short cab F-150 with the 5.0-liter V8, lifting the output up near 700 horsepower. However, with the arrival of the new Shelby GT500 Mustang, we see an opportunity for the Motor Company to roll out a half-ton truck that will comfortably battle the upcoming Hellcat-powered Ram 1500.

Today, with the help of our graphic artists, we bring you a look at what we envision as a GT500-inspired Ford F-150 Lightning.

The Nuts and Bolts

First, the basics of the GT500-inspired F-150 Lightning would be an array of items that you can’t see from the outside, starting with the supercharged 5.2-liter V8 from the new Shelby Mustang. With 760 horsepower and 625 lb-ft of torque, this would be the most powerful production road truck ever sold anywhere in the world. Ford could adjust that engine to provide a stronger low-end torque blast, so we could see a slight reduction in horsepower and an increase in torque for the truck version of the engine, but even with something like 740 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, this truck would be a total monster.

All of that power would be sent to the rear wheels by means of the 10-speed automatic transmission from the rest of the F-150 lineup, rather than the Tremec dual-clutch in the GT500. Four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive would make traction a bit easier, but for a proper Lightning, we expect a low-riding, rear-drive pickup. Beyond those wheels would be the same massive Brembo stoppers that are featured on the newest Shelby Mustang.

Exterior Design

Although short bed, short cab pickups are fading from the landscape a bit, a proper Lightning should be a two-door truck in the smallest, lightest configuration. As mentioned above, it would sit considerably lower than any other production Ford truck on sale today, with the body hovering over a set of 20-inch carbon fiber wheels, similar to those seen on the GT500. This stance would be aided by a set of rocker skirts that extend down between the wheels, which are part of the Shelby-inspired body kit.

Up front, we envision front fascia that is similar to the Raptor, but where the Raptor bumper is trimmed to yield a better approach angle, the Lightning bumper will be designed to offer better aerodynamics and engine cooling air flow. The front fascia will extend from the grille and headlights, down past the tires, with the small outer vents of the Raptor extending towards the ground while the Lightning’s center vent would travel down through the area where the Raptor has a skid plate.

As for the grille itself, we imagine that Ford would keep a similar design to that used on the Raptor, which allows for plenty of air flow while also leaving no question that this is a high performance F-150.  Above the grille would be a hood with a raised portion, similar to the design of the GT500, allowing lots of hot air to escape the engine bay at speed.

The back end would have a body-colored rear bumper that has two gaps along the bottom edge, each of which would hold two five-inch exhaust tips, similar to those on the GT500. To improve aerodynamics, a hard tonneau cover with a low-riding integrated spoiler would be standard, but we don’t foresee Ford bringing back the “flare side” bed design for the new Lightning.

Finally, the classic Lightning font logo would be located on the fenders and the tailgate where the rest of the F-150 badging is found but we would also want a big, flashy graphics package with “Lightning” emblazoned on the bedsides.

In the long run, this GT500-inspired Ford F-150 Lightning would offer more of the Shelby performance than a similar appearance, but this lowered half-ton with huge wheels, huge brakes, an aggressive body kit and the supercharged V8 would be the baddest truck to ever grace the assembly line.

Of course, this is only a rendering based on our imagination, but Ford has all of the bit and pieces to make one amazing F-150 Lightning.

Illustrations for Ford Truck Enthusiasts by Pouria Savadkouei 

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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