Second Gen Lightning is Still Awesome (Video)
When Ford added a supercharger to their best-selling truck they changed the world.
We have a soft spot for supercharged Ford pickups. Who doesn’t? They’re loud, fast, and still useful. The second generation Ford Lightning is still a truck we’ll stop and stare at in the parking lot. So, when we saw this review on YouTube from Scotty Kilmer, we had to check it out. This is Kilmer’s “Car Show Off Sunday” episode, so Eric Knight is doing the talking. He’s the owner of this 2001 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning. He picked it up with 77,000 and the engine was all stock. “That’s a big deal when you’re looking for one of these,” he explains.
Why was the second gen Lightning worth about $32,000 new? Mind you, the garden-variety F-150 was going for just shy of $20,000 in 2001. The Lightning had the distinct bragging right of being the fastest production pickup in the world. This thing was also so powerful that Ford borrowed the automatic from a Super Duty to put behind the supercharged V-8 since it was the only thing that would handle the torque. Are we driving the point home? Good.
When Knight starts talking about the truck he mentions that he kept the engine “completely stock” but that’s a bit misleading. He’s kept the hard parts stock, but a K&N filter and a tune have bumped power to 361 hp and 449 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels. Anecdotal research (Google and YouTube dyno videos) seems to suggest this is pretty healthy, but not unbelievable, for a basically stock engine.
He’s upgraded the brakes too, added what appears to be a Mustang GT steering wheel, and a double-DIN touchscreen stereo. We’ve had some bad touchscreen stereos, so we’d stick with one that has knobs, but that’s personal preference. The seats are also the right balance of supportive and sporty, keeping you planted when you take a corner faster than intended. Trust us, you’ll end up doing it too. Why? This.
Driving something with a blower literally is as cool as it sounds on YouTube. If you haven’t ever driven, or ridden in something with a supercharger, do it now. Go make a new friend, test drive something if the local dealer will let you, etc. But, you know, maybe not if your wallet is full and your impulse control is weak. You’ll be hooked. Especially if it’s sitting on top of Ford’s 5.4-liter V-8.
Join the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forums now!
