We are firmly entrenched in the EcoBoost era. Turbocharged engines are everywhere in the Ford model lineup. In fact, the automaker’s going to use a 3.5-liter EcoBoost motor in both the 2017 F-150 Raptor and the next GT supercar. However, there are some of you out there that bemoan the fact the Blue Oval has moved away from eight-cylinder power for two of its most eye-catching vehicles.
One of those used to be the SVT Lightning. Its supercharged 5.4-liter V8 and sport truck styling made it the ultimate performance F-150 until the Raptor roared onto the scene. The 2014 model year’s Tremor pumped out some respectable under-the-hood numbers, but its limited run meant it didn’t have the chance to develop the following the Lightning did.
What if Ford decided to make a new version of the Lightning, say, in 2018? Would you want it to put something similar to the MPT Performance-tuned engine you’re about to see in it?
Of course, 948 horsepower and 727 lb.-ft. of torque is a little much to expect out of a production truck, but what do you think of the setup? Ford already has a 5.0-liter V8 for the F-150. It loves turbocharging its engines. An EcoBoost-ed V8 would be a first for Ford and offer new Lightning buyers a touch of exclusivity and the ability to haul ass in a pickup that would be more fuel-efficient than ever thanks to an aluminum body and the new 10-speed auto that’s coming.
What do you think? Would that kind of engine in a new Lightning strike you the right way?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
