First of all, I was the guy in the M5, and I'm not here to spam the Lightning, but to say it really suprised me.

I was at a light, and traffic was a bit heavy so I was taking it easy. I pulled out and switched lanes to get into a open lane. I check my rear view expecting that I'd cleared everyone at the light by now and could ease off, but there's a Ford pickup in my mirror.

So I step on it a bit to dust the black pickup. I check he's still there, what's going on. OK, I'll take the corner comming up at around 90, no way a pickup would try to hang around this corner at 90, what he's still there???

Finally I nail the throttle, and start to ease away, not run away, but ease away. Comming up on a spot that the local authorities hang out at so I back way off, the guy in the pickup comes up next to me and gives me a thumbs up, to which I return the gesture. I look at the side of the front 1/4 pannel and see SVT Lightning and say, "ya, I've heard about those things".

About a quarter mile up the road, my radar detector goes off and there's the police in their favorite spot, luckily we had had enough fun earlier up the road and had slowed way down from over 110 a few moments ago.

In general, the SVT Ligtning impressed the heck out of me. I'm used to easily dusting most stuff on the street without breathing that hard (exceptions always occur). The Lightning stayed up with my M5 a lot closer than I would have ever expected. I was not full out on this stretch, because I never expected I needed to be. So do I think the M5 can take an SVT Lightning, yep no doubt, it's a pickup, a really fast one albiet for <1/2 the price of an M5. Do I give the SVT Lightning a lot of credit as a hotrod/sports car/truck, without a doubt. From what I see, these things are really fast, and will suprise the crap out of a lot of folks. Really impressed!!!

PS: I'm also a repeat Ford truck owner. I currently have an EB Expedition for my 2nd vehicle, learned to drive on an F100 3speed on the column, then moved to a Bronco II XLS, then a full sized Bronco XLT. Once I build the lake house in the GA mountains, the first thing in the garage will be an F350 4x4. If own a truck, it'll be a Ford!!

 

Cool story. A very nice driveway indeed: M5, Expidition, F350 4x4-Business is Good!

 

 

yeah, I ran up on one of those 2001 m5 bmws, man those things move. I've never had any respect for any so called fast import cars before that afternoon on atlanta 400. if you from atlanta you know exactly what road I am talking about. I remember it like it was yesterday, I was late coming back from lunch and I was driving like a freaking maniac cutting people off tailgating the whole 9 yards. Then all of a sudden I look up in my rear view and there it is tailgating the h*ll out of me. I look down and i'm doing a hundred when we hit 400. It seems as though all the other cars just shifted out of the fast lane at one time. I looked back and he was swinging around. man I felt just like tom cruise in days of thunder I wasn't about to let this german piece of crap pass me. I pushed the speedometer up to 130 he was still there at that time we were blowing through the toll and there was no cops in site. I knew I had the superchip but I had never pushed it pass 140. by the time we reached I-285 I didn't know how fast I was going because I had pegged out and he was still pulling away. I never saw that matallic blue m5 again. The m5 bmw is a incredible piece of machinery but if you are still out there I want you to know I just recieved my bonus check and the lightning going back to the shop. FEAR THE BLUE OVAL!!!

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 10-Mar-02 AT 02:03&nbsp;AM (EST)]I haven't got it on with an M5 yet, but my stock 2001 Lightning has tangled with several Beemers and has yet to lose. The first victim was a young punk in a M3. Kicked his *** from a dead stop and again from a 40 MPH roll. Those blue headlights he had on that car sure lit up my rearview mirror.

Then there was the yuppie in the brand new X5 (paper tags on the outside and his girlfriend on the inside) that drove up on my butt, then cut me off at the next light. I pulled three lengths on him in the first 300 feet from a dead stop and had two more by the time we hit 100. I had this guy chasing me for over a mile and a half at over 130 MPH and the L never trailed or faded. I wonder if he took it back to the dealer and demanded a refund?

There's also been one 325 and two 535i kills. Looking forward to a romp with a 735 or 850i.

RUNVS?

 

Add a hopped-up Z3 to that list. Tested out the new FactoryTech valve body on a black Z3 with loud exhaust last night. Not close.


Red 2001 Lightning with stock drivetrain.
13.61 @ 102 MPH spinning factory F1s.

 

You must have run against an older M3. The new M3 will keep up with the M5. I ain't saying your lightning didn't do that. I love the lightning. It is plain awesome that a 5000 pound truck can outrun almost every car on the road. But a NEW M3? Try that one and tell us the results. Benjamin

 

I can't tell you what year model the M3 was that I smoked, but he got his butt whupped good. Twice.

I'll take almost any challenge from those driving high dollar imports (Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Lexus,...etc). Why not? Unless they're cuttin' low 13s, they aren't going to beat my stock Lightning. And even if the best I can do is only run door to door with them, what does that say about their megabuck import?

 

Do you have any mods or is that stock? If that is stock time, MAN that thing rocks!!!!! Benjamin

 

No engine mods at all. However, I have recently installed a Factory Tech valve body in the transmission and there is no wasted time between shifts now. I'm sure that's knocked my 13.61 down at least another tenth......maybe two.

Mid to low 13 second '01s and '02s are not uncommon at all. Especially at the altitude I live at. Houston is like 500 feet above sea level and as flat as Bonneville.