Ford has no plans to resurrect the Lightning, according to 2021 F-150 chief designer Craig Schmatz.
Cold Water
The Ford F-150 Lightning came into our lives and left much like a bolt of actual lightning. It was exciting, fast, and attracted quite the fanbase, only to be gone in a flash after two generations. But while most of us are still holding out hope that SVT's awesome performance pickup could one day return, that apparently isn't happening, according to 2021 Ford F-150 Chief Engineer Craig Schmatz.
Photos: Ford
Customer Demand
"We see more people do off-road rather than on-road street performance," Schmatz explained to Muscle Cars & Trucks in a recent interview. "Our customers love the ability to go anywhere and do anything...very few people would want to buy a street truck that wasn't capable of towing vehicles and going off-road."
Photos: Ford
Alternative Choice
Schmatz actually worked on the F-150 Lightning program back in the 1990s, so he knows a thing or two about these trucks. And he is quick to point out, as Ford often is, that for those that crave a performance pickup, the automaker already offers a pretty darn quick pickup in the F-150 Raptor.
Photos: Ford
More Utility
The Raptor is more utilitarian than the two-wheel-drive Lightning was, of course, and that's sort of the point. It's a truck that can tow and haul, provide its owner with some performance thrills, and tackle just about any sort of off-road terrain that we can throw at it.
Photos: Ford
Alternative Choices
On the other hand, an on-road performance-focused truck like the Lightning would have a more limited audience these days. And those folks already have quite a few aftermarket companies to choose from that will be happy to build them a super high-performance, two-wheel-drive Ford F-150.
Photos: Ford
Aftermarket Options
That includes Hennessey Performance, which offers its HPE750 package as a slammed, supercharged, 757 horsepower modern Lightning alternative. Or buyers could opt for Roush's Nitemare, which combines slick street truck styling with a 650 horsepower supercharged 5.0-liter V8.
Photos: Ford
No Sequel
While it's disappointing that Ford won't be bringing back the Lightning, it's also a logical business decision. But clearly, those who want one have plenty of options, including dealer-built Lightnings based on the new F-150. The only caveat is the fact that they just won't come straight from Dearborn like that.
Photos: Ford
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