Building on the momentum established by the electric SuperVan lapping Bathurst faster than an uncorked GT3 car, Ford has teased a new F-150 Lightning that could be even madder still. It’s set for a debut at the Pikes Peak hillclimb in June, and if the wild outline of something like a truck here didn’t give the game away - just look how much higher the rear end is than the front - then the event it's being primed for certainly does.
Because in 2023, Ford sent that hard-worked SuperVan 4.2 up the 156 turns in a record time, its 8:47.682 with Romain Dumas driving a record in the Open Class; indeed it was one of only two vehicles that ascended in less than nine minutes. A GT2 RS Clubsport required 9:18.053, for some idea of the time laid down by the SuperVan 4.2. And Ford won’t want to be back there to go any slower, so this could well be a c. 2000hp pickup. Perhaps
Ford has plenty of previous when it comes to unlikely base vehicles and extraordinary speed, of course. This Lightning could merely be another body on the SuperVan’s four-motor set-up, though that’d surely be a bit half-baked to expend this much effort on. Perhaps it could be powered by an evolution of the Mach-E 1400 powertrain, which boasted seven motors and the ability to be front-, four-, or rear-wheel drive. Which would certainly get some attention in Colorado. Almost four years on from the Mach-E will surely have seen advancements in battery tech to get towards SuperVan levels of power. Whatever the case, it’s going to be something very far removed from a 6,000lb, 131kWh, 462hp double-cab.
Additionally, a super duper Lightning was being previewed by Blue Oval CEO Jim Farley as long ago as last February, which again would imply this is a long-term exercise and not a mere rebody. Quite where Ford electric concepts can go from a 2,000hp silhouette van isn’t exactly clear, but it seems like Ford has something very special in store for the summer..