If the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor proves anything, it’s that sports/performance pickup trucks are here to stay. But the Raptor is more dedicated off-roader than utilitarian hot rod, so naturally, some industry pundits have gotten to wondering if there’s a gap that might be filled by a replacement Ford SVT Lightning – with the folks at Car and Driver among them.
As C/D reminds us, we the people have been promised no less than twelve new products from Ford Performance by 2020. We’ve been introduced to the 2017 Raptor, the GT supercar, the Mustang Shelby GT350 and GT350R, and the Focus RS. Even assuming that we’re also shown two new STs, a Fiesta RS, and a Shelby GT500, that still leaves three open slots – one of which could certainly be taken by a street-oriented Ford SVT Lightning replacement.
As for what we might expect to see from a future Ford SVT Lightning, your guess is as good as ours. The recent F-150 Tremor (pictured) and future F-150 Raptor have both effectively replaced displacement with EcoBoost twin-turbo powerplants, as has the 2017 Ford GT supercar, so the smart money says to expect the same from any Ford SVT Lightning replacement, as well.
Still, we remain hopeful that Ford Performance would differentiate the rumored Ford SVT Lightning future truck from the pack with plenty of cubic-inches and eight plucky cylinders. But, you know, fuel economy and all that.
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