Ford F150 Truck Blog

The first 2010 Ford Raptor SVT F-150 sold at auction on Saturday, January 17 for the nice sum of $143,000. That price includes a $13,000 buyer’s premium. It was lot #1333.

We’ve started a Raptor F150 section here at FordF150.net, you can check it out at http://www.fordf150.net/raptor/

The Raptor truck details from the Barrett-Jackson website are as follows:

Summary: The DNA of a Baja Prerunner. Built Ford Tough. The Ford Special Vehicle Team (SVT) takes performance supremacy off-road with the new F-150 SVT Raptor. All proceeds above MSRP vehicle will go directly to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Details: The DNA of a Baja Prerunner. Built Ford Tough. The Ford Special Vehicle Team (SVT) takes performance supremacy off-road with the new F-150 SVT Raptor. This purpose-built, high performance truck is rugged enough to take on challenging desert adventures, and refined enough for everyday use. F-150 SVT Raptor-specific triple internal bypass Fox Racing Shox, an electronic locking rear differential, and hill descent control mark its serious off-road capability. Outrageous styling backs up its performance with a brick-wall grille, unique front fenders, box outer panels, hood and front bumper, plus a Raptor-exclusive interior. This is one awesome truck. The winning bidder will take delivery of the first F-150 SVT Raptor offered for sale. All proceeds above MSRP vehicle will go directly to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Over the last three years, Ford and Barrett-Jackson have raised over $2.5 million dollars for charity through the auction of Ford products. This new model will give the winning bidder an opportunity to contribute to a worthy cause while making automotive history. Features include 7″ Wider than a standard F-150, 5.4L SOHC V8 FFV with 320hp and 390 lb-ft. of torque, 11.2″ of front suspension travel, unique cast-aluminum front control arms, unique skid plates, 12.1″ of rear suspension travel, unique rear springs. 4.10 rear axle, electronic locking rear differential, 17″ cast-aluminum wheels, BFGoodrich 35″ All-Terrain T/A KO (315/70R17), Hill Descent Control, unique Off-Road Mode and auxiliary switches for additional lighting and accessories.

Well of course well all know that Ford builds the best trucks. And of course every generation is better than the previus. Well I thought I’d re-post the list of awards that have been handed to the 2009 F-150 so far (and it’s only Jan/09).

Don’t forget we have oodles of 2009 F-150 information here: http://www.fordf150.net/2009/

and the 2009 F150 Forum is here: http://www.fordf150.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=69

The 2009 F-150 has won the following awards and accolades:

• Motor Trend 2009 Truck of the Year Award
• Top honors as “Truck of Texas” as well as “Best Luxury Pickup” for the 2009 F-150 King Ranch from Texas Auto Writers Association
• Finalist 2009 North American Truck of the Year (with 2009 Ford Flex for Car of the Year)
• 2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com
• “Best Overall Half-Ton Pickup” from PickupTrucks.com
• “Automotive Excellence” award in the Workhorse Category from Popular Mechanics
• Detroit Free Press Truck of the Year
• Detroit News Truck of the Year
• “Top Safety Pick” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its standard safety technology: Safety Canopy side curtain air bags and AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control
• “Residual Value” award from Automotive Leasing Guide (ALG) for retaining the highest percentage of its original price among 2009 full-size light duty pickups at the end of a conventional three-year lease, based on ALG projections
• Motor Trend’s Truck Trend Top 5 Trucks from Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) for 2009 Ford F-150 Heavy Duty DeWalt Contractor Concept
• “Accessory-Friendly Truck” Design Award from SEMA

Source: Ford Press Release

For those of you who haven’t heard yet, MOTORZ TV is a free online car/truck DIY show. The host is a friend of mine, Chris Duke from TruckBlog.

Chris has a lot of experience in the automotive area and it shows in the videos. If you like the TV show Trucks! then you’ll like MOTORZ! Check out all the videos and subscribe to their podcast today at www.motorz.tv

From their site:

Duke gets his hands into the nuts and bolts of the install, showing you how to get the job done using simple tools, and the problems he encounters along the way. Whether it’s installing bolt-on performance modifications, wiring up electronics, or dressing up your ride for show, MOTORZ offers a real look at what lies beneath the installation instructions.

Formerly Truckblog.TV, MOTORZ is the DIY show for automotive enthusiasts who love to work on their rides. Host Chris Duke (automotive journalist and photographer) shows you how to install aftermarket products step-by-step in layman’s terms, in a typical garage setting, using common tools.

One thing that most people haven’t talked about with the new 2009 F-150 is the new badges. The new F-150 badges which are displayed on the front fenders and tailgate are sporting a fresh, new look.

Ford says the newly designed badges are “reminiscent of handcrafted belt buckles”.

The design features a bold, italic F-150 on a sculpted silver base with the trim level series designation inset in smaller type.

Just like there are visual styling cues between the different trim levels such as different grilles, so too the F-150 badges are different. Check them all out in the photo to the right.

Also, check out our full 2009 F-150 coverage here – http://www.fordf150.net/2009/

I know, I know, you see the headline and think there must be a mistake. A four cylinder engine in an F-150? That’s crazy talk. Well, until recently that was a crazy idea.

With gas prices as high as they are and truck sales so low, it’s maybe not such a crazy idea after all. Derrick Kuzak, the Vice President of Product Management from Ford has said “it’s a potential”.

If Ford does offer a four-cylinder engine, it would most likely would be an EcoBoost engine (turbocharged with direct injection). It’s projected the engine would be offered in 2013.

Ford has already acknowledged that they are working on and plan to produce a diesel F-150. Heck, there’s also talk of a new F-100 truck (a bit smaller than the F-150). And the Ford Ranger plant that was scheduled to close multiple times now just might stay open for a few more years.

Source: [Automotive News]

Automotive News has put together an excellent article on Ford’s product strategy. Here’s what’s coming up in regards to Ford trucks. See also: [F150 Raptor] [Ford F100]

Ranger: The small pickup had been scheduled to die, but now Ford is considering extending Ranger output by as much as two years. The automaker had been expected to end Ranger production in fall 2009 when it planned to close its assembly plant in St. Paul, Minn.

What may give the Ranger new life is the relatively high mpg capability stemming from the standard four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission.

Ford may keep making the aging Ranger into the 2011 calendar year. While it’s unlikely that Ford would invest in any significant update in the truck, changes may be made to comply with federal rollover mandates.

Ford eventually could replace the Ranger with a small pickup developed on a new global architecture Ford of Australia is developing, called T6.

F-100: Ford is developing a smaller version of its flagship F-series pickup. The new pickup, code-named P525, could be called F-100; it is scheduled to go into production in mid-2011 for the 2012 model year.

The pickup is based on a lighter version of the F-150 chassis and would share front-end sheet metal with the next-generation Expedition, if that vehicle is produced. The F-100 would be offered in a crew-cab model only.

The trade-off for the lighter frame is reduced capability. The F-100 is aimed at buyers who want a pickup but do not need to tow 10,000-plus pounds or carry 3,000-pound loads.

A performance version of the F-100 that tops 400 hp is a possibility.

F-150: Talk about bad timing. Ford is launching the 2009 re-engineered, restyled F-150 in a terrible market for pickups.The 2008 models stacked up at dealerships as gasoline prices rose.

The inventory overload and drop in demand caused Ford to push back the on-sale date of the 2009 truck by two months and eliminate two shifts of production. The 2009 F-150 now is expected to go on sale in late fall. Ford plans to build more basic work trucks and fewer high-end models.

The 2009 F-150 has an all-V-8 engine strategy. Ford has dropped a base V-6 for now. Executives say a turbocharged V-6, part of Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine family, will be added in 2010. The three engines for the 2009 model are a 5.4-liter, three-valve V-8; a 4.6-liter, three-valve V-8; and a 4.6-liter, two-valve V-8. They are paired with a four-speed automatic or a new six-speed automatic transmission.

F-series Super Duty: A freshened Super Duty is expected for the 2011 model year.

Source: [Automotive News]

Here’s what we do know about a potential SVT truck for 2009. Earlier this morning AutoBlog reported that an SVT rep commented “a new SVT truck is coming … later this fall”. Shortly thereafter PickupTrucks.com reported from a credible source that the truck won’t be called a Lightning. In fact it looks like it’s going to be part of the Harley-Davidson line-up of trucks.

Here’s what we don’t know. We don’t have details but it’s probably safe to say the truck will likely be a version of the supercharged Harley F-150. Expect big custom wheels, a custom instrument cluster, perhaps special stitching in the seats. Production may be limited. We also don’t know whether this will satisfy 01-04 Lightning owners. Will this new SVT truck be a Lightning replacement? We’ll see.

One thing is clear. Ford needs to keep coming up with new models and incentives to get truck sales levels back to where they were not that long ago. Trucks are big business and the F-Series was the top selling vehicle for many years (that is until this year). With rumors of a Raptor F150 and a new Ford F100, this potential new SVT truck might be just what Ford needs to be #1 again.

Sources: [Ford SVT Lightning Concept 2004 - Photos] [Autoblog] [PickupTrucks]

MotorTrend is reporting that Ford has confirmed plans of building two new pickups smaller than the F-150 (one may be the Ford F-100). With gas prices showing no signs of going down, this is good news from the Blue Oval. As we reported earlier, one of the trucks may be called the F-100.

Here is a quote from the MotorTrend article:

The smaller F-150 is codenamed P525 and may be badged F-100, the name of the F-150’s predecessor from the 1950s. At one point, P525 and the Ranger replacement were competing proposals, but with growing need for higher-fuel-mileage trucks, both projects will become reality in 2010 or 2011. The P525 won’t be offered with V-8 power, but instead will come with four-cylinder and V-6 EcoBoost (gas direct injection and turbocharging) options, the engines’ fuel economy and torque optimized for interim Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards expected to kick in for the 2011 model year.

Personally, I can’t wait to see a smaller EcoBoost truck, especially a potentially turbo 4-cylinder model. I only have need for a light-duty pickup. I suspect many people are in the same boat, they don’t need the V8 power on a daily basis and would like to get better mpg for their daily commute.

The F-100 nameplate has some heritage and I think it would be a good choice for a slightly-smaller-than-F-150 size.

Ford announced yesterday that due to a shift in consumer demand toward more fuel efficient vehicles, they are reducing production of large trucks.

“We are continuing to make great progress on our plan,” said Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally. “We are profitable and growing outside of North America, and our transformation plan in North America is working. The challenge affecting the entire industry is the accelerating shift in consumer demand away from large trucks and SUVs to smaller cars and crossovers – combined with a steep rise in commodity prices and the weak U.S. economy.”

One has to wonder what will be the Ranger’s future… Ford has announced a few years in a row that the Ranger assembly plant in the Twin Cities will be closing but it hasn’t happened yet. Also, on the Ford Fleet site they’ve said the Ranger will be available during the 2009 model year.What do you think? With people turning to more fuel efficient vehicles, would you consider buying a Ranger to get better gas mileage? That’s one way to keep driving a Ford truck while not paying as much at the pump!

If you’re interested in any of the following Ford products, these are some “sister” sites:

• Ford Flex
• Ford Fusion
• Ford Taurus

Here’s what we do know about F-150 Raptor.

Four Wheeler Magazine broke the news about a truck in the works from Ford. It’s a Raptor edition truck which features:

• Fox Racing long, reservoir shocks
• Fender flares to help fit large tires (possibly 35″)
• Unique styling
• Boss 6.2L V8 engine (380 – 420 hp) or EcoBoost engine

The big question is…. will it sell? Gas prices are at record levels and show no sign of going down. Truck sales are already down this year so in a year or two will this even be produced? Only time will tell.

More reading: Four Wheeler – PickupTruck – AutoBlog