What’s Next For Ford’s SVT? A Truck…

john March 30th, 2007 3:51 PM Link

Don’t care. It will sell poorly and be canceled after 2 yrs. Standard fare for Ford and SVT.

Billy Clay II March 30th, 2007 4:17 PM Link

I’m so excited I can’t help sharing this with you… it will be a RANGER-S.V.T.! unique paint colors and trim and …ummm… DECALS!

Don March 30th, 2007 5:02 PM Link

Well, it’s about time they got around to a truck again.

C. A. Martin March 30th, 2007 5:35 PM Link

Adrenaline, please…for us married types, it’d be easier to convince our wives that it’s a “responsible, comfortable family vehicle”.

However, the 390 hp the original concept had…needs to be pushed upward a bit.

Automotive Articles Magazine » Just another WordPress weblog » Blog Archive » The future of SVT is hinged to a new truck March 30th, 2007 5:41 PM Link

[…] The future of Ford’s Special Vehicle Team has been cloudy for the past few years. The hope that it would remain around in some form or another took a hit when its current chief, Hau Thai-Tang, was tapped to head Ford of Brazil earlier this year. Nevertheless, SVT indeed soldiers on and today we have proof that they’re hard at work on a new project. […]

It’s all about car news here » The future of SVT is hinged to a new truck March 30th, 2007 5:43 PM Link

[…] The future of Ford’s Special Vehicle Team has been cloudy for the past few years. The hope that it would remain around in some form or another took a hit when its current chief, Hau Thai-Tang, was tapped to head Ford of Brazil earlier this year. Nevertheless, SVT indeed soldiers on and today we have proof that they’re hard at work on a new project. […]

Costas Calas March 30th, 2007 5:48 PM Link

These high performance trucks are like the last meal before an execution (bankruptcy). Wasted time, and in this case the meal is even tasteless. How about bringing in some decent cars from Ford Europe guys?????? Some decent engines while you are at it also.

Turbo Tuning » Blog Archive » The future of SVT is hinged to a new truck March 30th, 2007 6:02 PM Link

[…] The future of Ford’s Special Vehicle Team has been cloudy for the past few years. The hope that it would remain around in some form or another took a hit when its current chief, Hau Thai-Tang, was tapped to head Ford of Brazil earlier this year. Nevertheless, SVT indeed soldiers on and today we have proof that they’re hard at work on a new project. […]

It’s Beta » Blog Archive » The future of SVT is hinged to a new truck March 30th, 2007 6:56 PM Link

[…] The future of Ford’s Special Vehicle Team has been cloudy for the past few years. The hope that it would remain around in some form or another took a hit when its current chief, Hau Thai-Tang, was tapped to head Ford of Brazil earlier this year. Nevertheless, SVT indeed soldiers on and today we have proof that they’re hard at work on a new project. […]

FBMphil March 30th, 2007 8:02 PM Link

Twin turbo Boss V8 debuting with 09 F150. Just a hunch…

tony March 30th, 2007 8:04 PM Link

Yeah… Standard fare. The lightning is and was the best selling performance pick-up ever. This is the last year for the SRT-10 because it’s not selling. 93-95, 99-04. There’s not much of a market for performance trucks, but having a run for that long (and the only reason it didnt continue was due to the new F-150 platform, and the cobra didnt continue because the SN197 came out)

Ford could have gone the way of Dodge and slapped SRT on every vehicle they make and take away from the exclusivity of the product, come on… an SRT neon? And now a Caliber? What a joke. How about the GM Malibu MaXX SS with the potent 3.9 V-6? or the SS HHR thats coming out? Even the SS silverado is slow. Every SVT product i’ve ever seen sold well. Even the focus. Check your numbers before posting inane, factually errored comments.

Scott March 30th, 2007 8:22 PM Link

Every SVT product i’ve ever seen sold well. Even the focus

Not really. Ford planned on about 15K sales a year of the SVT Focus.

Grand total of the 02-2004 Production run: roughly 14K units.

Jesda March 30th, 2007 9:09 PM Link

SVT Contour = Flop, but a cool flop.

Devin LaDawri March 30th, 2007 9:25 PM Link

It will be a re-badged Taurus.

They are going to take all those now unused “Ford 500″ badges and add “hp” after it.

They will combine the two and badge it a “500hp Ford Taurus”

Shhhhh…..
Don’t tell anyone.
It’s a secret

jeff thompson March 30th, 2007 9:26 PM Link

If Ford has a SVT truck coming out, please keep it a 2 door model !!!!!!!!!!!1

Johnny Rocket March 31st, 2007 12:37 AM Link

The sport truck market was never much of anything, be it in the 1990s or the present. The Ram SRT-10 was a bad idea from the start and that’s why it’s getting the boot. The F-150 Lightning was a dud, too. JGP, Roush, and Saleen can afford the small market because that’s what they specialize in. There’s nothing cool about a 5,200 lb. pickup running the quarter-mile in 16 sec. The truck boom is over. The only people buying full-size sport trucks are ghetto trash, hillbillies, and poseurs. Make a decent midsize truck for a change.

john March 31st, 2007 1:29 AM Link

Say what you want about GM’s SS. It has sold more SS models than all SVT models combined. The problem with Ford is that it has never been able to provide perfomance at a reasonable price. During the Camaro/Mustang wars, the Mustang was always more money and the weaker performer. Same will be true in ‘09 when the new Camaro comes out. Long live OHV small blocks!

Wayne March 31st, 2007 8:42 AM Link

“During the Craparo and Mustang wars…” The “Stang was for the longest time the best money for the performance!! Best Bang for the Buck!! When the IROC came out, it was a joke. When the 350 IROC came out, it was still beat by a little 302!! HA! The Camaro died off as did the Trans Am. Did the Mustang? That’s what I thought…

Wayne March 31st, 2007 8:46 AM Link

Not sure where any late model Lightning ran 16 seconds??? It was the king of Trucks. Period! HP for HP, it couldn’t be beat. Even the Dodge had to up it to 500HP just to barely beat it. And how did it sell? The Lightning beat it there too.

homer March 31st, 2007 10:58 AM Link

I personally own a svt focus. I love it. SVT wasn’t a mass market car to begin with. That’s why (except for the lightning) they were only manual transmission. If you were buying an svt you were buying something more hardcore then the regular production vehicle. GM selling more SS’s is like saying honda sells more accords. The SS lost all value after the SS camaro, which is why GM isn’t using the SS name on everything anymore. The new HR wiil be called the HHR Sport, there will be no new mailbu ss (thank god). At least GM is starting to get somethings right.

john March 31st, 2007 2:52 PM Link

Wayne, you should read more comparo’s. Over 90% of the time the Camaro won the performance tests. Let’s not forget that the SVT Pusstang Cobra was also overrated in HP. Also, the King of Trucks was the GMC Syclone!

Jesda March 31st, 2007 5:32 PM Link

“Make a decent midsize truck for a change.”

You ever wonder why the box of a full size pickup is 48″ wide? You ever hang drywall? Midsize doesn’t work for most contractors and business owners.

Moron.

Johnny Rocket April 1st, 2007 1:44 AM Link

john:

You’re spot-on about the Camaro Z28 IROC-Z. The 1982-92 Camaro is my least favorite (along with the Firebird), but it was the best-handling incarnation up to that point. The comparison tests with the Mustang 5.0 had the Chevy winning, hands down.

As for the Chevy SS trucks, they weren’t intended to take on the SVTs and SRTs. GM produced the TrailBlazer and Silverado SS as an afterthought. The SS line was done for show. The JGP Silverado is more performance-oriented, but still lags behind the F-150 Lightning and Ram SRT-10. There’s only so much you can do with obese pickups.

will April 1st, 2007 4:44 AM Link

“If Ford has a SVT truck coming out, please keep it a 2 door model !!!!!!!!!!!1″
Yeah, wouldn’t want to ruin the purity of it.

The best SVT car so far was the SVT Contour. I hate American cars, and it was a fucking great car.

homer April 1st, 2007 4:25 PM Link

the contour svt was too ahead of it’s time (I know that sounds cheesy). Performance midsize sedans weren’t popularized until around 2000-2001. If ford tried that car around then it would have sold better.

JWFisher April 1st, 2007 7:23 PM Link

Don’t care anything at all about SVT. Terrible quality of their products, and nothing sporting about them at all. Morbidly obese poseur Mustangs, and now a big giant overweight truck coming. Big deal.
SVT is nothing more than a shadow of its former self, literally now a virtual team of engineers assigned to existing product teams. The handful of them are adding their two cents to the Boss engine program which is already well in the works. The SVT F-150 will have a suspension job, little different from stock, and the 4 valve Boss engine that will also be used in the Mustang. Expect a big giant grill, designed to make a big giant statement.

doug April 1st, 2007 7:57 PM Link

I have a 2003 lightning with $500 in mods that runs 12.7 it ran 13.6 stock,I dont know where you got 16

homer April 1st, 2007 8:14 PM Link

Nothing special about SVT?? My focus can’t be touched handling wise by anything other then premium performance cars (corvette, porsche, etc.) What they did with my car over stock is amazing. SVT replaced or reworked virtually every part of the vehicles they made.

Johnny Rocket April 1st, 2007 11:44 PM Link

“The best SVT car so far was the SVT Contour.”

Yeah, and the finest Euro car was the Volvo Amazon.

will April 2nd, 2007 1:28 AM Link

You’re probably not far off the mark, Rocket.

Jeb April 2nd, 2007 9:15 AM Link

Ford in the main never really backed the SVT division, though. But I really, really want to see a hi-po Taurus in the vein of a BMW 740 Sport.

naggs April 2nd, 2007 4:08 PM Link

the dismanteling of SVT was what finally liberated me from my emotional attachment to ford. so in that regard, i thank them.

’special edition’ fords are now grossly overcharged option packages. it used to be, the SVT model was totally different, made by and for people who were actually going to do something other than commute.

the svt contour and focus were both extremely entertaining cars that worked as well at an autoX as they did on the street. they earned SVT some respect among people in the know. those 2 cars did more for fords image than all the ’special edition’ mustangs they can stamp out badges for and the ford GT combined.

sport trucks manage to be both niche vehicles and do nothing (at best) for the image of the company as a whole.

run351 April 2nd, 2007 7:23 PM Link

I own a Red Gen 1 Lightning and its been the best vehicle I have owned. The truck has served well for over 13 yrs. I don’t know where the fellow is coming up with 16 sec time slips for them, a stock Gen1 turns mid 15s and the Gen2s about a second and a half better. My truck passes emissions and runs mid 13’s with no power adder.

I have been looking for a new daily driver that will allow me to tow my Lightning, carry more than two people and drive in snow when needed.

I love the Adrenalin concept. Tell me another vehicle that can tow 6000lbs, carry four people and run in the low 14 sec range? I looked the Infiniti, Harley Davidson F150 and the Jeep SRT 8. while the power and size is compareable to the SUVs, their limited in towing. While the 2006/2007 (awd)Harley F150 can handle the snow and towing, its huge and not really a performance truck.

Lets hope the Adrenalin becomes reality.

homer April 2nd, 2007 11:15 PM Link

run351, I am also hoping it’s the adrenalin. Did you look at the chevrolet trailblzer ss? I took a look at it and the price is great, plus it can tow.

Wayne April 3rd, 2007 1:34 AM Link

John
Let’s start with the Syclone. Yes, a fast vehicle, a truck? NO! All it was, was a sport vehicle with a bed. Just how much could that “truck” pull, or haul? That’s what I thought..
As for the Pony wars, you must be a bit young and didn’
t live drive during the beginning of the current wars, back in ‘82. And just how many people used these cars for handling? Not many. They were used more as the street race scene. Ford DID dominate the 80’s and early 90’s. I don’t need to “read” more comparisons, I drove it. How ’bout you? My 5.0 tore up the Z and IROC crowed, even the 5.7. Ford didn’t fall until ‘94 with the “new car”. I guess you need to re-read.

Todd April 3rd, 2007 5:48 PM Link

How about this, the article said:

his definition of “truck” is “a body-on-frame vehicle.”

and:

“…will blow your mind.”

Look to Australia and think Ranchero(or a more modern name). The rumors have been out there.

The future of SVT is hinged to a new truck-- Ride Care Depot May 4th, 2007 1:51 PM Link

[…] The future of Ford’s Special Vehicle Team has been cloudy for the past few years. The hope that it would remain around in some form or another took a hit when its current chief, Hau Thai-Tang, was tapped to head Ford of Brazil earlier this year. Nevertheless, SVT indeed soldiers on and today we have proof that they’re hard at work on a new project. […]

Dan July 16th, 2007 9:10 PM Link

chevrolet’s camaro 3.9 liter v6 is equal to that 5.0 v8 mustang

james December 6th, 2007 12:28 PM Link

The 3.9 and got nothin on the 5.0 and as for chevy ss series they are SLOW! i drove a 93 dodge ram 318 and left one of the new ss trucks at the redlight!