SVT Ranger: Ford's Lightning-Powered Creation

author: FutureCar Staff    

Performance pickups used to have their own niche in the enthusiast market. Models like the Chevy 454 SS and the Toyota Tacoma X-Runner offered sports car-like performance, catering to a specific group of truck enthusiasts. However, there was once a time when this kind of performance emerged unexpectedly.

In 2003, Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) engineers took a regular cab Ranger Flareside powered by a 2.4-liter I4 and embarked on a project. The goal was to create a performance truck using off-the-shelf parts to keep costs down, in case it received approval for production. The engine of choice was the 5.4-liter 380 horsepower supercharged V8 from the SVT Lightning. With a modified induction system and exhaust, the Ranger now boasted more power than the stock Lightning: 420 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque.

However, such a significant increase in power required additional bracing for the small pickup. The frame rails were boxed and cross-braced for added stiffness. To accommodate the engine under the hood, the suspension was lowered by two inches, and control arms and steering knuckles were borrowed from the SVT Lightning. The Ranger also received a 3.73 rear axle from the Lightning, 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, and a heavy-duty transmission from the F-Series pickups.

The interior of the SVT Ranger remained largely unchanged, except for custom leather seats featuring yellow lightning bolts and body color trim on the doors. The end result was a powerful little monster of a pickup. In tests conducted by Motor Trend, it completed the quarter mile in 13.8 seconds at 108 mph, while MotorWeek achieved a time of 13.5 seconds at 101 mph.

Ironically, despite being built with cost-saving measures and utilizing parts from its larger Lightning sibling, SVT had no intentions of actually producing the SVT Ranger. Tom Scarpello, the head of SVT sales and marketing at the time, confirmed this to Motor Trend. They claimed that there was no room for two performance trucks in the lineup. It seems that Ford couldn't allow the smaller vehicle to come close to or surpass its bigger sibling in terms of performance. Nevertheless, it's intriguing to imagine what could have been if Ford had given us an SVT Ranger with such power. Such a vehicle could have made a lasting impact on automakers and their future lineups.

FutureCar Staff