SVT Ranger's Lightning Engine: A Unique Creation by Ford

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【Summary】Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) once created a performance pickup truck by putting a 5.4-liter 380 horsepower supercharged V8 engine from the SVT Lightning into a regular cab Ranger Flareside. The modifications included bracing the frame, lowering the suspension, and fitting in parts from the SVT Lightning and F-Series pickups. The result was a powerful little pickup that performed impressively in tests.

FutureCar Staff Sep 01, 2023 6:18 AM PT

SVT Ranger's Lightning Engine: A Unique Creation by Ford

Performance pickups used to have their own place in the enthusiast market. Models like the Chevy 454 SS and the Toyota Tacoma X-Runner offered sports car-like performance in a truck. However, in 2003, Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) introduced a performance truck that took everyone by surprise.

The engineers at SVT decided to work on a regular cab Ranger Flareside, equipped with a 2.4-liter I4 engine. Their goal was to create a high-performance truck using off-the-shelf parts to keep costs down, in case it was approved for production. They had their eyes set on the 5.4-liter 380 horsepower supercharged V8 engine from the SVT Lightning. With a modified induction system and exhaust, they were able to squeeze out even more power than the stock Lightning: 420 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque.

However, fitting that much power into a small pickup like the Ranger required some additional modifications. The frame rails were boxed and cross-braced for added stiffness. The suspension was lowered by two inches, and control arms and steering knuckles were taken from the SVT Lightning. They also installed 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 some custom leather seats with yellow lightning bolts and body color trim on the doors. The result was a beast of a little pickup. Motor Trend tested it and recorded a quarter-mile time of 13.8 seconds at 108 mph, while MotorWeek achieved 13.5 seconds at 101 mph.

Despite the impressive performance and the use of parts from the SVT Lightning, SVT had no plans to put the Ranger into production. 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's possible that Ford didn't want the smaller vehicle to outshine its bigger sibling, similar to the situation between the Porsche 911 and Cayman. Nevertheless, it's interesting to imagine what could have been if Ford had given us an SVT Ranger with such power. A vehicle like that could have had a lasting impact on automakers and their future lineups.