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The future of SVT is hinged to a new truck
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. Winding Road managed to corner Jamal Hameedi, Chief Nameplate Engineer at SVT, at a Ford event in Detroit this morning. Hameedi revealed to WR that nearly all of SVT's resources are busy developing a new truck, and by "truck" he means a "body-on-frame" vehicle. Thus, whether it's a new F-150 Lightning or possibly a different F-Series model, an Explorer, Expedition or Ranger is unkown.
So, no Ford Taurus SHO developed by SVT or SVT Fusion. This kind of makes sense if one considers that the Lightning was supported throughout SVT's reign of terror in the '90s. Hameedi is reportedly extremely excited about the project, saying the finished product "...will blow your mind."
The performance truck world just got two shots of adrenalin in the form of the F-150 Foose Edition that will debut at the New York Auto Show next week and the Saleen S331 Sport Truck. If the new SVT truck will truly blow our minds, the bar is already set pretty high.
[Source: Winding Road]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Atomicbri 5:32PM (3/30/2007)
Ford Sucks....simple. They have the SVT division yet use it for one car, excuse me, truck. I would buy an SVT Fusion....Imagine, big bore V6, AWD, sport tuned suspension....Oh well...
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Lee Gibson 5:45PM (3/30/2007)
Chief Nameplate Engineer?
Badge engineering needs to stop. Please.
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Bill Hancock 5:59PM (3/30/2007)
SRT-10 Ram Anybody???
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Deezee 6:06PM (3/30/2007)
No truck can blow my mind. Sorry ford. How about focusing on your car line up which still has trouble competing. No, lets have 17 really fast pick ups.
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Frank in L.A. 6:28PM (3/30/2007)
stop bitching and hating, bitch..FORD ROCKS.....what do you drive a fucken toyota prolly a GM crap
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ViktorVaughan 6:33PM (3/30/2007)
I drive my foot up your ass. Shit like this vehicle isn't going to help save a badly-flailing company. Ford really needs to focus on other things.
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Mason 6:32PM (3/30/2007)
truck eh...
I wouldnt mind seeing an all new ranger with that twin turbo v6...
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Deezee 6:43PM (3/30/2007)
LOL @ Frank in L.A
I'm a Mustang fanantic. And I wanna see Ford succeed and earn a respectable reputation for their cars. I dont think fast trucks are helping anything.
Having the fastest pick up is like having the world's fastest elephant. WHO CARES. Its still overly big and heavy and slow.
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Brooks Talley 7:28PM (3/30/2007)
Ahem. Your future *hinges on* something. Your future is *hitched to* something. Different words entirely. And "SVT hitches future to new truck" would be a good, clever headline. As it is, the misuse of "hinges" makes the headline embarrassing rather than amusing.
Yeah, yeah... it's a pet peeve. Sorry.
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JayP 7:16PM (3/30/2007)
A truck?
Those precious resources (cash) should be headed to develop a Fiesta/Focus/mid-sized hybrid... anything but a truck.
We've seen them- Lightning, Adrenaline, only thing left is the Ranger or Escape. No mind blowing there.
Mulally- wake up chief!! They're wasting cash!
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Snix 8:10PM (3/30/2007)
Don't hate on them big 'ol trucks too much. I've seen a lowered Lightning at an autocross and damn, it's impressive to see that big bastard go around cones like a sportscar.
I'd like to see more development on the Ranger or it's successor like GM did with the Syclone, hell, I'd like to see GM do something outrageous with the Colorado/Canyon series.
There's nothing wrong with a truck you can go have fun with and then use it to go move a sofa for your Mom.
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That One Person 8:22PM (3/30/2007)
JayP...a little late to the party are we? There already has been news that Ford is bringing a B-car here. And we are getting the same Focus as everyone else. I am sure there are people already designing the damn thing. And there was a SVT Ranger concept. It had the Lightning's V-8.
In all honesty, while this may seem like a waste of money, it could potentially make people pay attention to the company...if dont right. But they need an SVT Fusion and I would like to see the SVT Focus comeback.
And it's not like all of Ford's manpower and resources are going into the development of this vehicle. Do some of you realize that Ford has different departments for different vehicles???
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Chet 8:13PM (3/30/2007)
You really think it takes a lot of resources to develop a Lightning? Go to the shelf, get the box, bolt on the part.
A Lightning need be nothing but a warranty sign-off on pre-installed catalog parts. Give it a drop, big wheels, supercharger, stitched headrests, plastic skirts, done. It hardly needs Nordschliffe hot laps.
Building and selling Lightnings makes sense.
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Clinton 8:30PM (3/30/2007)
I agree with Chet. SVTs have always been designed to be built on the same assembly lines as the car or truck that it's based on. And out of all of the SVT vehicles, the Lighting has had the fewest "mods". I don't care if the first SVT in awhile is a truck just as long as they start somewhere. I'm looking forward to Ford's Mazda2 based car and I'm hoping that SVT gets to have their way with it.
Sigh, I still miss my SVT Focus.
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Greek Boy 9:28PM (3/30/2007)
I agree Dezee,
Ford needs somthing more than just an F-150. Hopefully they can bring back the mustang. I bet that would sell.
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Will 11:50PM (3/30/2007)
I just hope that SVT quits making limited numbers of awesome cars and selling themselves short. It needs to be a trim level, not a limited edition.
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naggs 4:39AM (3/31/2007)
"Hameedi is reportedly extremely excited about the project, saying the finished product "...will blow your mind." "
let me guess, its an f150 with a version of the gt500 supercharged v8...
whoop de frigin do...
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Owain Ozymandias Buck 9:59AM (3/31/2007)
I don't know. I remember how awsome the first lightings were--I'd have given an arm to have one--unless they had made a 5-speed, then it would've been a testicle! Blew that stupid, wheezing SS454 out of the water. And this coming from a former Camaro driver. Maybe I'm just nostalgic for the 5.0/IROC Z-28 days.
But seriously, SVT could be used to warm up a range of models. Why not try to build a little excitement for everyone? The GT500 is too expensive and too heavy. This lightning will be too--I don't care how big the motor is.
What happened to experiments like the contour and focus models?
Where is the horse? Where is the rider?
Where is the giver of horsepower and Recaro seats with SVT stitched into them?
That time has passed away into darkness, as though it had never been...
Sorry for the Anglo-Saxon digression.
But I guess a lightining is better than nothing.
How about a new Ranger with a boosted like hell turbo diesel four cylinder? Hmmmm.
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Bob R. 10:40AM (3/31/2007)
What happened to the Ford SVT Tsunami that was supposed to happen but never did?
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Bryan 3:58PM (3/31/2007)
Finally! I have been waiting for this. My guess is it will be the next generation. And stop whining pansies..do you really think that Ford only has money to do one project? Ignorance runs rampid in this forum daily. Don't worry all you little hatchback driving queens, Ford has the Mazda 2 and a Ford twin coming to town just for you.
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