Autoblog

Athletic governing bodies are coming down hard on steroids and HGH, which has probably led to a glut on the market. Performance West Group appears to have bought up the entire surplus and injected it into a Ford F-350 dually in order to create the Striker. Part pickup and part Ford Mustang GT500KR, the Striker will be intimidating other vehicles at this year's SEMA show in Las Vegas.

The greatest tuning minds of our generation are assisting PWG with the project. Gale Banks is tuning the PowerStroke V8 engine above its 350 hp and 650 lb-ft. Hulst Customs is fabricating the bodywork. American Lightweight will be providing the aluminum 24" wheels. Katzkin Leather and Sony are doing duty inside to make sure you enjoy what will surely be a monster system in beauteous comfort.

PWG will then drape the entire thing in Striker Silver and Badass Blue and then probably let it loose to kill things. The rationalist in us wants to ask "What the...?" The auto junkie in us wants to stick it in the driveway and let it reek of testosterone. And then transform into a Decepticon. Which means we can't wait for SEMA.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Click the image above for high-res shots of the 2008 Harley-Davidson Edition Ford F-Series pickup.

The new for '08 Ford Harley-Davidson F-Series Super Duty is what you've come to expect after walking ten times around this dual-branded block. Harley owners not willing to ride in the rain (we can't blame them) and others that like to emulate the leather- and chrome-clad image have purchased over 60,000 of the things in the last eight years. This time around it's a celebration of the Pennsylvania-based biking outfit's 105th anniversary, coinciding with Ford's own celebration of building cars for just as many years.

Paint schemes are inspired by Harley's special-edition 105th anniversary motorcycle and come in one of two flavors: either a two-tone, black and "Vintage Copper" combo or an all black body with copper pin striping. According to Brad Richards, the Ford/Harley brand manager, the chrome side vents and grille are inspired by the heat diffusers found on the cylinder heads of the V-Twin, and the 20-inch polished wheels bring the theme home.

The "Vintage Copper" color finds its way inside, accenting the leather seats and panels, while anniversary Harley badging adorns the front and rear thrones, plus a serialized plaque mounted on the armrest.

You can get all the details in the press release after the jump and peruse the gallery below for a handful of high-res shots.

With gas prices at record highs, Ford's heaviest and biggest trucks, the F-350 models and F-450, are surpassing all sales expectations.

The decked out Lariat and King Ranch variations of the F-350, as well as the F-450, are going gangbusters, with the King Ranch up 53-percent over last year, while the Lariat is up 30-percent. Overall, both models are leading their segment. With options topping $17,000 and sticker prices exceeding $60,000, the truck's decent sales are likely a breath of fresh air to the incentive-prone automaker.

Ford has more to brag about in its lighter trucks -- the F-250 also continues to be the top seller in its segment, and the F-150 historically has been one of Ford's most important vehicles behind the Taurus, set to relaunch this fall.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

If you're taking home a camouflaged new Ford F-350, it's probably best to park it head-in if you wish to avoid prying eyes. Luckily for us, reader Adam Minter happened upon this blue example in his neighborhood. The leopard spots by Krylon aren't enough to hide the fact that the front end look is exactly the same as the the one seen in the Super Duty spy shots we reported on last month. In his email to us, Adam expressed regret because he couldn't get any closer for fear of drawing unwanted attention to himself.

Adam, trust us: you did just fine. Thanks for the shots!

(More photos after the jump)

[Source: Adam Minter]

California is said to be a trendsetter in many aspects of American life. Some of these developments have been for the betterment of the automotive world (we'll let you decide that in the comments) and some have been decidedly negative (the 91-octane swill they call "gas" comes to mind). But for Detroit's major automakers, recent figures have shown that the big two and half are having a hard time selling their wares in The Golden State.

The research firm R.L. Polk and Company has compiled the last six months of vehicle registrations in California and has come up with two shocking statistics. First, Detroit's finest only account for 31.4 percent of new vehicles on California roads and second, Toyota garners more market share than both GM and Ford, combined.

Many factors are attributed to this trend, with data pointing towards Californians' interest and eventual purchase of smaller vehicles and pickup trucks. The latter seems to be the biggest sticking point for Detroit, as large truck, SUV and minivan sales have tanked in the western state, with one notable exception being Ford's F-series line of pickups.

If this movement begins moving towards the Atlantic, as many of California's trends have done in the past, hopefully Detroit will recognize it now and be able to stem the tide before it envelops more of their rapidly decreasing market share.

[Source: Automotive News - Registration Required]

When a new Ford Power Stroke diesel comes along in 2007 to replace the current 6.0-liter model, it may represent the first use of piezo injectors in a pickup truck. The Siemens-built injectors should help International's 6.4-liter twin-turbo meet upcoming emission standards while also improving upon its predecessor's spotty reliability record, as well as giving the Blue Oval oil burner an European-like level of technological sophistication.

The injectors work via the piezoelectric effect, as the name might hint. They use a small disc of quartz-like crystalline material that deforms when subjected to a high-voltage low-current source, which provides the injector opening and closing action. With cycle times as low as 0.2 milliseconds, such injectors are several times faster than conventional solenoids, which in turn is said to allow up to seven injector events during each compression stroke. The precision of each injector is also increased, with injector-to-injector variation of only a few percent.

All of this adds up to a significant improvement in emissions and fuel economy, but at a price; piezo injectors are reportedly up to twice as expensive as the traditional solenoid-based squirters. With the average pickup truck diesel engine carrying a $5,000 premium, we're guessing that there's plenty of room in the budget.

[Source: Automotive News/Autoweek]