Say “Yee-haw!’ to Ford’s latest electric weapon, the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck.
Set to tackle the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this Sunday with Romain Dumas at the controls, it follows Ford and the French driver’s class win and second overall at last year’s Colorado event.
That was using Ford’s Supervan 4.2 – something resembling a Transit van – which came to Australia earlier this year to (unofficially) break the tin-top Bathurst lap record.
The mad van needed only 1m56.3s to tour the iconic 6.2km Mount Panorama circuit. That was over 10 seconds faster than Broc Feeney’s Chevy Camaro pole lap for the same weekend’s Supercars Championship race.
This year, things have gone even more bonkers.
Of all the vehicles Ford could pluck from its inventory to turn into a racing electric monster for Pikes Peak, only an F-150 surpasses the Transit for madness.
Well played, Ford. You have our attention.
The massive F-150 Lightning SuperTruck sports all the aero, and Ford’s intention is to make it go faster up the 19.99km, 156-turn, 1440-metre Colorado climb than the rapid Transit managed in 2023.
Like the SuperVan 4.2 in Pikes Peak trim, the SuperTruck uses three electric motors “generating 1400-plus (1044kW+) horsepower.”
Downforce is key when flying up the mountain, and we’re told this be-winged ute generates 2722kg at 240km/h – mightily trumping the SuperVan 4.2’s 2000kg of downward force.
How? Check out the triple-element front wing, headlight ducts, hood ducts and louvres, front dive-planes, side diffusers, rear diffuser, and multi-element rear wing. Not subtle, but damn effective.
It’s unclear if any such bits will join the accessories list for normal F-150 Lightnings…
Other racing goodies on the ground-hugging electric pickup include carbon ceramic brakes, Pirelli P-Zero tyres on magnesium forged wheels, and a fully custom in-board suspension system.
Pikes Peak overall record holder Dumas said: ”In testing, the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck has surpassed my expectations, so we are hoping for some good weather to try and do something very special.”
In short, anything less than an outright win would be a disappointment.
What Aussies want to know is, of course, if this F-150 will make its way Down Under to try to lower the tin-top Bathurst lap record once more?
The SuperVan 4.2 was upgraded for that record run, where it used quad electric motors, generated 1500kW and 4000Nm, hit 100km/h in under two seconds and was responsible for sucking the skin fully off my face while enjoying a passenger ride beside F1 ace Liam Lawson.
It’d be good PR for the F-150 Lightning, especially if rumours about its Australian arrival and on-sale prove correct.
Pikes Peak will be live and free on YouTube on Sunday June 23 (US time), where you can enjoy the F-150 SuperTruck trying to cement its place in EV racing legend.
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- Source: https://evcentral.com.au/31057-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=31057-2