Bonkers Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck to Race at Pikes Peak
The 102nd running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this upcoming Sunday will feature several automakers including Ford, whose electric pickup has been transformed into a different kind of monster truck.
The team at Ford Performance developed the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck by using inspiration from the equally radical and mind-blowing SuperVan 4.2 that took part in the race last year. Again, the electrified rally and racing specialists at STARD in Austria provided a ton of help, creating a machine that could excel in the extreme conditions of Pikes Peak.
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The one-of-a-kind body is designed with a triple-element front wing, headlight ducts, hood ducts and louvers, front dive-planes, side diffusers and a rear diffuser. More importantly and prominently, a super-massive carbon fibre wing is mounted in the rear. Together, these many add-ons generate 6,000 lbs of downforce at 240 km/h.
The three electric motors powering the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck have also been optimized by STARD and draw energy from Ultra-High Performance Li-Polymer NMC cells, delivering 1,400-plus horsepower—roughly 2.5 times the output of the most powerful production F-150 Lightning.
Completing the package are carbon ceramic brakes, Pirelli P-Zero tires on magnesium forged wheels, and a fully custom in-board suspension system that Ford hasn’t discussed in detail, unfortunately.
The F-150 Lightning SuperTruck will be driven by the event’s record holder, Romain Dumas, who is back after setting Ford’s own fastest time—8 minutes and 47.682 seconds—with the SuperVan 4.2 a year ago.
Fun trivia: the Blue Oval first competed at Pikes Peak way back in 1916 with a Model T that finished the climb to the 14,115-foot summit in a pedestrian 28 minutes and 3 seconds.
You can watch Sunday’s competition live for free on YouTube.