SEMA 2009: Ford on a power trip (photos)

An off-road Raptor SVT truck powered by a 411-hp engine, a Mustang Cobra Jet destined for drag racing, a 400-hp Fiesta that scaled Pikes Peak after winning the XGames… American automaker had one thing to say at the SEMA show: Ford is still synonymous with power, and still all-American.


And no one could argue with that, as other than the race cars mentioned above, the company’s head honchos took advantage of SEMA to demonstrate their ability to improve their own vehicles with high performance parts.

The result is, unsurprisingly, utterly spectacular. Thousands of extra horsepower has been added under the hood of the modified cars that also benefit from numerous stylish improvements. The Mustang obviously leads the customized car assault, although several Focus and even Fusion models have also been tweaked.

Another non-negligible entry, the FX Raptor SVT will make its debut next year in a few select dealerships. It has to be mentioned that this extreme pickup is not street legal and is only intended for high-performance, off-road endeavours. Only 50 units will be produced, sold for $99,500 in the U.S. only.

In short, Ford enters the 2009 SEMA show with renewed energy, in every meaning of the word.

But this sudden mechanical adrenaline rush is also accompanied by a new environmental awareness that Ford’s managers wanted to associate with the deployment of the EcoBoost engine. Rather rare for the moment, the engine with EcoBoost technology will be, according to Ford USA marketing VP Ken Czubay, “in the belly of 80% of our vehicles within a few years. In fact, we firmly believe that by conducting this kind of research, and promising our clients powerful yet fuel-efficient engines, we will achieve all the objectives we have set both in terms of fuel-efficiency and environmental protection.”

It’s also hard not to mention Funkmaster Flex’s project, a customized, brand-new 2010 Taurus SHO.

Something new from something old
But the most spectacular project at SEMA is undoubtedly the live assembly, conducted throughout the event, of a 1969 Mustang by a team of California specialists. Nothing special in and of itself, you’ll say.

But here’s the thing: this old Mustang will be rebuilt from brand-new parts, bought and ordered in the last few months from the company’s catalogue. Even the chassis and body are made of parts that are still being manufactured.

“We simply want to prove that we have all the accessories car owners need. If we can rebuild a 1969 version, we certainly have the parts for any other model,” said Czubay.