Will Some SEMA Ideas Make Production?
LAS VEGAS: Ford's new F-Series was a pretty popular car at the SEMA specialty show here, with various aftermarket firms doing their best to show how they could customize the new full-size pickup.
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| The F-150 Everest, which eschews the normal truck-type attitude in favor of something more street-wise . (Photo: Ford Motor Company) |
But no one did a better job than Ford itself of showcasing the F-Series, turning out a bunch of project vehicles highlighting various aspects of the pickup's skills with various members of the parts industry.
None was more interesting than the F-150 Everest, which eschewed the normal truck-type attitude in favor of something more street-wise -- a stand-alone wireless network that allows every person in the vehicle to have their own personal work station. Among other things, this means you could e-mail your backseat driving comments to the driver or look for directions without actually asking someone in person.
Everest also had a running board that deploys when a door is open, 22-inch wheels, Range Rover-like headlights, a lowered front fascia with projector lamps, and generally a more upscale appearance.
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| Ford provided CAD files to aftermarket firms in advance of the pickup's launch, which allowed them to design and fit aftermarket parts in advance. (Photo: Ford Motor Company) |
This is all in aid of helping Ford promote the point that it's gone to a lot of trouble to make its F-Series easier to outfit with non-production parts than ever before. Ford provided CAD files to aftermarket firms in advance of the pickup's launch, which allowed them to design and fit aftermarket parts in advance.
Normally, aftermarket firms use a process which they like to call "reverse engineering.'' That means buying a truck and taking it apart to measure the bits they want to replace or add on to or whatever.
So already there are about 100 aftermarket parts available for the F-Series, with a lot more undoubtedly to follow.