SVT Lightning on Back Burner to Make Way for 2006 SVT Mustang Cobra

For those hopefuls wanting to peer into the Lightning's distant future, the blue oval brand's 2003 SVT Lightning concept featured a

The 2003 SVT Lightning concept featured a supercharged V8 engine producing in excess of 500 horsepower. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada)

supercharged V8 engine producing in excess of 500 horsepower. The new concept showed more distinctive body work as well, with a deep front fascia incorporating massive vents, plus fender mounted engine ducts, aggressive rocker panel mouldings, an integrated tailgate spoiler, and a daring yellow leather interior, making it much more capable of competing head-on with the Dodge Ram SRT-10.

The outgoing Lightning came to market in 1993, then featuring a 240 horsepower variation on Ford's 5.8-liter V8. The sport truck had limited success, but not enough for it to remain in production. It was cancelled in 1995. The following redesigned F-150 spawned a revised Lightning for model year 1999, boasting a much more capable 360 horsepower supercharged 5.4-liter V8. Power was increased to 380 in its final iteration, of which very few are still available at Ford dealers for a base price of $42,515, significantly lower than the Dodge Ram SRT-10.

The word on the street is that Ford came to its decision to hold back on a new Lightning due to the exponential costs of developing and certifying a V8 that could compete directly with the Ram SRT-10's V10. Also, upgrading the new F-150's chassis and suspension components is said to be difficult and expensive.

The most recent, and apparently final iteration of the Lightning for some time, features 380-hp for a base price of $ $42,515. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada)

Hammering the final nail in the coffin, so to speak, is the fact a more powerful and therefore less economical F-150 would negatively affect Ford's CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) ranking, which could be more expensive to the automaker over the long haul than the potential income Ford could generate from the truck.

While some might think an open playing field would make Dodge execs smile, the lack of a competitor in the niche-market super-truck segment is bad for business. There's nothing like a little mudslinging to get noticed, just watch a few Bush vs. Kerry (and vice versa) TV ads if you're not convinced, making a worthy rival critical for ongoing segment success.