(from Ford Press Release)
August 13, 2003 - Today, the Ford SVT F-150 Lightning was certified as
the "World's Fastest Production Pickup Truck" by Guinness World Records,
Ltd. after reaching 147 miles per hour at Ford's test track. Since the
truck's introduction in 1999, the supercharged SVT Lightning has been
unofficially called the world's fastest pickup by numerous media
outlets. Now it's a matter of official record.
"We're proud to have certification from Guinness World Records," says
Tom Scarpello, Ford SVT marketing and sales manager. "It is a
well-deserved record for the engineering team, and overdue confirmation
to all the SVT F-150 Lightning owners out there who have known for years
that they drive the fastest truck on the planet!"
The record run was conducted on the Michigan Proving Grounds of Ford
Motor Company. The five-mile-long, high-speed oval provided a safe,
controlled environment to test the limits of truck's performance.
"This may seem like fun and games, but high-speed stability is critical
for a performance vehicle, even a pickup truck," says Tom Chapman, Ford
SVT chassis systems supervisor and driver for the record-setting run.
"The SVT F-150 Lightning is just as stable and planted at 147 miles per
hour as it is at 55 mph; only the scenery's going by faster. That
stability is a testament to the solid foundation of the Ford F-150, and
the performance engineering found in Ford SVT products."
For the record, Guinness requires the truck to be production level,
meaning it is identical to what a customer can find at his local Ford
SVT dealer. Speeds must be measured over a kilometer, and the record
speed is derived from an average of speeds in both directions.
To meet the vehicle requirements, Ford SVT used a stock 2003 Ford SVT
F-150 Lightning. Exterior modifications were limited to folding in the
side mirrors, and removing the radio antenna. To meet timing
requirements, Ford SVT conducted the test on Ford's Michigan Proving
Ground high-speed oval. Timing lights were set up seven-tenths of a mile
apart (as certified by an independent surveyor). A Hot Lap In-Car Timer,
from Longacre Racing Products, was used to measure elapsed time through
the measured 0.7 mile. Elapsed time was then converted to miles per
hour.
Clockwise, the fastest elapsed time was 17.03 seconds, or 147.974 mph.
Counter-clockwise, the fastest elapsed time was 17.09 seconds, or
147.454 mph.
The average of those two runs is 147.714 mph.
This result is more than adequate to set the Guinness World Record™ for
the "Fastest Production Pickup."
The supercharged SVT F-150 Lightning was introduced in 1999, with 360
horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. In their January 1999 issue,
Car and Driver magazine reported, "Ford SVT builds the world's fastest
pickup."
Since then, engine modifications have improved performance, bringing
output up to 380 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. In their most
recent editorial evaluation, the July 2003 issue of Motor Trend reported
a terminal speed of 146 mph in a 2003 Ford SVT F-150 Lightning.
For Tom Scarpello, the Guinness World Record™ solidifies the Ford SVT
F-150 Lightning as the one, the only, and the best performance pickup
truck in the world.
"Capable of acceleration from 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds, and reaching 147
mph, the SVT Lightning is the dominant sport pickup in the world," says
Scarpello. "No pickup truck on the market today can come close to
matching those numbers. And, the SVT Lightning does all this and still
can tow a 5,000 pound trailer and carry 1,300 pounds of payload. But
best of all, this is no concept vehicle--it's available right now from
your local Ford SVT dealer."
Ford SVT history
The Ford Special Vehicle Team (SVT) was
established in 1991 to "polish the Ford oval," by creating low-volume,
factory-produced vehicles designed for those whose idea of driving is a
high-powered, passionate experience – not just a means of getting from
point A to point B.
In a move to support this spirited enthusiasm, Ford Motor Company
carefully integrated the wide array of talent in the company into a
small, cross-functional group of engineers, product planners and
marketing people, housed together under one roof with a common mission –
to create vehicles specifically designed to meet the unique needs and
desires of the knowledgeable driving enthusiast.
Each SVT vehicle produced since the 1993 model year has been designed
and developed with the four SVT Hallmarks in mind: Performance,
Substance, Exclusivity and Value. These hallmarks have driven the SVT
Mustang Cobra and Cobra R, the SVT F-150 Lightning, the SVT Contour and
the SVT Focus.
