Thanks to the relentless desire of the gearheads of the world to go ever faster, there’s a performance champion in every possible class.  Blisteringly fast sports coupes and sedans from BMW are often considered the top of the heap in their respective categories.  Audi puts together rocketship station wagons with some help from Porsche.  Mercedes cranks out 150-mph capable sport-utility vehicles.  Chrysler has even considered a hot-rodded minivan.  And the madness doesn’t end there.  Witness the 2001 Ford SVT F-150 Lightning, the fastest pickup truck on the planet.

Granted, there isn’t a lot of competition for this particular title.  That’s why the Lightning is content to embarrass many sports cars that happen into its path too.  The Lightning was already the scariest thing with a pickup bed prowling the freeways of this country, and for 2001 the horsepower rating takes a jump to 380.

It’s not hard to mistake the Lightning for an ordinary pick ‘em up truck.  The F-150 Flareside body is familiar, but hunkers down over massive 18″ wheels.  A unique front fascia and grille with horizontal bars are part of the package, as are new taillights featuring round projector-style lenses inside a chrome surround, a look currently fashionable among hot-rodders.  The headlights and turn signals are crystal units, as well.  More subtle is the Lightning’s unique center brake light, which is made up of 10 LEDs.  The exhaust is a muscle-car style side-exit, with two fat pipes jutting out just aft of the passenger door.

It looks like a sports car inside as well.  An unusually upright and spacious sports car, to be exact.  The seats are gray leather with dark inserts, unique to the Lightning, as are the SVT trademark white-faced gauges.  All Lightnings have automatic transmissions, so the rest of the cabin is standard F-150 fare.  The high seating is comfortable for most drivers.  The CD changer is awkwardly located behind the seat, and requires some acrobatics to load.  There’s  also a nigh-inaccessible cargo bin behind the seat, next to the CD changer.

The Lightning isn’t about outstanding ergonomics, however; it’s about acceleration.  When the distinctive whine-bellow of the supercharger subsides, be sure to pull over and pluck any squashed Mazda Miatas or BMW Z3s out of the grille.  The poor things just can’t get out of the way fast enough.  The 5.4 liter V8 is a monstrous beast, thanks to an intercooled Eaton supercharger which allows the engine to crank out 380 horsepower at 4750 rpm, and 450 ft-lb. of torque at 3250 rpm.  Add to that an acceleration-happy 3.73:1 rear axle ratio, and the potential for mayhem is quite great indeed.  Rolling acceleration rivals that of a Corvette, according to the seat-of-the-pants meter.  The motor sounds just as brutal as it is, thanks to the dual side-exit exhaust.  Off-boost the big V8 is docile.  The Lightning is content to burble around town just looking mean, but the moment the supercharger spools up it’s all business.

For handling that’s able to keep up with that monster motor all the way to the dark side of 140 miles per hour, the suspension has been lowered.  SVT slammed the Lightning a half inch closer to terra firma up front, and a full two inches at the rear, with special coil springs, unique five-leaf rear springs in the rear.  Stabilizer bars have been added at both ends, and the rear shocks are staggered, to reduce the rear axle’s tendency to jump up and down and lose traction when the pedal is floored.  lowered center of gravity works wonders on the handling, and the Lightning’s roadholding is nothing short of phenomenal in comparison to other pickup trucks.  It compares favorably to many sports cars too.  The ride is surprisingly comfortable, thanks to a magic combination of stiffness and responsiveness that escapes being harsh.  Those big wheels and Goodyear Eagle F1 tires keep the 4670 pounds of pickup stuck to the road and going where it’s pointed.  Four-wheel disc brakes have been borrowed from the larger Super Duty pickup trucks.  Anti-lock brakes are standard.

The Lightning isn’t a normal pickup truck, of course, so its capacities are reduced.  The fastest pickup truck on the planet will carry up to 800 pounds in the bed, and can tow 5000.

For 2002, a blue Lightning will be available for the first time, replacing the Oxford White.  Previously, the only colors were red, white, black, and silver.  Everything is standard; the only option SVT provides is a tonneau cover, which adds $150 to the Lightning’s out-the-door price of $32,460.

Specifications:
All specs are for the 2001 Ford SVT F-150 Lightning, which we tested.
Length:     208.0 in.
Width:        79.1 in.
Height:        70.9 in.
Wheelbase:    119.8 in.
Curb weight:    4670 lb.
Payload:    800 lb.
Towing capacity:    5000 lb.
Base price:    $31,745
Price as tested: $32,460
Engine:     5.4 liter SOHC supercharged and intercooled V8
Drivetrain:     four speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower:     380 @ 4750
Torque:     450 @ 3250
Fuel capacity:    25 gal.
Est. mileage:    12/16