2007 Ford F-150 FX2 Sport Extreme

2007 Ford F-150 FX2 Sport Extreme - The Lightning was a hot-rod version of the Ford F-150 pickup that first appeared in 1993 with a 240-hp V-8 and a $20,000 price tag. Production only went until 1995, but a second-generation version bowed in 1999 with a supercharged 360-hp V-8 that eventually produced 380 horsepower before it was put to rest in 2004.

Almost everyone expected the Lightning to continue when the current-generation F-150 hit showrooms in 2004. It’s hard to say exactly why that didn’t happen, but part of the blame lies with the Ford GT supercar because it soaked up much of the engineering resources of Ford’s Special Vehicle Team, the division that engineered both Lightnings.

Start with any F-150 that has the 300-hp, 5.4-liter engine, which in this case is a two-wheel-drive FX2 Sport extended cab (base price: $30,390), then add the supercharger kit ($5530, or $6079 for the polished one on our test truck), a side-exhaust system ($589), a heavy-duty radiator ($660), 20-inch wheels ($1360), a suspension-lowering kit ($688), a 4.10:1 rear-end gear with limited-slip differential ($690), and finally, a big-brake system that has not yet been priced, but figure about two grand. Installing these parts runs about $1000.

The old Lightning hit 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and the quarter in 13.8 seconds at 104 mph, thanks to a lighter body. Lightnings were only ever available in the lightest and smallest pickup body offered: the regular cab. This project truck was built on a SuperCab, which has a set of rear-hinged doors and a back seat fit for humans. Those are handy, for sure, but the 4702-pound Lightning was a whopping 826 pounds lighter.

In addition to the extra weight, this project truck (first shown at SEMA last fall) suffered when compared with the Lightning due to a wheelbase that is 12.7 inches longer. Whereas the Lightning would feel almost agile — at least for brief spurts — there was no such sensation with the project truck; the driver was constantly aware of its size and bulk.

The best option for speed-minded folks like us is to begin with a regular-cab XLT with the 5.4-liter engine. That truck costs $26,945, and if you added just the supercharger and rear-end parts (roughly $7000 including labor), the result would be a $34,000 truck that’s as close in spirit and stamina to the Lightning as we’re going to get for the foreseeable future.