Ford is teasing pickup lovers with an early glimpse of the face-lifted F-series trucks that make their debut this fall. The 2007 Ford F-150 FX2 is the latest in a series of special editions of the F-series, following such popular models as the Harley-Davidson and King Ranch trucks. On sale later this summer, the ‘07 FX2 is basically a trim package on an F-150 4×2 chassis, providing a monochromatic look with some interior flourishes, essentially a street-truck companion to the rugged FX4 off-road model.
Ford 'F Series' - Page 2
The master cladders at Ford Motor Company have left almost everything to the imagination with the spy shots of the next-generation F-Series pickup that have been seen around town, which is expected to debut for the 2009 model year. But as the truck moves into final confirmation prototypes, a number of them were caught road testing, in three cab configurations. Spotted in Detroit have been standard short cab, extended cab, and four-door crew cab ’09 versions, suggesting Ford will be ready to rumble with a full lineup when the trucks launch next year.
Roush is preparing to introduce the first dedicated propane-powered F-150 pickup truck using an advanced liquid propane injection (LPI) system. The Roush F-150 LPI is designed and manufactured to operate mainly on propane while providing the same horsepower, torque and drivability of an F-150 equipped with a gasoline-powered 5.4-liter, 3-valve Triton V-8 engine.
Roush will begin taking orders for the propane-powered F-150 immediately. The truck can be ordered, delivered and serviced through a nationwide network of select Ford dealers. Offered as a 2007.5 model year vehicle, it is the only propane-powered light-duty truck available from an original equipment manufacturer this year.
If you are still upset over the decision that was made by Ford in 2004 to stop building the supercharged Lightning pickup, here is at least partial relief. The 2007 F-150 FX2 is a rolling demonstrator on how pickup power freaks can create their own speedy trucks with parts from the Ford Racing catalog.
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.
The 2004 Ford F-150 Heritage is one of the great moments in marketing from the guys in Dearborn. You have to hand it to them: instead of calling this the ‘Ford F-150 Leftover’, they came up with the ‘Heritage’ moniker to make these pickups sound classy.
To be honest, the ‘04 F150 Heritage is actually a good deal for bargain-conscious buyers. What happened is that it was easier and more cost-effective for Ford to switch production gradually over to the redesigned 2004 Ford F-150. In order to differentiate the ‘old-style’ F150s that were still being produced in 2004, Ford created the one-off ‘Heritage’ brand.