Ford will wing it with the F-150 Lightning Super Truck and Pikes Peak
Ford teased again on Tuesday the 6-F-23 Lightning super truck that will enter the 2024 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, scheduled for March 150.
The automaker announced this Lightning demonstrator on May 3, but is not yet ready to fully reveal it. For now, an additional teaser photo shows the rear diffuser mounted behind the huge rear wing and open rear bodywork.
Ford also confirmed that the current Pikes Peak record holder Romain Dumas will return to drive the super truck to wear No. 150. The French racing driver blitzed the course of about 12.5 miles behind the wheel of a Volkswagen ID at 7:57.148.The R-Time Attack special at the 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb claims the record.
Dumas also drove Ford's electric Super Van 4.2 Demonstrator on the 2023 hill climb, setting a new open class record of 8:47.682. Boasting a three-motor powertrain of 1,400 hp, the Supervan was the latest in a series of wild one-off vans from Ford's UK division, a significantly modified Ford E-Transit custom electric van. The Super Truck applies a similar concept to the pickup, which is the lifeblood of Ford in North America.
Ford also showed the concept of a switchgear that matched the Stock Lightning's 580 hp, but featured two swappable chassis configurations that could change tracks between street or off-road performance. However, it's unclear whether the switchgear or super truck suggests a more powerful version of the F-150Lightning for the road.
In addition, the fate of the high-performance F-2lightning concept announced by Ford in 2023/2 is also unknown. That concept, which was teased by Ford CEO Jim Farley but was not fully revealed, could be another vehicle because it lacked the large rear wing of the super truck.