Exclusive: 410kW Ford F-150 blasts off

ONE of the most powerful pick-up trucks ever offered in Australia has gone on sale via independent Victorian-based Ford F-Series import truck specialist Harrison Motor Group.

Packing a supercar-like 410 kilowatts of power courtesy of a Shelby-enhanced 5.0-litre V8, the imported four-door Tuscany Black Ops Ford F-150 SuperCrew 4x4 was re-engineered for right-hand drive and Australian Design Rules by Melbourne’s Vehicle Development Corporation (VDC).

To put the power in perspective, the Shelby V8 in the F-150 boasts 65kW more power than Ford Australia’s most powerful weapon, the supercharged 345kW Falcon XR8 Sprint.

The mucho-mumbo truck – an American aftermarket collaboration between Shelby and leading Ford special vehicle manufacturer Tuscany – tops the range of all-new 13th-generation F-150 pick-ups now just launched in RHD form in Australia.

While VDC also offers the new 2015 F-150 through its sales arm, American Performance, GoAuto understands the hot Tuscany Black Ops F-150 is only available from Harrison Motor Group’s F-Trucks, based at Melton in Melbourne’s outer west.

The price of the big beast is yet to be announced.

In developing the truck, Shelby used its experience with Ford Mustang V8s to ramp up the power of the F-150's Coyote V8 from the standard 287kW to 410kW.

Founded by racer Carroll Shelby, Shelby American enjoys a close relationship with Ford, as does F-Series personalisation company Tuscany, which enhanced the rest of the flagship F-150 vehicle imported by Harrison F-Trucks.

Founded in 1988, Tuscany claims to be Ford’s biggest and longest-running speciality vehicle manufacturer, or "upfitter" in US jargon.

The high-performance Shelby engine of the Tuscany F-150 is hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive drivetrain.

Because the latest F-150 body contains large dollops of lightweight aluminium and high-strength steel to cut weight to about 2100kg, acceleration is expected to be eye opening.

According to Tuscany's US web site, enhancements for the all-black Black Ops are a raised suspension - up 152mm on the standard ride height - plus a new bonnet with dual air scoops and a revised grille.

The four-door cabin seats five, while the cargo box is said to cope with loads up to 1701mm long and 1285mm wide. Braked towing capacity is a hefty 4000kg.

The standard wheels for the F-150 are listed as 18-inch with P275/65R18 tyres, but black "Stealth"20-inchers are available on the Black Ops.

This particular F-150 short-wheelbase variant is 5890mm long and 2030mm wide, which makes it 137mm shorter and 21mm wider than the Ram Laramie 2500 sold in RHD guise in Australia by American Special Vehicles.

The Ram Laramie 2500’s direct competitor is VDC’s Ford SuperDuty, which comes with the stonking 6.7-litre V8 diesel with 328kW.

VDC’s standard F-150s come with a choice of Ford’s 287kW normally aspirated 5.0-litre petrol V8 or turbocharged 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 boasting 272kW.

The new range includes the upmarket five-seat crew-cab Platinum, King Ranch and Lariat models, in a choice of short- and long-wheelbase variants. The Lariat crew-cab comes with a choice of five or six seats.

The Lariat is also available in supercab form, again with a choice of five or six seats, but only with the shorter wheelbase.

The F-150 has been America’s top-selling pick-up for almost four decades.

While the Tuscany Black Ops F-150 is potent, even more powerful variants produced by Shelby and rival vehicle tuner Roush are available in the US. These are armed with up to 520kW, and can dash to 100km/h in about 4.5 seconds and hit 220km/h.

Ford North America is planning a new high-performance, off-road F-150 Raptor for launch in the third quarter of this year, although all indications are that it will be powered by an EcoBoost V6.