NewsThe Big Show In Vegas (Truck Edition)This year's Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show at the Las Vegas Convention Center was dominated by trucks. Chevy showed trucks, Dodge showed trucks, Ford showed trucks, and every aftermarket manufacturer from Podunk to Palookaville had a truck laden with its parts on display.
Of the manufacturers, it was Chevrolet that went head over bonkers for beds, showing seven different trucks. Dodge's numbers weren't as great, but its designs stole the show.
Theoretically, the Sidewinder is a Dakota concept vehicle. In reality, it has as much (if not more) in common with the Viper GTS-R racer and street rods.
Based on a design sketch by Chrysler's Mark Allen (who had graduated from Detroit's Center for Creative Studies less than two years before), the Sidewinder roadster/pickup sits on a chassis built by race legends Riley & Scott who, not coincidentally, also built the GTS-Rs. Most of the drivetrain, including the 600-horsepower Viper V-10 and suspension, also derive from the GTS-R program, one notable exception being the Ram-tough four-speed automatic transmission. Those massive wheels are 21 inches in diameter in front, 22 inches out back, and fit over 15-inch-diameter disc brakes.
Once the chassis was complete, it was shipped to Metalcrafters, another long-time ChryCo contractor, to have its bucket-style cab and foreshortened bed installed. Much of the interior design is simply painted metal, the shape carrying more emotion than upholstery could.
Will the Sidewinder follow the Viper and Prowler into production? Not a chance. But some elements may make it into a factory some day. And if it's only enough to inspire further lunacy, that's fine, too.
Kenne Bell Supercharged F-150For last month's "Muscle Trucks" feature, Kenne Bell went for outright overkill with its Thoroughbred Ford. Realistically, though, the company knows that few of its customers will be disassembling their '97 F-150s (including removing the cab) to install supercharged, DOHC, 32-valve Mustang Cobra 4.6-liter V-8s. The vast majority of F-150 Whipple-blower buyers will be installing Kenne Bell Whipplecharger supercharger kits atop the 4.6-liter and 5.4-liter SOHC V-8s that Ford conveniently fits in the F-150 on the assembly line.
The only modifications made to this particular full-time four-wheel-drive F-150 Supercab's 4.6-liter engine are the addition of a Bossani exhaust system and the Whipplecharger screw-type supercharger producing eight psi of boost. According to Kenne Bell, measured on a Dynojet dynamometer those changes result in 280 horses making their way to the rear wheels. Given a 20 percent parasitic drivetrain loss, that would put crank horsepower at 350 as opposed to the unmodified 220 that Ford claims.
To complement the extra power, Full Effect of San Bernardino, California, added a full tonneau cover and lowered the truck over a set of 17x9.5-inch Colorado Custom wheels wearing exotic 315/45ZR17 Goodyear F1 tires. Add that to the supercharger's cost and the tab runs $13,399 to duplicate the modifications, plus approximately $23,500 for the truck. The all-wheel-drive system was still being developed to work with the modified engine, so all our tests were performed in two-wheel drive.
Compared to lowered full-size Chevy trucks, the Kenne Bell F-150 feels massive, yet it's downright petite next to a Dodge Ram. With so much supersticky tire at each corner, slalom and skidpad performance predictably improved. The stock two-wheel-drive F-150 XLT Supercab barreled through the slalom at 56 mph, while the Kenne Bell did the trick at 62.4 mph. Skidpad adhesion was an impressive 0.86 g, indicating that more suspension development (such as thicker anti-roll bars) could significantly increase the slalom speed.
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