Ford Ranger SVT V-8

Not everyone's going to like the SVT Ranger V-8. But then, Ford isn't building this truck for everyone. In fact, this one-off engineering prototype was only released to Motor Trend for this exclusive first test.

Ford's Special Vehicle Engineering group knows there's way too much hair on this sport truck's knuckles to please the multitude of main-street poseurs who've slipped into pickups and designer western wear. So even if Ford decides to fire this potent model down the assembly line, we're expecting only about 5000 a year to see the light of day.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves; Ford Motor Co. hasn't committed this truck to production-yet. Created for Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT), which is responsible for the 305-horsepower SVT Mustang Cobra and F-150 Lightning full-size pickup, this one-off has been undergoing review by high-level managers and engineers for possible production in the '98 model year.

An elite internal group established in 1991, SVT has been commissioned to create factory-produced "driver's cars and trucks" with a balance between engine and chassis, roadholding and supple ride, and refinement and performance.

What we found during our demanding review was a well-sorted-out development mule with quick steering, a firm but reasonable ride, and chassis dynamics that reminded us distinctly of the past-generation Mustang GT. But its most unrefined and entertaining talent was the ability to whip 240 loud horses into action. Yeee-haaaaaa!

A close look at the ingredients baked into the bones of this bad-boy pick'um-up truck reveals why we can't wait to get one into our long-term test fleet. The foundation is an anvil-simple 4x2 Ranger. Ford engineering then raided the Mustang GT and Explorer parts bins to create an extremely lively and capable version of its compact pickup.

Inside, things are likewise simple. The instrumentation consists of standard Ranger fare: a speedo, a tachometer, and coolant-temp, oil-pressure, voltage, and fuel-level gauges. There's a center console with dual cupholders and a shallow, covered storage bin.

The seats are buckets with firm foam and "SVT" stitched into the fabric. SVT obviously spent its money on modifying the go-stuff and not on extra interior frills.

The base price on this red-hot hauler is likely to hover just below $20,000 with goodies like air conditioning, power steering, a sliding rear window, a premium sound system, and foglamps. Add in power options and a passenger-side airbag and you're out the door for about $22,000. That isn't cheap, but hey, it's about four grand less than a nicely equipped Mustang Cobra, and you can't carry a Jet Ski or a set of dirt bikes in the back of a ponycar.

SVT's styling philosophy is to skip the wild graphics and tack-on airscoops. As a result, this truck is a bit of a sleeper with only four clues to the beast within: the wide wheels and tires, a mildly lowered suspension, four-wheel discs, and two large stainless exhaust pipes poking through the rear roll pan.

The most radical, but not obvious, modification to the exterior sheetmetal is the grafted-on Explorer front end. While that might sound like a backyard tweak, it actually entailed some pretty serious body work and welding because the straight edge of the Explorer's front fenders wouldn't normally mate with the curvy leading edge of the Ranger's doors.

Getting back to the altered exterior elements: The chrome five-spoke wheels were borrowed from a Mustang Cobra R. Debate continues within SVT over a flat-silver or chrome finish for the production truck.

There's no question the Ranger SVT has a big footprint. The front wheels are shod with 255/45ZR17 Goodyear Eagle GS-C's. In back, even wider 285/40ZR17's were fitted on the same 17x9.0-inch alloys.