The director of Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) steadfastly denied that the Lightning pickup has been killed.
John Coletti said some media and enthusiasts have interpreted the group's decision to postpone work on the next-generation truck as meaning the program is cancelled...
..."Some of the early ones just didn't get there. It wasn't meeting our internal objectives," said Coletti, who also stressed that some of the early models of the Mustang Cobra and even Ford GT didn't reach performance goals in the beginning. "That's not usual. We evaluate it as a team and say we got to have more or we say it's right," said Coletti.
A Lightning concept based on the new F-150 platform made its debut at the 2003 North American International Auto Show. It featured aggressive bodywork and a 500-horsepower, supercharged 5.4-liter V8 engine and an independent rear suspension.
Sources from the SVT Owners Association who attended the luncheon said their membership has been outraged at the decision. But some also admit the value of their Lightnings has increased.
