What do you get when you combine a 380-horsepower supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 and a Ford Ranger pickup? Tire smoke and lots of it. Sound like a dream? Well, it's not. Ford's Special Vehicle Team did just that, and the results are amazing. SVT engineers thought it might be cool to swap an SOHC V-8 engine from an SVT Lightning pickup into a Ranger; replacing the stock 4.0-liter SOHC V-6. The modifications necessary to get the bigger engine to fit in the Ranger's engine bay include custom headers, air intake, and exhaust system. To handle the V-8's massive 450 lb-ft of torque, the stock Ranger automatic transmission and rearend were replaced with Lightning pieces. Further upgrades include a boxed frame to strengthen the structure, while massive 345/45ZR18 Michelin Sport rear tires get much of the power to the ground.
SVT says the Ranger Bolt is just a concept for now and it has no plans to produce the beast. We had a chance to test this prototype at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway during a brief break in SEMA action. We weren't disappointed. We're saving the juicy details for a complete report in an upcoming issue of Truck Trend Magazine.
