Tag Archives: F-150

News

Ford Turns the F-150 into a Street Brawler

Leave a comment

Ford knows its audience. Build a V8 with 480 horsepower and someone will ask for 580. Build 580 and someone will ask what it would take to see eight hundred. The answer, apparently, is a factory-backed supercharger kit with a warranty and a Blue Oval stamp on the box.

Through Ford Performance, the company has rolled out a dealer-installed, Whipple-developed 3.0-liter twin-screw supercharger package for any modern machine packing the 5.0-liter Coyote V8—namely the Ford Mustang GT, the Ford Mustang Dark Horse, and the V8-powered Ford F-150. It’s less a tune and more a sanctioned escalation.

Mustang: 810 Horsepower, With a Small Catch

Let’s start with the headline number: 810 horsepower and 615 lb-ft of torque from a showroom-stock 5.0-liter Mustang. That’s Mustang GTD-adjacent territory—at least in raw output—and it comes courtesy of a 3.0-liter Whipple twin-screw blower pressurizing Dearborn’s favorite V8.

There is, however, an asterisk. To see the full 810 hp, your Mustang needs the optional active exhaust. Without it, output “falls” to 800 horsepower. If you’re upset about losing 10 hp in an 800-hp Mustang, you may need a hobby.

This isn’t a backyard pulley-and-prayer setup. The kit includes a 92mm throttle body, colder spark plugs, Shelby GT500–sourced port fuel injectors, a dual-pass intercooler, and a Tomahawk flash tool to recalibrate the ECU. In other words, it’s engineered, not improvised.

And because this is Ford, not your cousin’s tuning shop, the whole thing is designed to meet 100,000-mile durability standards. Have it installed by a dealer or certified tech and you get a 3-year/36,000-mile Ford Performance warranty. That’s the kind of coverage that makes forced induction feel almost responsible.

F-150: Street Truck Energy, Raptor R Attitude

If 810 hp feels excessive in a pony car, 700 hp in a pickup might sound unhinged. The F-150 version of the kit fits 2021–2026 model-year trucks equipped with the 5.0-liter V8, bumping output to 700 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque.

No, that doesn’t quite eclipse the 720 hp of the Ford F-150 Raptor R, but it gets close enough to change the personality of the truck entirely. Ford points to the F-150 Lobo as the ideal canvas—essentially handing street-truck fans the power to match the attitude.

The kit works on both two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive models, provided they use the single-alternator configuration. Trucks equipped with Pro Power Onboard will need an additional component to keep the electrons cooperative.

Like the Mustang setup, this one is calibrated for 91-octane fuel or better. Premium in, tire smoke out.

The Fine Print (There’s Always Some)

The F-150 kit lists at $10,250, while the Mustang package edges up to $10,500. That’s before installation, of course, but in the world of 700- to 800-hp builds, those numbers feel almost reasonable—especially with factory backing.

There is one California-shaped wrinkle. The kit is marketed as 50-state legal for earlier model years, but CARB certification for 2026 vehicles is still pending. Until that paperwork clears, 2026 buyers in California and other CARB-aligned states will have to admire from a distance.

Factory Muscle, No Apologies

The bigger story here isn’t just the horsepower figure—it’s the legitimacy. Aftermarket forced induction has always carried a whiff of risk: questionable tunes, voided warranties, fingers crossed at every cold start. Ford’s approach flips that script. This is boost with a blessing.

And it reinforces a simple truth: the Coyote V8 remains one of the most tunable, resilient engines in modern performance. Ford isn’t just acknowledging that fact. It’s monetizing it—with a warranty card tucked neatly inside.

For loyalists who believe there’s no such thing as too much power, Ford has provided an official answer. It just happens to come with a Whipple whine and a $10,500 receipt.

Source: Ford

Tuning

The Roush F-150 Is Proof That Wheels and Tires Still Sell Trucks

Roush has built a career out of taking Ford’s greatest hits and turning the volume knob just enough to make enthusiasts notice. Its latest effort, a Roush-modified Ford F-150, follows that exact formula: subtle at first glance, aggressive once you start paying attention—and expensive once you read the price tag.

Visually, the truck walks a careful line between factory fresh and aftermarket brawler. The high-pass grille integrates cleanly into the front fascia, giving the F-150 a tougher, more technical face without screaming for attention. A lightly reworked hood adds functional heat extractors, while extended fenders give the truck a wider, more planted stance. It’s not cartoonish, but it’s definitely more “don’t tailgate me” than stock.

The biggest visual statement comes from the rolling stock. Roush fits satin black 20-inch wheels wrapped in meaty 33-inch General Tire Grabber A/TX all-terrains. Combined with a revised suspension setup—new springs, upgraded shocks, and a two-inch leveling kit—the truck sits taller and looks far more trail-ready than the average mall crawler. An active exhaust system with two modes adds some auditory theater, though Roush hasn’t said exactly how dramatic the difference is between quiet and loud.

Inside, details are scarce, but Roush promises carbon-fiber trim and a serialized plaque to remind you that this isn’t just another F-150. Aluminum pedals and an overhead auxiliary switch panel hint at future off-road ambitions, whether that means light bars, winches, or gear you haven’t bought yet.

For buyers with deeper pockets, Roush offers two upgrade paths. The Premium package brings black or tan leather seats with inserts that echo the grille pattern, embroidered headrests, and American flag graphics—because nothing says performance branding like patriotic upholstery. The Ready package is more practical, adding a console safe and an off-road kit that includes essentials like a jump box, tow straps, gloves, and D-rings.

Here’s the catch: none of this touches the engine. No supercharger, no extra horsepower, no torque bump. Just styling, suspension, and accessories. And yet, the conversion alone costs $18,995. Add the Premium package and you’re looking at $24,995 on top of the price of the truck itself.

That puts the Roush F-150 in an awkward middle ground. It looks tougher than a stock F-150 and carries a respected performance badge, but without any power upgrades, it’s more fashion statement than full-blown performance truck. For some buyers, the exclusivity and cohesive design will be enough. For others, spending nearly $25,000 on a “performance” package that doesn’t actually make the truck faster might feel less like a smart upgrade and more like a very expensive aesthetic filter.

Source: Roush

News

Diplomacy on Four Wheels: Japan Might Buy a Fleet of Ford F-150s to Please Trump

In the strange theater of international politics, the next act might star an unlikely hero: the Ford F-150.

Ahead of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Japan later this month, Japanese officials are reportedly planning a gesture of goodwill that feels more like a scene out of Fast & Furious: Trade Negotiations. The government is said to be eyeing the purchase of more than 100 Ford F-150 pickup trucks—yes, the same all-American workhorses that define heartland driveways and job sites from Iowa to Texas.

The move follows a new U.S.–Japan tariff agreement reached less than two months ago and appears to be Tokyo’s way of addressing one of Trump’s favorite trade grievances: that Japan buys far too few American cars. And he’s not wrong about the numbers. In 2024, just 16,000 U.S.-built cars found homes in Japan, while Japanese automakers shipped an eye-watering 1.37 million vehicles to the States.

So, what do you do when your trade balance looks lopsided and the most powerful man in the world loves trucks? You buy a few dozen of them, of course—and maybe park one in front of the Akasaka Palace to make sure he notices.

A Symbolic Gesture on an Awkward Platform

There’s only one problem: Ford pulled out of Japan in 2016. There are no dealers, no service networks, and no official channels for parts. These F-150s, meant for road and dam inspections, will have to rely on independent mechanics and a lot of improvisation. Imagine a rural Japanese prefecture trying to source brake pads or a replacement infotainment unit for a 5.0-liter V8 Lariat—good luck.

Beyond the logistics, the bigger issue is that Japan simply doesn’t have a taste for trucks like the F-150. Narrow city streets, scarce parking, and sky-high fuel prices have kept large American vehicles off Japanese wish lists for decades. Even affluent buyers tend to favor compact SUVs or kei cars that can slip through Tokyo traffic without requiring a three-point turn at every intersection.

Cultural Curiosity Meets Market Reality

Still, the F-150 plan might not be entirely tone-deaf. Toyota’s own CEO, Akio Toyoda, recently floated the idea of importing American-built models like the full-size Tundra as a test case. If the Tundra and the F-150 can coexist, perhaps there’s a niche market—small, but curious—of Japanese buyers drawn to the exotic appeal of American brawn.

Realistically, though, this feels more like a symbolic import than a serious market shift. For Japan, it’s a polite diplomatic nod wrapped in 6,000 pounds of chrome and steel. For Ford, it’s an unexpected cameo in a country it left behind nearly a decade ago.

Whether this ends with a meaningful trade thaw or just a few confused government inspectors trying to park a SuperCrew on a Tokyo side street remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: when it comes to global diplomacy, few gestures are as unmistakably American as a brand-new F-150 idling in front of a palace.

Source: Reuters