Things are seriously heating up in the performance pickup field with the arrival of the 2021 Ram TRX, a Hellcat-powered truck that bests the Ford F-150 Raptor from afar. Until the Blue Oval thinks of a way to officially lift the war gauntlet it is up to aftermarket specialists to carry on the fight.
The tuning company made a name for itself with over the top “restomod” conversions of the fabled Hummer H1 that brought the hulking SUV back into active duty with a raft of modern improvements. It decided in spring this year it was time for another draft, bringing into the fold the top-selling vehicle in the United States, the ubiquitous Ford F-150.
In April, when they first showcased the menacing conversion (if you’re on the Light side you can always eschew the stealthy Agate Black for any of the available lighter shades), Mil-Spec's team trained the powertrain to 500 horsepower and to a rock-crawling Baja Performance Suspension Package that included a wider track and a 11 / 12-inch suspension lift (front / rear).
Back then, the outlet looked satisfied with their 500-horsepower version of the F-150, but that certainly isn’t enough in this day and age. So, they quickly came up with a 675 hp solution. The automotive “drill sergeant” should be more satisfied now that the specialist seems comfortable enough to increase the stakes.
They thus used a social media post to reward us with a few beauty shots of a Ford F-150 Lariat featuring a stealth approach with no visible MSA (Mil-Spec Automotive) markings. More importantly, the comment noted an important novelty: “optional 675 hp with 13 inches of ground clearance means there isn’t much you can’t tackle in a MSA F-150.”
That certainly sounds like a challenge to all performance trucks out there, be it of the aftermarket (Hennessey’s Venom 775 Supercharged quickly springs to mind) or the official variety – the timing is quite important, given the recent 2021 Ram TRX unveiling. Pricing might be the only setback, as the stock version alone kicks off at $89,500...
In April, when they first showcased the menacing conversion (if you’re on the Light side you can always eschew the stealthy Agate Black for any of the available lighter shades), Mil-Spec's team trained the powertrain to 500 horsepower and to a rock-crawling Baja Performance Suspension Package that included a wider track and a 11 / 12-inch suspension lift (front / rear).
Back then, the outlet looked satisfied with their 500-horsepower version of the F-150, but that certainly isn’t enough in this day and age. So, they quickly came up with a 675 hp solution. The automotive “drill sergeant” should be more satisfied now that the specialist seems comfortable enough to increase the stakes.
They thus used a social media post to reward us with a few beauty shots of a Ford F-150 Lariat featuring a stealth approach with no visible MSA (Mil-Spec Automotive) markings. More importantly, the comment noted an important novelty: “optional 675 hp with 13 inches of ground clearance means there isn’t much you can’t tackle in a MSA F-150.”
That certainly sounds like a challenge to all performance trucks out there, be it of the aftermarket (Hennessey’s Venom 775 Supercharged quickly springs to mind) or the official variety – the timing is quite important, given the recent 2021 Ram TRX unveiling. Pricing might be the only setback, as the stock version alone kicks off at $89,500...