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Steeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TRX Adversary, Comes With 775 HP

People sometimes come to me for advice on what car they should buy. And I'm always happy to help out, especially if they're thinking about getting a sports car. If you want to be fast, starting with a good base car helps a lot. But now and then, people ask for something that is both practical and fast. While there are quite a few fast SUVs out there, finding a pick-up truck that will blow you away will narrow down the list a bit.
Steeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HP 22 photos
Photo: Steeda
Steeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HPSteeda F-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR-X Adversary, Comes With 775-HP
Of course, there is always the option of buying a TRX or a Raptor. If you're keen on having something more exclusive, you can always get a Shelby F-150 Super Snake or anything with a Hennessey badge on it.

You can also look at a Ford Lightning: the old one if you're still an ICE fan, or the new one if you'd like something silent. As strange as it may sound to some people, the demand for high-performance trucks has risen over the years. And companies, manufacturers and tuners alike, have listened.

We all know that after lightning, comes thunder. So it feels rather fitting that Steeda has chosen this particular name for their newest project. The Ford F-150 Thunder is a limited edition performance truck that could easily be a hero truck in the next Fast and Furious movie.

This vehicle has been built with on-road performance in mind. Steeda calls it a "Modern reincarnation of the famed Ford F-150 Lightning - on steroids". The F-150 SVT Lightning was first introduced in 1992 and was capable of delivering 240-hp and 340 lb-ft (461 Nm) of torque.

Steeda F\-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR\-X Adversary, Comes With 775\-HP
Photo: Steeda
Ford sold a total of over 11,000 SVT trucks over the next three years. The company decided to give the Lightning another chance with the launch of the new version in 1999. This time, a supercharged Triton V8 was used under the hood.

That gave drivers access to up to 380-hp and 450 lb-ft (610 Nm) of torque. This version was more successful, and the fact that Paul Walker drove one in The Fast and The Furious back in 2001 probably had an impact on sales too. Ford managed to sell just over 28,000 units up until 2004.

And that brings us back to Steeda's F-150 Thunder. With this being a Limited Edition vehicle, we probably won't be seeing that many of them on public roads. But the fact that they call it an F-150 Lightning on steroids makes perfect sense.

It all starts with Ford's 5.0-liter aluminum block V8 and a massive Steeda-Whipple Gen 5x Stage 2 3.0-liter Supercharger. The soundtrack is provided via a Steeda/MBRP 3" Cat-Back exhaust system with a dual 2.5" side exit. That should be enough to make all the alarms at the mall go off.

Steeda F\-150 Thunder Looks Like a Worthy TR\-X Adversary, Comes With 775\-HP
Photo: Steeda
At this point, you're already looking at up to 775-hp, which is double what you would get in the old SVT Lightning. Torque figures aren't bad either, at 685 lb-ft (928 Nm). By comparison, the supercharged V8 in the TRX will only give you access to 605 lb-ft (820 Nm) of torque.

Steeda designed the F-150 Thunder thinking of twisty canyon roads and even some of America's best road courses. So they didn't stop at just upgrading the engine. The base package also includes a Steeda/IHC suspension package that lowers the front by 3" and the rear by 5".

The base Thunder upgrade package starts at $34,000 and it includes a host of other parts such as a set of 22" x 10" Velgen DDR VFT6 wheels wrapped in Nitto NT420V 305/40R22 tires, a Steeda Performance wheel alignment, Steeda Aero parts, and a few other bits and pieces.

Of course, this price only includes the Steeda upgrades. You'll also need to account for the base Ford vehicle at the end of the day. And if the standard package isn't enough for you, Steeda does offer a host of other options for you to look at. We've included that list in an attached PDF for your convenience.

Right now, we're eager to see this thing in action. And we're sure that a video review of the Steeda F-150 Thunder will be available soon. It would certainly be nice to see how it stacks up against some of the other performance trucks on the market, be it at the drag strip or around the racetrack.
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 Download: Steeda F-150 Thunder (PDF)

About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
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The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
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