What sounds like a vacuum cleaner and sucks … itself to the road?
The Ford F-150 Lightning-based electric SuperTruck that will compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has been revealed in all of its big wing glory.
The demonstration vehicle will compete in the open class with minimal rules so Ford went to town on it.
It is equipped with an enormous hoop wing that an elephant could jump through, a chin splitter that would make a snow plow jealous and a rear diffuser the size of a tunnel for evacuating air from under the vehicle.
The setup is capable of producing 6,000 pounds of downforce at 150 mph, according to Ford, which is probably more than the truck weighs.
The power rating hasn’t been revealed, but Ford sent a 1,400 hp tri-motor SuperVan up the mountain last year and set a class record. A video clip reveals the screeching sound its drivetrain makes under power.
Qualifying for the event begins on June 18 and the race day is scheduled for June 23.
Ford said it will collect data from the effort that will help develop “software calibration and battery cell chemistry for production vehicles as well as future race programs.”
The truck will be driven by Romain Dumas, who in February set a closed car track record at Australia’s Mount Panorama circuit in the SuperVan, which hit a top speed of 186 mph on the longest straight stretch.
Ford hasn’t announced plans to leverage these feats with a production performance version of the F-150 Lightning, but the retail truck is available with up to 580 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque, which allows it to accelerate to 60 mph in less than four seconds.
