New Ford F-150 Thunder pickup is more powerful than Lightning

First comes the lightning, then the thunder.

The electric Ford F-150 Lighting isn’t the first truck to wear the shocking name.

Ford previously used it for a pair of high performance pickups built from 1993 to 1995 and 1999 to 2004.

They weren’t battery-powered crew cabs like today’s truck, but two-doors with powerful V8 engines under their hoods.

And there’s one company that wishes the new one was too.

1999 Ford SVT F-150 Lightning has a 5.4-liter supercharged V8 under its hood.
(Ford)

The folks at Ford performance parts specialist Steeda are fans of the electric Lightning for what it is, but said they’re disappointed it’s using a name that’s so iconic on the muscle truck scene.

In response, it has created the Steeda F-150 Thunder Edition, which applies the old formula to the latest generation of the F-150.

Steeda redesigned the suspension to improve the truck’s street performance.
(Steeda)

Steeda starts with a regular cab, rear-wheel-drive F-150 powered by a 5.0-liter V8 and equipped with an old-school bench seat.

Then it adds a Whipple supercharger kit to the engine that cranks the power from 400 hp to 780 hp, making it even more powerful than a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.

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A suspension engineered by Steeda lowers the ride height by three inches in front and five in the rear and includes new springs, shocks, control arms and torsion bars to make the truck handle as much like a sports car as possible.

The Thunder Edition features a 780 hp V8.
(Steeda)

A set of 22-inch wheels wearing foot-wide Nitto street performance tires helps maximize the traction available on both drag strips and curvy roads.

The Thunder Edition is based on a two-door F-150 with a 6.5-foot bed.
(Steeda)

A body kit with a hood scoop, roof and tailgate spoiler, painted bumpers and graphics rounds out the package.

“Our goal with the F-150 Thunder was to fill the void for those enthusiasts out there longing for a street truck with a powerful supercharged V8 under the hood,” Steeda said.

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The Thunder Edition treatment lists for $34,000 on top of the price of a donor truck, with the cheapest V8-powered F-150 XL listed at $35,000. 

Even at a total of $69,000, a Thunder Edition undercuts the 760 hp Shelby GT500’s $80,815 base price.

It’s also less than the $74,269 it costs to get into a 580 hp F-150 Lightning XLT, which is the lowest priced model available with the extended range battery pack option that provides 320 miles of driving between charges.