With so many exciting new truck models hitting showroom floors in the next few years, there’s a lot for truck lovers to drool over. With its new Raptor launching in 2017, Ford is definitely near the top of that list. But with off-roaders champing at the bit for the new EcoBoost-powered Raptor, Ford’s Super Duty lineup might get lost in the shuffle, but there’s plenty else to whet the palate for trucks fans aside from just the Raptor.

After so much attention was put toward its redesigned F-150 in 2015, Ford Trucks is now shifting its focus over to the Super Duty line, which, like the F-150, will also see substantial weight savings thanks to more use of aluminum in its construction.  Spy photographers caught a first glimpse of a 2017 F-350 prototype during testing in a new configuration: a single cab dually. This is the first time the photographers have seen an F350 prototype running with this setup.

After the enormous attention put on the 2015 F-150, the focus at Ford Trucks has shifted to the Super Duty versions. Like the light-duty trucks, the next-generation Super Duty models get a healthy dose of aluminum to save hundreds of pounds over the existing models, in an effort to boost fuel economy and offer downsized engines.

Ford updated the 6.7-liter turbo-diesel PowerStroke engine for 2015, but it’s expected that Ford will add a new gas engine to the lineup for the 2017 model year. With the Super Duty trucks following the trend of shedding pounds by using more aluminum much like the F-150, it’s expected they will also follow suit by offering smaller engine options, such as the 5.0-liter V8 or the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engines currently used on the F-150. The new 10-speed automatic transmission may also be used on this setup, as it will debut on the 2017 Raptor (which was shown earlier this year in Detroit mated to a 3.5-liter EcoBoost).

We expect to get the first official look at the new Super Duty late this year or early next year, and we believe it will be released along with the other 2017 model year vehicles.