OCR REVIEW

At SEMA, Ford revealed a 2008 F-250 Super Duty by Fabtech

The Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty Series pretty much dominate the market in everything you’d be concerned about when looking for a meaty ride: superior engine, torque, and towing power. The models are also roomy, comfortable and stylish, both inside and out. In short, these heavy-duty pickups do not mess around.

Super Duty’s list for Best-in-Class awards is long: 5th Wheel Towing; Conventional Towing; Payload; GVWR, GCWR, and GAWR; Horsepower; Torque. Despite the competition assault from other makers such as Dodge and General Motors, the truck gets grouped into Ford’s overall truck sales statistics, so it’s considered the best-selling truck for the past 29 years in a row.

For the 2007 model, there are two new trim packages, the Super Duty Lariat Highline SuperCab and the Lariat Outlaw Crew Cab. This month Ford took the Truck of Texas award for the F-250 Super Duty Crew Cab. These Super Duty models are great trucks, but the 2008 models with their 6.4-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel engines are slowly stealing 2007’s thunder.

The 2007 models have three different engines: the 300-horsepower 5.4-liter 3-value Triton V8 with 365 lb-ft of torque; the 362-horsepower 6.8-liter 3-value Triton V10 with 457 lb-ft of torque; and their big daddy – the 6.0-liter Power Stroke V8 Turbo Diesel.

The 6.0-liter V8 diesel is the attention-getter for cargo towers. With 325-horsepower at 3,300 rpms and 570 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 rpms, it’s a serious butt-kicking leader in the heavy-duty truck class. The maximum payload is 5,800 lbs; with a fifth wheel, it increases to 19,200 lbs. The Power Stroke has cast iron cylinder heads and block material to withstand combustion, a stiffened bedplate for reduced noise, and a 4-value induction for optimal intake. The direct electro-hydraulic fuel rail atomizes fuel at 26,000 psi for an efficient exhaust burn.

Your Towing Wish is My Command

The TorqShift® on the 5-speed automatic is a converter designed to maximize low-speed torque capability and is optional on all engines. Its selectable Tow/Haul mode adjusts operation at intense driving moments by reducing gear hunting, evenly distributing power, and applying engine brakes to control vehicle speed in descending situations. This means less stress on you, your load, and your truck.

The Super Duty Series takes control one-step further through an optional factory-installed TowCommand® system that features the first fully integrated trailer brake controller in its class. When the TowCommand® is activated, the ABS braking performance system combined with the TorqShift® in the Tow/Haul mode and the telescoping trailer two mirrors work together to keep your towing situation under wraps.

The Ford family has the best-selling trucks for the past 29 years in a row

The Lariat Highline SuperCab feature the chrome package, which offers a chrome billet grille, chrome mirror caps, chrome tow hooks, chrome exhaust tip, chrome tie-down hooks and 5-inch chrome tubular step bars. The front captain’s chairs are trimmed with black leather and pair smartly with other black interior accents. The Highline gets a brushed-aluminum trim exterior. The Lariat Outlaw Crew Cab has a couple features from the chrome package (step bars, exhaust tip) but has black and red leather-trimmed captain chairs and a black monochrome exterior appearance. Both trims have optional 20-inch forged polished-aluminum wheels.

The chrome package is also available on the XLT.

The Super Duty gets two new looks for 2007

The ride in the F-250 and F-350 Super Duty Series is superiorly smooth for what feels like a really big pickup. Handling is secure. The base price for a F-250 Super Duty XL Crew Cab is $37,745; the F-350 Super Duty XL SuperCab base price is $37,085.

However, the big news around the Heavy Duty series centers on the 2008 engine, the 350- horsepower 6.4-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel. Previewed this month, this new diesel version will be available in the Super Duty pickup line in early 2007.

Ford will replace the 6.0-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel with this engine that gets 650 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 rpm – as much as its main competitor, the Dodge Ram. The engine is loaded with new technology, such as Piezo-electric fuel injectors, which is said to be the first of its kind in the U.S. market. This high-precision system helps reduce emissions up to 97 percent and enables the engine to run smoother and quieter.

Despite tougher emission rules, higher gas prices, and the hit truck sales took in 2006, Ford is out to reassure consumers that its trucks are changing with the times – and all this change still creates a win-win situation for Ford and the Super Duty Series.