I recently purchased a 2009 For F-150 and I am writing you this email to praise the safety features of that vehicle that saved my life. I was recently at the Texas State Fair and was looking at the new Ford vehicles because we will soon be in the market for my wife a new SUV, and I told one of the representatives my story. They told me that I should send the pictures in to someone at Ford. I did a google search for contact info at Ford, and I am taking a guess at your email address from your name.

On May 9th, I was driving on south Interstate 45 from Dallas to Houston at 5 in the morning. It was pitch black outside and as I came over a small hill in the road, there were 6 cattle standing across the freeway. I was traveling 65-70 miles an hour and I did not have time to react and swerve away from the cows. I hit and killed 3 of the cows. I don't remember much of the wreck, but I do remember that I walked away from it. Once the police arrived on the scene, the were sure that anyone in the vehicle was surely dead. As every new officer and helping passer by came upon us, I was asked if I had checked on the people in the vehicle. They were surprised every time that I told them that I was the only one in the vehicle. They would ask how I was even standing after the wreck. I firmly believe that God put me in an F-150 exactly one week before the accident for a reason. The truck was totaled, and looking at the damage, I can see how anyone would not believe that I walked away from the accident. I had a twisted vertebrae, dislocated ribs, a concussion, and some burns from the airbag. All of that is fixable, and the one thing that I also have is my life. If I would have been in my previous vehicle, they said I would have been decapitated. On my F-150, the hood rolled back over the windshield and shielded anything from coming through it. The frame kept the cockpit in tact and overall, this truck truly performed the safety features to the max. No-one ever thinks of hitting 3 900 lb cows when they think of auto accidents, but your engineers and designers have put features into this truck that will save hundreds of lives, and I am sure glad they saved mine. My wife were married in March and this accident happened only 2 months after our wedding. Now we are expecting our first child, and I will only trust Ford vehicles with my wife and family in the future. I have attached a picture of the truck and I will say, the sales staff was fantastic in assisting me with getting a new 2009 F-150.

Thank You So Much,
Joe Cross

Mulally apparently responded with "Hello Joe.....WOW.....soo pleased for you, your family, and our Ford.....I am sharing your story with our team that lives to design the very best cars and trucks in the world.....thank you Joe!!" He's just so happy to have another customer and continue Ford's dominance in the cattle-killing market.

Based on the stock 2009 Ford F-150, the Raptor adds little more than some fancy suspension, fancier electronics and some sporty exterior design. It retains the stock engine, the same 6-speed automatic gearbox (albeit in a less enthusiastic state of tune), the stock frame and a gussied-up stock interior and flared exterior. But oh, what suspension and electronics.

Headlining the changes are the internal triple bypass Fox Racing shocks. Like other off-road suspension packages, they add lots of travel (the total now stands at 11.2" of travel at the front and 12.1" at the rear), but unlike other systems they take radical steps to control that travel with the damping becoming four times stiffer at the end of the shock's travel as it is at the beginning. The initially soft, progressively stiffer damping means the Raptor floats over undulations both off-road and on, but controls that float so there's no bouncing around on the springs.

Drive along at whatever speed, hit a bump and the jolt is absorbed with no further impact on the experience. The suspension compresses to the extent required to clear the obstacle, then extends back to its normal position rather than compressing and extending through a few decreasing cycles like on virtually every other suspension setup.

That control isn't just down to the dampers, the Raptor increases the width of the F-150's track by seven inches, necessitating the use of unique "SVT" stamped upper and lower control arms and the wild new bodywork. The result of that is stability, especially noticeable at high speeds.

Connecting that new suspension to the road are bespoke 35-inch BF Goodrich tires on same-size, but unique-looking, 17-inch wheels. They use the same tread pattern as other BF Goodrich off-road tires, but everything else about them is designed to boost on-road refinement while retaining off-road ability. They're dead quiet even while bouncing off the 100 MPH speed limiter on the road, yet grip rocks and loose sand just like their off-road-only brothers and sisters.

Helping all that out is an "Off-Road" mode button that lets the ABS lock the wheels up at low speeds for more effective braking in the dirt, makes the shift programming and throttle response much more aggressive and backs off the traction and stability control.

That we've just spent five paragraphs describing the fancy suspension and electronics should give you some idea just how special they are. In fact, they transform the F-150 from a practical and luxurious utility truck into the most bitchin' multi-purpose vehicle we've driven all year. It's just a shame about the transmission.

That the Raptor is fast, refined and utterly stable up to its limited top speed belies its true nature as an off-roader. We were initially disappointed in the truck because we couldn't imagine a situation where all this roadability couldn't come at the expense of off-road speed. The thing is, we were wrong.

Designed for high-speed desert running, the SVT engineers didn't find it necessary to sacrifice any rock-crawling or mud-plugging ability. The extra ground clearance, improved approach and departure angles, beefed-up half shafts and other assorted upgrades like the huge SVT-branded aluminum skid plate actually make the Raptor more capable in the slow stuff than the stock F-150. All that truck's off-road aids are retained in the form of super slow-motion hill descent control and locking differentials.

And then you get to the go-fast stuff.

There's plenty of trucks, SUVs or whatever that can competently tackle a boulder. There's none available straight from a show room that are designed to run across the desert at 100 MPH. That's exactly what the Raptor does.

Push the "Off-Road" button, turn off the traction control and engage the rear axle locker in two-high and you're in the unofficial sport mode. This sets you up to tackle the loose surfaces, bumps, jumps and corners of your average desert. Point it down a dry creek bed or across the open desert and hit the gas. Add some corrective steering to overcome that slide and you're good to go. It's like driving your average pickup down a dirt road, only, in the Raptor, you'll be going twice as fast and you don't need that dirt road.

The triple bypass dampers absorb any bump small enough for the Raptor to actually make it over or cushion the landing off just about any jump. You'll find yourself going so fast - we bounced off the 100 MPH limiter without a thought - that when it comes time to steer around that boulder or cliff you won't realize how much you need to slow down until you're right on top of that obstacle. That's ok, because the off-road ABS programming has been tuned so perfectly that it can bring the Raptor to a rapid halt even on loose sand. It does that by allowing a controlled amount of wheel lock at low speeds to build up a berm in front of the tires, but keeps the wheels from locking at higher speeds to retain steering control.

Sadly, even with the more aggressive programming in off-road mode, the transmission will put itself in too high a gear, causing the Raptor to occasionally bog down, spoiling your tail out fun through some slow corners.

We first drove the Raptor over a month ago here in New York and walked away from the experience distinctly underwhelmed. Rather than finding the extreme race-focused off-roader we expected, the Raptor, in city traffic at least, turned out to be a better-riding, taller and more refined version of the stock F-150. The gearbox kept trying to put itself in sixth gear, no matter what the speed, and was then reluctant to kick down. That means it was slow. Really slow.

Unfortunately that gearbox didn't get better between that pre-production truck and this final-spec vehicle. Trying to get some maintenance throttle through the hairpin curves between San Diego and Borrego Springs resulted in either nothing or, with a bit more throttle, a two gear downshift and way too much acceleration. I almost had to drive it like an ‘80s turbocharged Saab, hammering the throttle before the apex to ensure that there'd be some acceleration on tap by the time the corner exit appeared.

Ford plans to add a 400 HP/400 Lb-Ft of torque 6.2-liter V8 to the Raptor lineup near the end of this year, but it's going to be equipped with the same shitty gearbox as this 5.4-liter, meaning the extra 90 HP and 10 Lb-Ft will largely be wasted. Some sort of manual override beyond the ability to select first, second or third and the ineffective overdrive off switch is desperately needed, but sadly not planned.

Of course, bitching about the lack of an appropriately tuned gearbox in a 6,000 Lbs, 78.4-inch tall truck is indicative of how satisfying the rest of the experience is. Throw the Raptor into an on-road corner and it heaves way over to the outside, but settles into that position through the rest of the corner. Nothing about its cornering ability is wayward, imprecise or challenging. In fact, its far more able than the stock F-150 and is capable of pulling .83 G on the skidpad, which is nearly as much grip as the stock 2010 Ford Mustang GT. 0-60 takes 8.2 seconds, well, if the gearbox cooperates.

The way to get around the ridiculously awful gearbox is to floor the Raptor down every straight, then slam on the 13.8-inch front, 13.-7-inch rear (same as the stock truck) brakes just before a corner. The front dives towards the ground alarmingly and the tires go "fizzzzz" in protest, but the brakes never fade. Stay on them to just before the apex to quicken the steering then slam on the throttle so that you stand some slim chance of accelerating at some point on the following straight.

Ford's PR team carefully planned a jump free route for us to avoid the liability of inadvertently jostling the pacemakers of geriatric buff book hacks, but we managed to channel our inner hoon and find a good ramp regardless. We hit the four-foot high berm at 80 MPH and caught what felt like serious air, but even that failed to overcome the natural stability and the Raptor's ability to soak up anything thrown at it. It landed perfectly and carried on as if nothing had happened. Even sliding sideways into ruts and bumps near the limited top speed failed to provoke any roll or any sign at all that we could do anything to upset the Raptor.

With the stability control off, things got a bit looser, but were still impressively controlled given the amount of sideways action taking place, while with four high locked in, the same speeds were attainable, albeit with less fun.

We'll have to wait until we try a Raptor in an unsupervised environment to definitively declare that it's impossible to flip or roll one, but on this initial trial that appears to be the case.

The Raptor's performance potential is so unique that we have to look outside the car and truck world to find any serious parallels for its ability. Off-road it performs like a faster, taller KTM race quad bike with its huge slides and go-anywhere high-speed ability. But we've never gotten a quad up to 100 MPH. On road the nearest equivalent would be a supermoto - a dirt bike converted for road use with sticky track tires - it's long travel suspension actually boosts cornering ability over the stock vehicle. But we've never ridden a supermoto this refined.

To put it plainly, the Raptor is the fastest off-road vehicle we've ever driven, yet remains a refined, capable and fun daily commuter or work truck. It's ability to travel at extremely high speeds over rough terrain is utterly unique among stock vehicles. It does all that while only asking a $2,900 premium over the F-150 FX4. In a world of cars and trucks designed only to compete with peers in specific classes and on boring things like fuel economy, trunk volume and stereo spec and in a society beset with oppressive liability concerns, the Raptor sets itself apart by doing something no one else has ever thought was a good idea, was possible within the legal framework of an automobile company or, hell, even possible at all. The 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is fucking awesome.

Model T

Ford's plan for the Model T was to offer a simple, usable, high-quality automobile that anyone could afford, and the idea caught on, to put it mildly. The T started out as what everybody's mental image of an early automobile has come to be, hand crank, wooden wheels, acetylene lights and all. Ten years after its introduction, it had an electric starter, actual front doors, a roof, and accounted for half the cars in America. Yes, sir, it's the car that made the people who wanted to git up and go actually able to do so-before the T, transportation almost couldn't BE basic.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The Jeep

We're talking the true stripped-down models here, the Willys and CJ models that are coveted by off-road types but also worked brilliantly around town. Almost unbreakable, because there was nothing to break. Impossible to be uptight around them, once you got them away from heavy traffic and, you know, the military. And pretty hard to get now, more's the pity. We're embarrassed for choice in one model to feature, but during the Chevette Era right up through the dawn of the Neon, it was possible to get a retired Postal Service Jeep or AM General delivery truck like the one here, switch the steering wheel back to the left side, and drive in relative style and comfort (relative to walking, anyway). There's something magnificent about that.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The Ford Falcon

No, not the contemporary Australian version - the one your uncle the insurance salesman had. Or great-uncle, even. You want a Dodge Dart? You're welcome to it, but that's the easy choice. The Falcon was, to put it plainly, just a comfortable car to buy and live with, and more interesting; it came in lots of body styles, including convertible and Ranchero pickup, and was is considered to be one of the great successes of Ford president Robert McNamara, unlike his other project, the Vietnam War. It sold like crazy for a while, but unfortunately, it was shoved to the side by Ford's own more desirable Mustang.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The Volkswagen Beetle

Infinite volumes have been written about this car, but perhaps the single most important Beetle fact is this: It was perhaps as bad as a car can be and still be fun to own. It rusted, it didn't heat or defrost, it was slow, it handled strangely, it was ugly, and it made annoying sounds. But it got to people, somehow, in a way that transcended its novelty value, the way rescued dogs or tiny apartments sometimes do. After all, it was light, it was relatively reliable, and it was different. it If nothing else, it's worth noting that there wasn't really anything else commonly available at the time that offered as much sheer immediacy, and a long road trip in one of these was a small personal epic. Still, the rest of the world got the original Mini, and we got this?

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The Chevy Nova

In the 1970s, an era when most cars aspired to be rolling living rooms, the cheaper Nova aspired to be a rolling basement rec room, a somewhat overstuffed, purposefully shabby place, usually with lots of browns and yellows, a place where it was perfectly okay to put your feet on the Davenport. No one really wanted one, but plenty of people would up with one and wound up having good times in it, if not with it. It was roomy enough for four people who weren't too choosy, so anyone in there with you was probably a good friend of yours to begin with. Importantly, it could be made faster easily enough, especially the small-block versions, although part of the fun of that was ignoring how slow they were to begin with. The first car a lot of people in Generation X ever worked on voluntarily. Still, though people may not have wanted one, just try finding someone who owned one and doesn't wish they still had it.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Ford F-150

Of course, the best-selling vehicle in the world can be had in any trim level you want, but the base-level truck has always been one charismatic automobile. Throw stuff at it, in it, on it, it doesn't care. Get the awesomely durable 300-inch straight six in it, change the oil often, and trundle on through eternity.Hose it off, hose it out, and take it to town, and it still has a certain... well, not class, but a capable dignity you're not going to get in most cars. Plus it's the most common way to get a pleasant and raffish two-seater in a culture that tends to frown on that sort of thing.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Honda CRX-HF

The CRX is lovable indeed, but unlike most basic beaters, this one was an obvious treasure off the showroom floor. The liter-and-a-half engine and the five-speed were zippy enough, and fuel economy numbers in the 40s were certainly impressive, but the best part was that it weighed about 70 pounds. Oh, okay, about 1,700, but even in the mid-eighties that was a treat. There are just two seats, but it was a fine little runabout for all that, fairly spacious and Honda-solid. Plus but it rotated on a point right between those two seats, which was fun, and with those EPA numbers this fun was basically free. Sadly, the word is out now and no CRX has sold for basic transportation money since the turn of the century.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Ford Festiva

Most people know this car from the SHOgun models with the Yamaha V6 from the Taurus SHO dropped in where the back seats should be. That's fine, but don't overlook the terrier nature of the Mazda-built box, as were all the first-generation Festivas, which are really all the ones worth mentioning. They're zippy enough, roomy enough, and even lighter than a CRX, making them a surprisingly involving drive. Owner anecdotes, always the most interesting of perhaps not the most scientific source of information about older model cars, reveal that the Festiva is tenacious as can be, one of those cars that refuses to give up the ghost completely even after many, many nonessential parts have broken on them. A resounding endorsement, that. Also, the interior fabric over the door panels is so thin that refrigerator magnets can be stuck on, and how do you put a price on that kind of charm?

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Dodge Neon

In the long run, it wasn't an out-of-the park four-bagger. Build quality wasn't what Chrysler promised, the look didn't age well, and the fluids didn't stay in the engine like they really should have. But when it was introduced, buyers - including a lot of first-time car owners - were delighted to have a reasonably peppy, distinctively styled car from an American automaker. That it handled genuinely well was a nice bonus, for those who noticed. They were everywhere for a while, and unlike a lot of examples of automotive ubiquity, that was generally considered to be okay; a street lightly salted with Neons was a sign that something was going right. It didn't last, of course; bits started falling off, it was notably bad in crash testing (to be fair, just look at the rest of this list!) and a first-generation Neon with a For Sale sign on it may as well have had a warning sign on it, too. But the Neon's success was a sign that happy no-frills success was possible. We wish GM, and anyone else who wants to give it a try, all the best.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

We've only ever seen this level of insane skill before in the basement-built Lamborghini Countach of Ken Imhoff, but craftsmanship and the mid-level insanity of the builders is all these vehicles share. This H1 isn't some surplus rebuild or fiberglass kit, it's all-steel, hand fabricated to a near-military spec level of quality. The frame comes from a rough 1987 F150 4x4, the rear axle was pulled out of a E250 van, the engine is a monster 7.3 liter Powerstroke diesel from a shuttle van, and pretty much everything else is the result of a press-brake and and whole lot of welding. The result has been dubbed the Hummer H150.

We were a little worried, about half-way through the 48 pages of forum details on FullSizeBronco.com where he admitted his wife would be given the choice of paint scheme and she picked out a two tone white and grey with a tribal line in the middle. Thankfully she came to her senses and a lovely orange was chosen instead. Though the truck isn't quite done yet, a whole lot of the major work is through. The body electronics just got the test and transmission has been sourced, so after buttoning up the powertrain it'll be ready for a maiden run. This build has taken some five years thus far, but considering how far this guy has come the last few steps are practically child's play.

There aren't many vehicles manlier than the original Hummer H1, but building your own from scratch puts you in rare company on the testosterone scale. We can't wait to see how the Hummer H150 turns out. Hat tip to Mike! [Full Size Bronco Forums]

Ford shared pricing for the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor at a driver prep meeting for the "Terrible's 250" in Primm, Nevada and PickupTrucks.com's Mike Levine, all catheterized and ready to go for the race, was there to get the news.

Additionally, the premium 6.2-liter V8 Raptor will start at $41,995, with the same option package pricing as the 5.4-liter V8. Power is estimated to be 400 HP and 400 lb-ft of torque. The 6.2-liter Raptor is expected to go on sale this winter and the 5.4-liter Raptor, rated at 320 HP, 390 lb-ft of torque, is expected to go on sale this summer. Frankly, that's an insanely cheap price for the world's first fully off-road capable stock pickup truck purpose-built for speed. Do want. [PickupTrucks.com]

Follow Levine's race updates on twitter.

Based on an '84 Ford F-150, this blood-and-guts custom faithfully recreates everyone's favorite post-apocalyptic survival vehicle down to the tiny bits. The added third axle isn't driven - and the nitrous isn't hooked up to anything - but we're completely sold on this monster. For what this machine lacks in mechanical ability it makes up for in spades with a working loudspeaker and realistic prisoners.

Stashed in the corner of this year's Autorama 2009, it's mightyness loomed over every custom built so dearly. The sheetmetal body work on the death chariot looks like it's been sectioned with a hacksaw and buzzed together with an arc welder; we wouldn't want it any other way. Where are you going to find a nice, powerful Miller TIG in the middle of the wasteland? Nowhere.

When we questioned the positionable Lord Humongous cardboard collector cutout, he only replied,

Just walk away. I will give you safe passage in the Wasteland. Just walk away and there will be an end to the horror. I await your answer. You have one full day to decide.

Wait, is he talking about Detroit?

According to the folks at Pansy Patrol (great name by the way), a uniformed officer was seen ticketing a motorist who he pulled over with a blue-gray late model F-150 with no markings in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The only indications it was a legitimate cruiser came from the interior-mounted red and blue lights. Very tricky. First they bail on the Caprice and take up Crown Vic Interceptors, then Chargers, and now the most ubiquitous vehicle on the road, the F-150. Might as well start watching out for Camrys and Accords. Good luck out there. [Pansy Patrol]

Luckily, the boys over at Autoblog got a shot of the engine. Although even they didn't realize it was the 6.2-liter under the hood until Mike Levine over at PickupTrucks.com noticed it last night. Remember, this truck's only supposed to get a 5.4-liter V8.

Kudos to Levine for noticing Ford's pants down. Similar tip o' the hat to Drew Phillips at Autoblog for taking the shot.

[PickupTrucks, Autoblog]

If nothing else, the 2010 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 certainly captures the Harley attitude; It's dark, it's brooding, and it wears its chrome proudly. Like the motorcycles it channels and despite all the festooning of the Harley badges, it doesn't offer any more oomph in the go-fast department than the regular version. It gets the same 320 HP 5.4-liter you'll find in the engine bay of the regular 2009 Ford F-150 mated to a six speed automatic powering the rear wheels or an optional Harley-unique driveline, which can be operated in 4x2 mode, AWD or 4x4 high. The suspension, on the other hand, is completely retuned for a sportier ride with more aggressive springs and shocks as well as a thicker anti-roll bar. The truck takes advantage of the sportier tune with some custom 22 inch wheels shod in 275 series, low profile, high performance Pirelli Scorpion Zeros.


Upgraded hardware is nice and all, but let's be honest, the crew-cab-only Harley F-150 is all about styling, and if you're into the bike-makers design mantra, this new truck doesn't disappoint. The front end is completely redesigned, sporting a Harley specific six bar billet-style chrome grille with painted surround, unique upper and lower front bumper treatment, and color matched headlight clusters. Down the side of the truck there are two things you'll notice and one you might not. The readily apparent details are the enormous bits of Harley badging at the front and rear fenders along with the splash of color at the rocker panel. What you might not notice is the automatic fold-down running board swiped from the F-150 Platinum edition, when enabled it comes in handy if you're on the short side and then tucks up neatly under the truck when the doors close. The truck gets slathered in two color options, Tuxedo Black, and a Lava Red (pictured) which is so dark when not under studio lighting you can barely tell it's a red.

The interior is where the truck gets serious about being Harley-centric. The heated and cooled front seats wear aniline leather patterned after a motorcycle jacket, with decorative shoulder snaps at the top, flexible elbow sections on the sides bolsters, real Harley zippers to close the map pocket in the back, and a red perforated leather seating surface. They also get some fancy, hand-made fired glass cloisonne badges stuck right between your shoulder blades. Despite having two exterior shades, there's only one interior color — Lava Red. On the inside the color takes on a different meaning than outside, it's an anodized finish which shifts color a bit between red and a gray-green. It gets slathered on the center stack, shifter console, and the gauge cluster. The interior is finished off with a big Harley-Davidson plaque on the armrest bearing the truck's number in the build series.

We're not going to say the package is something we'd check the option box for, considering the price tag on this puppy will probably be pretty lofty, but for guys into this kind of stuff, it's a darn stylish truck. It might be easier to understand the draw of the Harley F-150 if we understood the draw of Harley-Davidson's to begin with, but to each his own. Watch for the unveil of the 2010 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 later this week, live from the floor of the 2009 Chicago Auto Show, but until then check out the complete details below.

New 2010 Ford Harley-Davidson™ F-150: tough truck with cool attitude; new details, inside and out

• 2010 Ford Harley-Davidson™ F-150 edition features a new, bold front fascia and grille along with a premium interior and model-specific ornamentation
• Sport suspension and standard 22-inch polished, forged aluminum wheels and tires – the largest available on F-Series – complement refined ride of the new Harley-Davidson F-150 edition

CHICAGO, Feb. 10, 2009 – The 2010 Ford Harley-Davidson™ F-150 delivers a new standard of "custom cool," combining the smooth handling and legendary durability of America's best-selling truck with the authentic styling of Harley-Davidson, the industry leader in motorcycles.

This marks the 14th Harley-Davidson edition of an F-Series truck and latest in a line of Ford Harley-Davidson F-Series models dating back to 2000, which aim to appeal to customers who appreciate quality and unique details only this kind of collaboration can bring.

"Our successful co-branding, unmatched in the industry, offers customers true specialized truck luxury," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of Global Product Development. "Just like with our other associations, we've linked with an industry leader to offer the best
of the best."

The successful collaboration between these two icons of the open road has produced eight F-150 models, as well as six Super Duty F-250, F-350, and in 2009, the first Harley-Davidson F-450 edition truck. The 2010 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 is the first Harley-Davidson edition vehicle built off the award-winning new 2009 Ford F-150.
 
"This truck builds on the legacy of toughness that's been the hallmark of the Ford F-Series brand," said Matt O'Leary, chief engineer. "Now we're giving customers more of everything they love with the best F-150 and the boldest Harley-Davidson F-150 ever – featuring a fully differentiated design, all-wheel-drive capability, 22-inch wheels and a knock-out interior."

The exterior of the 2010 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 offers a bold front fascia and six-bar shaped billet style grille and boasts specialized forged aluminum and Harley-Davidson® chrome badging. The truck will have a lowered appearance because of a fully integrated deployable running board.

Also standard are 22-inch low-profile performance tires – the largest in the F-Series lineup – and Euroflange forged wheels with a polished and painted center wheel cap. The paint selection is classic Harley-Davidson – Tuxedo Black and the first Ford application of Lava, a deep maroon with three-color metal flake.
 
The interior is customized to appeal to the truck buyer who appreciates the attention to detail for which both Ford and Harley-Davidson are renowned.

"There's a real tie-in between the truck's interior and exterior designs," said Patrick Schiavone, Design director. "It's very much like how some customized Harley-Davidson motorcycles have a prominent theme that runs through them. That's how we tie it in with custom bikes."

Also impressive are the seats and console lid, which features hand-made cloisonné badges; the console has a limited-edition serialization plate.
 
"These handmade badges continue our theme of premium Harley-Davidson offerings," said Schiavone. "Probably the only place that most people have seen hand-made cloisonné is on premium Harley-Davidson motorcycles. It's really high craftsmanship, and people will recognize it as another connection between the two brands."
 
Linkage is apparent even in the smallest details, such as adornments on the seats.

"The theme of the seat was designed to resemble a Harley® biker jacket," Schiavone said. "We even used authentic materials you'd find on Harley-Davidson MotorClothes® brand apparel."
 
The seat backs feature ribbed leather treatments, engraved Harley-Davidson button snaps and even zippered map pockets featuring zippers from Harley jackets.
 
It is important to the Ford Design team that the truck remain genuine to enthusiasts of Harley-Davidson, customers who traditionally are as loyal to their motorcycles as F-150 owners are to their trucks.

That's why the team meets regularly with Harley-Davidson designers and travels to motorcycle events throughout the year – including Daytona Bike Week, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and Harley-Davidson dealer meetings – to talk to current and potential customers. The team wants to be sure that when Harley-Davidson owners or enthusiasts need a truck, this is the truck they choose.

"We talk to everyone we can; we find out what the customer values," O'Leary said. "We look at what they like, what they want, and what they wish they had, and we go from there."

"No one understands their customers better than Harley-Davidson and Ford," said Joanne Bischmann, vice president – Licensing, Harley-Davidson Motor Company. "We're proud to share the spirit of Harley-Davidson authenticity in a unique interpretation of America's favorite truck, the F-Series."
 
About the F-150
On the new F-150, there's a wealth of content complementing its unique appearance. The 2010 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 is equipped with a 5.4-liter three-valve engine, which is rated up to 320 horsepower and 390 ft.-lbs. of torque and mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with a sport-tuned exhaust and a top speed of 115 mph.

The truck is available with 4x2 or an optional all-wheel drive, which features settings of 4x2, AWD and 4x4 high, unique to the Harley-Davidson edition on the F-150 platform. All 2010 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 models will be SuperCrews.
 
The F-150 is new inside and out. The Ford truck team adopted a holistic, 360-degree approach to revamping the vehicle – from its segment-first features to the tough new exterior, a more spacious, flexible and refined interior and an unparalleled choice of cab styles and trim levels.

The improvements are just as dramatic beneath the sheet metal. They include a new high-strength, lighter-weight chassis that delivers even more horsepower, unsurpassed fuel economy and class-leading towing and payload capacity.

The new design has garnered an impressive array of awards:

• F-Series is the best selling vehicle in America for 27 consecutive years; best-selling truck for 32 consecutive years
• Motor Trend 2009 Truck of the Year Award™
• Top honors as "Truck of Texas" as well as "Best Luxury Pickup" for the 2009 F-150 King Ranch from Texas Auto Writers Association
• 2009 North American Truck of the Year
• "Best Overall Half-Ton Pickup" from PickupTrucks.com
• 2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle from Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com
• "Automotive Excellence" award in the Workhorse Category from Popular Mechanics
• Motor Trend's Truck Trend Top 5 Trucks from Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) for 2009 Ford F-150 Heavy Duty DeWalt Contractor Concept
• Detroit Free Press Truck of the Year
• Detroit News Truck of the Year
• Best Truck by Florida Monthly
• Playboy's 2009 Best Pickup
• "Accessory-Friendly Truck" Design Award from SEMA
• America's Safest Full-size Pickup with 5-star frontal and 5-star side-impact crash-test ratings, the highest possible scores, in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests.
• "Top Safety Pick" from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its standard safety technology: Safety Canopy side curtain air bags and AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control
• "Residual Value" award from Automotive Leasing Guide (ALG) for retaining the highest percentage of its original price among 2009 full-size light duty pickups at the end of a conventional three-year lease, based on ALG projections

[Source: Ford]

GM's calling out the competition pretty aggressively in a new commercial for the Chevy Silverado. In the 30-second spot, GM's Howie Long mocks the new F-150's tailgate step and an uncoordinated owner who's tied down a new birdhouse in the back of his new blue-oval pickup.

Long, after tossing bags of concrete into the back of his Silverado, tells the guy, "Hey buddy, you left your little, uh, 'man step' down."

Ford's response appeared to be one of thanks. Here's Ford truck marketing manager Doug Scott:

I hope they keep running the spot because they're doing a great job advertising that feature for us.Thirty-two percent of the 2009 F-150s we've sold have that tailgate step. We're doing really well with it, and we're really happy they're running that ad because it's proven to be a popular feature."

We bet Scott's got a man-step too.

But it wasn't just Ford that Chevy's got in their bowtie-wearing sights — Long also takes a swipe at the new 2009 Dodge Ram. Check out that ad over at PickupTrucks.com. [via PickupTrucks]

Now it’s a rare insurance agency that’ll acknowledge cars are devices intended to be driven, much less pay out on a claim if you’re bold enough to venture outside your garage, so we’re impressed by the enthusiasm the Hagerty reps show for the kind of behavior which will clearly void any policies they might issue on future Raptors. We also really like the sound of a button to decrease the airbag sensitivity. A vehicle that voids insurance policies rather than warranties? We think the Raptor is our kind of truck.
[Hagerty Insurance via YouTube]

Okay, so we didn't actually get to drive the real 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor, but they provided us some exclusive seat time in their 3D-axis simulator. The awesome desert racing SVT Raptor simulator was created by small family-owned, Force Dynamics out of Trumansburg, NY. David Wiernicki, the president of Force Dynamics, challenged us to a race and proceeded to rip us a new one. We managed a 68.72 time our first time out while Wiernicki ripped a 63.33, a 5-second difference that had us eating our words.

We managed some video of the killer sim in action below as well as a few words from the creator himself.

If you happen to miss the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor simulation at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, you can check it out at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show and the following shows:

- Houston 1/24-2/1
- St. Louis 1/28-2/1
- Dallas 2/18-2/22
- Cleveland 2/28-3/8
- KC 3/11-3/15
- Atlanta 3/14-3/22
- Columbus, OH 3/19-3/22
- Austin 4/17-4/19