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__________________ 2000 Pontiac WS6 Formula
1 of 232 built for model year 2000
Vehicle order detail: = 2FV87 Firebird Coupe, 1SA Option Package, MN6 6 Speed, LS1 Engine, 19B Ebony Cloth Seats, 10U Artic White Paint, AG1 6 Way Power Seat, AR9 Bucket Seats, NW9 Traction Control, QFK P275/40ZR17 Tires, QF6 17" 5 Spoke Aluminum Wheels, R7X Security Package, V12 Power Steering Cooler, WS6 Performance Package, W55 AM/FM Stereo with CD, W66 Formula Option, YF5 California emissions.
Ordered: 03/24/00, Built 05/08/00, ASC Modified 05/11/00 Mod #6814, Delivered 05/29/00
Engine: LS1 Solutions Air Lid Bonded & Ported to MAF, K&N Filters, Ported MAF & Throttle Body, Throttle Body Bypass, Cut EGR, Trimmed Throttle Stop, Z06 Intake, Z06 PCV, Insulated Lower Air Box, Brian Green Ram Air Kit, Removed Grill & Attachments, 30# Injectors, MAF Translator, Blue Streak 9mm Spark Plug Wires with Fiberglass Boots, NGK Ruthenium TR5AHX Spark Plugs, 180* Thermostat, Hypertech Programmer, ASP Underdrive Pulley, Borla Y Pipe, Braxton/GMMG Exhaust & Tips, Rerouted Wires & Hose's, ZO6 Covers, Optima Yellow Top Battery.
Suspension: BMR; Chrome Moly Shock Tower Brace, Panhard Bar, Lower Control Arms & Relocation Brackets, Cut Springs Removed 1 Coil Front (=26" From Ground to Fender) 1 1/8 Coil Rear (=26 1/4"), Koni SA Shocks, Suspension Technics Sway Bars, Poly Torque Arm Bushing, Baer Eradispeed Rotors, Continental Extreme Contact Sport 275/40ZR17.
Interior: White Face Gauges, B&M Ripper Shifter, Hurst Shift ****, SRP Racing Pedals, Harlan Shift Light, Cut Skip Shift, Switches in Ashtray for Antenna, Fans & Garage Door.
Exterior: Sanded off Paint on top of Door Emblems & Front Plate Cover, Removed Body Molding, Removed Firebirds from Tail Light Center Section, Rear Reflected "PONTIAC" Decal, NHRA Decal on Sail Panel. .
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Comparison Test: The 13 Quickest Cars You Can Buy
What's the absolute quickest car you can buy? Let's go find out.
This was the shocker of the day. This car just may be the quickest stock Firebird of all time. And when you consider its $26,000 price tag, the cheapest of all 13 cars, the Firebird easily wins "bang for the buck" title.
How do we explain this Formula's awesome performance? How can we explain its 13.15-second ET and 108.27 mph trap speed, which is more than two-tenths of a second and 2 mph better than the Camaro? Like we said before, we can't. However, we can guess. First: weight. This Firebird is a stripper, without heavy options like power windows, power seat, etc. Second: tolerances. Sometimes they stack up and you get a faster car. Sometimes they don't.
Whatever it was, this Ram Air Pontiac ran down the track like it was born to, spitting out the most wonderful V8 baritone tune from the tree to the traps. The LS1 engine has a wonderfully flat torque curve, but it lays down at 5500 rpm, 500 revs shy of its redline. Shifting there netted us our best time.
And what sweet shifts they are.
Flatfoot shift Second and this Formula has enough grunt to lay down two 10-ft. stripes on the asphalt. You can bark the dogs in Third as well. We did miss one shift, however, when our sweaty palm slipped off the Firebird's plastic baby-butt-smooth shift ****.
Test Summary:
Firebird Formula
Base price: $23,065, Price as tested: $26,800
Engine: 5.7-liter/346.0 cu.-in. OHV 16v V8
HP: 320 @ 5200 rpm, Torque: 345 ft.-lb. @ 4400 rpm
Trans: 6M, Drivetrain: front engine/rear drive
Rear axle: 3.42:1 limited-slip
Curb weight: 3341 lb, Weight/HP ratio: 10.4
Horsepower per liter: 56.1, Tires: 275/40ZR17
Acceleration: 0-30 mph: 2.08 sec. 0-60 mph: 4.94 sec.
1/4 mile: 13.15 sec. @ 108.27 mph
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Last edited by 2000 WS6 Formula; 02-07-2024 at 01:37 PM.
#1 DODGE VIPER
If you're in a Viper and some punk in a "fast" car pulls up next to you, revving his motor, don't even look over. Just drop the hammer.
If you're driving a Viper, nobody can touch you. You're the King of the Street. Ruler of Red Lights. You're driving the absolute quickest car anybody can buy - a 450-hp rocket that runs the quarter-mile in 12.08 seconds at 118.51 mph.
But nobody ever said being the king is easy. Getting the Viper off the line with a minimum of wheelspin is like selling a script in Hollywood. Luck has a lot to do with it. The Viper's 490 ft.-lb. of torque is enough to spin its 18-in. Michelins.
In the other cars, you can feel when their tires are about to go from slip to grip. That's when you go to full throttle. But the Viper has so much power, you can't be as aggressive with the gas pedal. Floor the Viper before its tires have a firm grasp of the road and you'll burn rubber as long as you hold down your right foot. So you need to keep the tires attached to the pavement, but be too timid and you waste precious traction and time. We launched with a fair amount of clutch slippage at 2500 rpm, and dug as deep into the motor as the tires allowed. We threw shifts at the 6000 rpm redline and enjoyed what has to be the world's most violent Second gear this side of an Indy Car.
All hail the winner. The Dodge Viper, the quickest car you can buy. Maybe the quickest car there is.
#2 LOTUS ESPRIT
They don't come much yellower than this car. Or quicker. Driving the Lotus, however, isn't for the timid or the inexperienced. Besides being difficult to climb into and see out of, this car is difficult to launch, difficult to shift, and it's really, really fast.
When those turbos kick in at 3500 rpm, you'd better have this puppy pointed straight. On the track, we launched the Lotus with a fair amount of clutch slippage and the tach up around 3000 rpm. This achieved just the right amount of wheelspin to get the car off the line, and brought the motor up into its powerband. But get the revs up over 3500 rpm too soon, or slip the clutch too quickly, and traction is nothing but a fond memory.
Once you get her moving, forget the world. It's time to focus all your attention on that tachometer. This engine revs faster than Don Knotts on a Starbucks binge and the 7000 rpm redline is coming fast. When it's time to shift, make nice with the awkward shifter and on/off clutch.
The Lotus is old school. The turbos mated to the small V8 engine make tons of power. But it's mostly in the upper rev range, leaving very little bottom-end torque.
Driving a car with a peaky engine, a clumsy drivetrain and a traction problem is a lost art. And we wouldn't change a thing, except maybe its color.
Test Summary:
Lotus Esprit
Base price: $83,725, Price as tested: $87,920
Engine: 3.5L/213.8 CID DOHC 32v twin turbo V8
HP: 350 @ 6500 rpm, Torque: 295 ft.-lb. @ 4250 rpm
Trans: 5M, Drivetrain: midengine/rear drive, twin-plate racing clutch
Final drive: 3.89:1
Curb weight: 3043 lb, Weight/HP ratio: 8.7
HP/liter: 100.0, Tires: f: 235/40ZR17, r: 285/40ZR18
Acceleration: 0-30 mph: 1.83 sec. 0-60 mph: 4.43 sec.
1/4 mile: 12.85 sec. @ 110.96 mph
#3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
The blue hardtop you see here is a member of an elite group - the factory-stock 12-second Corvette club. There have been just a few members in the car's 46-year history. This is the first 12-second Corvette we've tested since the introduction of the 1990 ZR-1, a car that cost nearly twice as much as this '99 Hardtop.
This car is amazing. Even with its CD player, its leather seats, its power everything, its active handling stability system - all those things that makes this car a very comfy daily driver - it can still lay down a 12-second run. Very, very impressive. Because it weighs a bit less than the Corvette Coupe or Roadster, Chevy asked us to use a hardtop model for this test. The Hardtop, which has a fixed roof, comes standard with all the Vette's go-fast equipment.
And it all works. Although powered by basically the same LS1 V8 as the Camaro and Firebird, the upscale Vette offers 345 hp to its driver.
Driving the Vette couldn't be easier unless it had an automatic. Its rear 18-in. tires bite like a rabid dog, getting the Vette out past the Christmas tree with plenty of momentum. Then the gear changes, just shy of the Vette's 6000 rpm redline, are a pleasure thanks to the car's strong clutch and friendly shifter. In its fifth generation, the Corvette's still got what it takes.
#4 FERRARI F355
Ferrari is traditionally the benchmark by which all high-performance cars are judged, so we couldn't run the test without one. But since Ferrari North America was too scared to send a car for our test, we rented one. Ironically, you can rent one from Budget Rent a Car in Beverly Hills for $1750 a day plus about a million cents a mile and insurance. And that's what we did.
A Ferrari on the starting line of a dragstrip does look a little funny, sort of like Gary Coleman on a basketball court. But this $100,000-plus rental held its own.
The Ferrari likes to rev. Its 375-hp DOHC V8 redlines at a blood-curdling 8500 rpm, and doesn't even reach its power peak until 8250. Which we expected. What we didn't expect is how well the F355's chassis would transfer that power through the rear wheels to the ground.
The clutch is race car stiff and the legendary metal gated shifter can be a bit ornery. By the way, the rental car company thinks we used the car for a high school reunion - don't blow our cover.
#5 FIREBIRD FORMULA
This was the shocker of the day. This car just may be the quickest stock Firebird of all time. And when you consider its $26,000 price tag, the cheapest of all 13 cars, the Firebird easily wins "bang for the buck" title.
How do we explain this Formula's awesome performance? How can we explain its 13.15-second ET and 108.27 mph trap speed, which is more than two-tenths of a second and 2 mph better than the Camaro? Like we said before, we can't. However, we can guess. First: weight. This Firebird is a stripper, without heavy options like power windows, power seat, etc. Second: tolerances. Sometimes they stack up and you get a faster car. Sometimes they don't.
Whatever it was, this Ram Air Pontiac ran down the track like it was born to, spitting out the most wonderful V8 baritone tune from the tree to the traps. The LS1 engine has a wonderfully flat torque curve, but it lays down at 5500 rpm, 500 revs shy of its redline. Shifting there netted us our best time.
And what sweet shifts they are.
Flatfoot shift Second and this Formula has enough grunt to lay down two 10-ft. stripes on the asphalt. You can bark the dogs in Third as well. We did miss one shift, however, when our sweaty palm slipped off the Firebird's plastic baby-butt-smooth shift ****.
Test Summary:
Firebird Formula
Base price: $23,065, Price as tested: $26,800
Engine: 5.7-liter/346.0 cu.-in. OHV 16v V8
HP: 320 @ 5200 rpm, Torque: 345 ft.-lb. @ 4400 rpm
Trans: 6M, Drivetrain: front engine/rear drive
Rear axle: 3.42:1 limited-slip
Curb weight: 3341 lb, Weight/HP ratio: 10.4
Horsepower per liter: 56.1, Tires: 275/40ZR17
Acceleration: 0-30 mph: 2.08 sec. 0-60 mph: 4.94 sec.
1/4 mile: 13.15 sec. @ 108.27 mph
#6 ACURA NSX
This car surprised us all. Like the Porsche, Acura's sports car is set up more for decreasing radius turns than a dragstrip. In fact, it has the lowest horsepower rating in this test: 290 hp. Still, it finished ahead of more powerful machines because of its light weight and meticulous engineering.
The Acura's light weight comes from the use of aluminum in its structure, suspension and body. Our featherweight test car wasn't even the lightest available NSX model, the hardtop. We tested an NSX-T, the heaviest of the breed.
The meticulous engineering starts with that use of aluminum, and continues with the incredible refinement of this car's drivetrain. We were very surprised that the midengine NSX doesn't suffer from any wheelhop, which we attribute to its Torque Reactive Differential. It uses a multiplate clutch and helical-type planetary gears to keep each rear wheel spinning at the same speed. Getting this sports car off the line with plenty of rpm is no problem.
And boy, does this car like plenty of rpm. Its aluminum V6 engine, which features titanium connecting rods, redlines at 8000 rpm and really gives the driver a kick in the pants at 5800 rpm. That's when the Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control system (VTEC) engages the more radical camshaft lobes, and the exhaust note goes from subdued to extreme dude. Only the Ferrari does a better audio imitation of a Formula One car.
Rowing quickly through its transmission is a pleasure. The Acura's shifter is tight and direct. But like the Porsche, getting rubber on the gear changes with all that weight over the rear tires is impossible.
Test Summary:
Acura NSX
Base price: $88,000, Price as tested: $88,745
Engine: 3.2-liter/194.0 cu.-in. DOHC 24v V6
HP: 290 @ 7100 rpm, Torque: 224 ft.-lb. @ 5500 rpm
Trans: 4A, Drivetrain: midengine/rear drive
Final drive: 4.62:1 w/electronic traction control
Curb weight: 3160 lb, Weight/HP ratio: 10.9
HP/liter: 90.6, Tires: f: 215/45ZR16, r: 245/40ZR17
Acceleration: 0-30 mph: 1.94 sec. 0-60 mph: 4.97 sec.
1/4 mile: 13.17 sec. @ 107.65 mph
#7 PORSCHE CARRERA
With its water-cooled, flat-six-cylinder engine hung way out back, the Porsche has the majority of its weight over its rear wheels. On paper, this would seem ideal for drag racing. It's that traction thing again. It's more important even than horsepower. However, in the real world, this works against the 911.
All that mass fights the car's 296 hp for control of its 17-in. tires. The Pirelli P-Zeros don't know whether to grip the road or spin like man-made tornadoes. So they do both. The result: violent wheelhop. Controlling this and getting the Porsche off the line with any kind of momentum is up to the driver and his delicate use of the clutch. This is not the kind of thing Porsche recommends for long-term durability. But for low ET, the 911 needs to be launched with high revs and lots of clutch slippage.
But get it right and the Porsche is really quick. And fast. Its trap speed of 107.10 mph was one of the highest of the day.
Once the car is moving down the track, the shifts come quick as the flat Six sprints toward its 7300 rpm redline. In fact, the motor revs so quickly the tachometer can't really keep up, so the driver must anticipate the gear changes. Wait for the tach needle to find the redline, and you've already hit the rev limiter.
Speed shifting the 911, with its sloppy cable shifter, also isn't the easiest thing. And we were quicker than the gearbox's synchros on every First-Second shift, causing that nasty metallic crunching sound.
Still, the Porsche managed to easily suck the doors off more powerful front-engine cars, and it really impressed us with its durability. Not many cars could have handled that much clutch abuse and still been driven home.
Test Summary:
Porsche Carrera
Base price: $65,030, Price as tested: $71,680
Engine: 3.4-liter/207.0 cu.-in. DOHC 24v H6
HP: 296 @ 6800 rpm, Torque: 258 ft.-lb. @ 4600 rpm
Trans: 6M, Drivetrain: rear engine/rear drive
Final drive: 3.44:1 w/electronic traction control
Curb weight: 2901 lb, Weight/HP ratio: 9.8
HP/liter: 87.1, Tires: f: 205/50ZR17, r: 255/40ZR17
Acceleration: 0-30 mph: 1.98 sec. 0-60 mph: 4.93 sec.
1/4 mile: 13.30 sec. @ 107.10 mph
#8 MERCEDES-BENZ E55
This is the quickest four-door sedan you can buy. To squeeze the last bit of performance out of the E55, you just floor it and hold her straight. It's that simple. Result: a decorum-shattering 13.39 at 106.06 mph, run after run. The E55's super torquey V8 engine, perfect gearing, precise automatic transmission and ASR traction control system, which is always on, make this one of the easiest fast cars in the world. Maybe the easiest.
The ASR system can be outmuscled with a very heavy right foot. Brake rev this Benz like the Jaguar, and time is lost while its tires light up like New Orleans during Mardi Gras. However, if the driver just floors the gas off idle, the E55 rockets off the line with practically no wheelspin but gobs of neck-straining thrust.
A product of AMG, Mercedes's high-performance tuner division, the E55 is the world's most wicked family sedan. Hold on, kids.
Test Summary:
Mercedes-Benz E55
Base price: $69,100, Price as tested: $72,290
Engine: 5.4-liter/330.0 cu.-in. SOHC 24v V8
HP: 349 @ 5500 rpm, Torque: 391 ft.-lb. @ 3000 rpm
Trans: 5A, Drivetrain: front engine/rear drive
Rear axle: 2.82:1 w/electronic traction control
Curb weight: 3746 lb, Weight/HP ratio: 10.7
HP/liter: 64.6, Tires: f: 245/40ZR18, r: 275/35ZR18
Acceleration: 0-30 mph: 2.23 sec. 0-60 mph: 5.32 sec.
1/4 mile: 13.39 sec. @ 106.06 mph #9 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS
#9 Chevrolet Camaro SS
This one is a mystery. This Camaro SS, powered by the same 320-hp LS1 V8 as our Pontiac Firebird Formula WS-6, ran a 13.42 at 106.15 mph - more than quick enough to beat archrival Mustang and assure its place on the quickest-Camaros-of-all-time list. However, it's not even close to the blistering time delivered by the Pontiac. Why?
The answer, again, is traction. The Camaro is very difficult to launch cleanly. Too many revs, like anything over 1500, and the tires go up in smoke for all of First gear. Too few and the car bogs. The Firebird, however, is very easy to launch. Tach up to 2500 rpm, ride the clutch just a bit and you're out of there. Why the difference between the two seemingly identical cars? That's like asking why two socks go in the laundry and only one comes out. It's one of the mysteries of the world, especially when you consider that both cars wear the same-size Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, have the same engine, same gearing, etc.
Despite being slower than its GM brother, the Camaro is still one of the most fun cars to blast down the track thanks to its awesome engine, its strong clutch, its short throw shifter and its musclecar soundtrack. This car rumbles up to the line. It launches with a roar from its two exhaust pipes and it sounds like Steve McQueen's Mustang running after that Dodge Charger on the gear changes.
Test Summary:
Chevrolet Camaro SS
Base price: $20,870, Price as tested: $27,466
Engine: 5.7-liter/346.0 cu.-in. OHV 16v V8
HP: 320 @ 5200 rpm, Torque: 345 ft.-lb. @ 4400 rpm
Trans: 6M, Drivetrain: front engine/rear drive
Rear axle: 3.42:1 limited-slip
Curb weight: 3439 lb, Weight/HP ratio: 10.8
Horsepower per liter: 56.1, Tires: 275/40ZR17
Acceleration: 0-30 mph: 2.27 sec. 0-60 mph: 5.27 sec.
1/4 mile: 13.42 sec. @ 106.15 mph
#10 MITSUBISHI 3000GT
Putting the power to the pavement is the name of the acceleration game. The Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 has 320 hp, much less than the Jag and Lightning, and the same power rating as the Mustang Cobra. So what gives the Mitsubishi the advantage over them? Traction.
This is the only all-wheel-drive car in this test. That means no wheelspin. Launching the Mitsubishi is so simple, it's like flying into outer space - even a monkey can do it. Just tach up the DOHC twin-turbocharged V6 up near its 6000 rpm power peak and drop that clutch. Granted, this isn't the best thing for the car's durability, but it sure gets this 2+2 off the line like a slingshot. All four 18-in. tires dig in, the 3000GT squats like Mike Piazza, and you are gone.
Don't expect any rubber when you throw gears, either. Tire slip in this car is harder to come by than a date with Pamela Anderson. Shifter action and clutch takeup could be a bit smoother, so quick gear changes aren't easy. But the V6's surprising amount of low-end torque really gets the heavy Mitsubishi going. And the motor pulls right up to its 7000 rpm redline.
One thing missing from the Mitsubishi's stellar performance: the right sounds. Its hair dryer exhaust note just doesn't cut it.
Test Summary:
Mitsubishi 3000GT
Base price: $44,600, Price as tested: $45,140
Engine: 3.0L/181.0 CID DOHC 24v twin turbo V6
HP: 320 @ 6000 rpm, Torque: 315 ft.-lb. @ 2500 rpm
Trans: 6M, Drivetrain: front engine/awd
Final drive: 3.87:1 w/center viscous coupling
Curb weight: 3737 lb, Weight/HP ratio: 11.7
Horsepower/liter: 106.7, Tires: 245/40ZR18
Acceleration: 0-30 mph: 1.70 sec. 0-60 mph: 5.00 sec.
1/4 mile: 13.44 sec. @ 101.79 mph
#11 FORD MUSTANG COBRA
For '99, Ford has equipped the Cobra with its first independent rear suspension, which does wonders for the car's handling, but hurts the Mustang's dragstrip performance.
Dump the Stang's clutch with too many revs and its halfshafts wind up, causing enough wheelhop to hack the wax from your ears.
What works best is to come out of the hole just off idle and allow the DOHC V8 to bog a bit. This way, you take the rear suspension completely out of the equation. The Cobra's tires hook up, and it's all up to the engine's torque to pull the car.
And pull it does. The engine revs slowly and it's geared tall. The engine falls flat at 6200 rpm, 600 short of its redline, so we made our two gear changes on that mark. That's right, two gear changes. The Cobra goes through the traps at 103.45 mph in Third gear, which is odd. Every other car with a manual transmission, except the Mitsubishi, finishes in Fourth.
Shifting the Cobra is a snap with its strong clutch and short throw shifter, and full-throttle powershifts reward the driver with rubber in Second and Third.
This car's definitely one of the quickest Mustangs of all time, but it would be quicker with shorter gearing and a live rear axle. And we'd love to see what it could do with the Lightning's blown V8.
Test Summary:
Ford Mustang Cobra
Base price: $27,995, Price as tested: $28,190
Engine: 4.6-liter/280.0 cu.-in. DOHC 32v V8
HP: 320 @ 6000 rpm, Torque: 317 ft.-lb. @ 4750 rpm
Trans: 5M, Drivetrain: front engine/rear drive
Rear axle: 3.27:1 limited-slip w/8.8-in. ring gear
Curb weight: 3430 lb, Weight/HP ratio: 10.7
Horsepower per liter: 69.6, Tires: 245/45ZR17
Acceleration: 0-30 mph: 2.25 sec. 0-60 mph: 5.41 sec.
1/4 mile: 13.51 sec. @ 103.45 mph
#12 JAGUAR XJR
This is the muscle car for the tea and crumpets set. Slam the hammer down in this 370-hp sedan when your passengers aren't ready for it, and you'll have Grey Poupon all over your Connolly hides.
A supercharged (11.6 psi) double-overhead-cam V8 makes it the penultimate quickest sedan you can buy (check out No. 8).
Launching is easy. Shut off the traction control, bring up the revs against the brakes and nail the gas.
As the revs climb and this bullet rockets down the track, the force of acceleration is constant. This silky engine has no nooks or crannies in its power curve, and the gear changes are firm. In fact, the Jag's best time, 13.62 at 104.21 mph, was made letting the automatic do its own thing. Which is click off gears just before the electronic ignition cutout hits at 6200 rpm.
But remember, this is a Jaguar. Its interior is laden with plenty of what was cows and trees. Very little of the V8 orchestra makes it into the interior. Even the blower whine is all but absent here. Pity.
Test Summary:
Jaguar XJR
Base price: $68,450, Price as tested: $69,060
Engine: 4.0L/244.0 CID DOHC 32v supercharged V8
HP: 370 @ 6150 rpm, Torque: 387 ft.-lb. @ 3600 rpm
Trans: 5A, Drivetrain: front engine/rear drive
Rear axle: 3.06:1 w/electronic traction control
Curb weight: 4026 lb, Weight/HP ratio: 10.9
Horsepower per liter: 92.5, Tires: 255/40ZR18
Acceleration: 0-30 mph: 2.23 sec. 0-60 mph: 5.41 sec.
1/4 mile: 13.62 sec. @ 104.21 mph
#13 FORD SVT LIGHTNING
This is a real sport utility vehicle. This pickup can tow up to 5000 pounds, carry 800 pounds in its bed and still scorch the quarter-mile in 13.62 seconds at 101.16 mph. Believe us, you've never gotten to Home Depot faster.
Engineered by Ford's Special Vehicle Team, the Lightning is powered by a single-overhead-cam V8 topped by a Roots-type supercharger pushing 8.0 pounds of boost.
Best times were turned by putting the column shifter in Third gear, holding the truck with the brakes, and bringing the revs up just over idle. Any higher than that, and the rear meats melt like candle wax. When it's time to go, left foot up, right foot down. The truck comes out of the gate like an angry rodeo bull, pinning your head back to the top of the bucket seat. Before you remember your name, the automatic transmission bangs Second, which is geared numerically perfect, and keeps the push in the small of your back. Throughout the run, the Lightning spews a musical combination of V8 roar and high-pitched blower whine, even when it shifts into Third gear just before the traps.
The Lightning lights our fire. Maybe it's the 13th quickest vehicle you can buy, but it's the absolute quickest, and coolest, truck on Earth.
Test Summary:
Ford F-150 SVT Lightning
Base price: $29,995, Price as tested: $30,600
Engine: 5.4L/330.0 CID SOHC 16v supercharged V8
HP: 360 @ 4750 rpm, Torque: 440 ft.-lb. @ 3000 rpm
Trans: 4A, Drivetrain: front engine/rear drive
Rear axle: 3.55:1 limited-slip w/9.75-in. ring gear
Curb weight: 4670 lb, Weight/HP ratio: 13.0
Horsepower per liter: 66.7, Tires: 295/45ZR18
Acceleration: 0-30 mph: 2.04 sec. 0-60 mph: 5.34 sec.
1/4 mile: 13.62 sec. @ 101.16 mph
05-22-2011, 08:18 PM
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