When I was in high school. I always associated big trucks with the cool guys and jocks who got all the girls. That was in the early 2000s. These days, it seems Ford is proud to make its trucks a little more book-wormy.Its 2015 Super Duty lineup is the head of its classes, depending on the subject.
One subject in which all Super Duty pickups excel is under the hood. The second-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbo diesel V8 now cranks out 440 horsepower and 860 lb-ft of torque, both segment-leading figures. In order to net increases of 40 and 60, respectively, the Blue Oval team switched to a compacted graphite iron engine block, which is stronger and lighter than its cast equivalent, and devised a more efficient route from the exhaust to the larger turbocharger. Powertrain engineers managed to reduce noise, vibration and harshness in the process, too. Robert Fascetti, Ford’s vice president of powertrain engineering, says, “The improvements we’ve made essentially give Super Duty customers an engine designed for our larger F-650 and F-750 trucks. They may not realize how tough this engine really is.”
The new Super Duty chassis was also substantially reworked. F-350s can be equipped with a high-capacity towing package that includes new front springs and a wide track axle which allows the rig to haul a maximum of 26,500 pounds of fifth-wheel/gooseneck trailer and hit a gross combined weight rating of 35,000 LBs. Conventional towing capacity goes up by 3,300 pounds to 26,500.
Those are big numbers, but they’re not class-leaders like those of the F450. That beast can gooseneck-tow as much as 31,200 pounds. Its GCWR is up 3.5 tons, to 40,000 pounds. Such jumps are possible because of beefed-up wheels and tires, suspension components and steering hardware.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
