"Our spy shooters caught this heavily camouflaged regular-cab Ford test pickup truck buzzing around Ford's Michigan Proving Ground in Romeo and it has us wondering about a few things. At first glance, it looks like it could be a normal two-wheel-drive F-250 work truck, but there's something odd about why it's so covered up."

Link: http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2016/10...ug-pickup.html

 

Could that be a 5/8 ton to compete with the Titan XD?

IFS, 10.5" rear, 8800 GVW, and maybe a small diesel?

 

It's a F250 standard cab... let's move on, nothing to look at here

 

Thank you! I agree.

 

If it's a 250 why would it be covered? They're already selling the new model.

 

Yep. There has to be more to it than just a regular F-250. Truck Trend has more pictures and is saying it has a F-150 frame...

Spied – 2018 Ford F-150 Super Duty?
Eight-Lug Wheels Could Preview Titan XD Competitor
http://www.trucktrend.com/future-tru...50-super-duty/

 

It's not uncommon for Ford to do body swaps to hide new powertrains. IIRC around 2011 there was a 6 lug F150 with a body from a 10th Gen running around

 

This...

Just about every year within the same generation they do this stuff.

And even if it is an F150 with more payload capacity... to me that's not a big deal

Call me crazy, but I don't get all hard over 8 lug wheels, if I did I would be driving a Super Duty

 

Why, to steal the 10 sales a year the Titan gets? The current F150 already can tow as much or more as the Cummins Titan. The truck itself is so heavy there is less payload than a F150 if equipped right. All that would do is take F250 sales from Ford.

 

They had the 5.4 from the GT in a regular cab F250 for testing. The hood height of the truck allowed for the compliment GT intake system to fit without touching the bodywork.

 

It wouldn't be taking away F-250 sales. It would be a F-250. A lot of the mules that have run in the past were obvious mules like the funky 1990s 5 lug F-150 from a couple years ago or the half 04-F-150 half 09 F-150 from 2010. Those are so obious. The truck in the original post appears to be legit but who knows. Nissan isn't getting much sales because they don't know what they are doing. Ford doesn't like anyone having a compeitive advantage even if it is Nissan with no sales. If Ford does the LD F-250 they will do it right and market it right. A lot of people don't need to tow 25k lbs, but they would like a better ride and more capability than a F-150.

 

Looks more like a heavy duty F150.

 

looks like a 2017 F250 standard cab... they are virtually identical from the outside except for front clip