From the January 2005 issue of Motor Trend:

".......If there's another Lightning, it's more likely to be based on a smaller truck, perhaps the next Ranger, now delayed to 2010 or so."

Before that sentence, they say the reason the Gen III got cancelled or put off until 2008 or so is because the new F-150 is considerably heavier than the last F-150, so SVT would've had to spend a lot of engineering resources just to make up for the weight gain.

 

Check out this post I found on another forum.

SVT Ranger

 

that ranger has been around for years.

that's where I got the idea to paint my blower Sonic Blue.

 

Yep, I remember seeing that article a few years ago..

 

The Ranger will probably be built on a platform similar to the Dakota in size. It will definitely have an advantage, weighing in about the same as a Mustang....4000lbs. Heck it will probably utilize the Cobra drivetrain. I wish they'd build it now!

 

well, i personally dont think the ranger will work.....i mean, im not the tallest person out there (5'9), but i know how if feels to sit in one....especially a standard 2 door ranger. my 94 lightning is bad enough, but a ranger....dont think the "BIG AND TALL" people will like it.....just MO.

 

Your right there 04SVT. My previous truck was a 2 door Ranger 4.0 and it was a nice 100% trouble free truck but just to small. I was actually looking forward to a larger Gen 3.

 

It would be hard to regain the title of the "worlds fastest production truck" in one of those I would think due to the instability @150mph. I know I wouldn't want to go that fast in a truck that small!

 

Have you ever tried to sit in an 03 Cobra? That is cramped.

 

Ford Marketing stopped the Lightning because it did not achieve the performance which is currently expected in the market place.

GM has a fully functional Colorado with the 7 litre vette engine with 6 speed weighing in at 3700 lbs. Their target is the Viper RAm and the Lightning. I met the Developement Manager/Engineer on the project and they know that they have everyone beat with their power to weight ratio. Introduction date is 14 months. The 6 litre is a given but they are fighting for the new 7 litre engine. If that happens, there will be a new pick-up king.

I love my Lightning but a 5300 Lightning would have been silly. In performance, weight is your enemy.

TB

 

http://www.pickuptruck.com/html/auto...oss/page1.html
http://trucks.about.com/library/phot...sema_gal13.htm

 

i think i know what i wil be buying instead of a gen 3. too bad the font end looks like they put it on upside down. ford may lose one more customer.
don't worry, i am not selling the gen2 EVER.

 

Some one stated awile back about the weight of the new f150s, But not refering to the gen 3's... I figured that was one of the reasons SVT backed off, even though bigger engine, you see what 500lbs does to our Harley Truck brothers.... Well I have been waiting for the gen 3 but I am not gonna buy a ranger, no way.............................

PEacE..............................
Jim

 

That makes no sense to me. The weight of the new F150 has been known for years.

Why make a big deal out of 500 lbs? Yeah, that sounds like a lot of weight, but it's only a 10% increase. It's all about power-to-weight. Adding 10% more power is a no-brainer. Keep the weight increase down to 5% and it's a real no-brainer. Ford was talking about a 500 rwHP GenIII engine, which is more than a 20% increase in power to offset the 10% increase in weight.

I think that there is some talking out of the wrong hole going on here.

Then again, might explain Colletti's departure.

Colletti: We have a serious problem with the new Lightning's weight.
Ford: Umm, like shouldn't you have thought about this about two years ago -- before you spouted off about the Gen III?
Colletti: I will fall on my sword.

 

That is what I'll be getting when it becomes available