{"id":31424,"date":"2023-09-08T18:06:35","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T22:06:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=31424"},"modified":"2023-09-08T18:06:35","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T22:06:35","slug":"payne-ford-performance-700-f-150-is-frankensteins-monster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2023\/09\/payne-ford-performance-700-f-150-is-frankensteins-monster","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Ford Performance 700 F-150 is Frankenstein&#8217;s monster"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Pontiac<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 If the Mustang GT500 and F-150 Raptor R F-150 had a child, it would be called the Ford Performance 700 F-150.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">This insane, supercharged 700-horsepower V8-powered pickup could star in &#8220;Meg 2: The Trench.&#8221; Or maybe &#8220;Oppenheimer.&#8221; It\u2019s a nuclear bomb strapped to a Ford F-150 chassis. Fishtailing onto M1 Concourse\u2019s back straight, I dropped the hammer and hung on for dear life. The three-ton beast exploded down the straightaway \u2014 the speedometer mercifully limited to 110 mph before we took off for the moon. Or before the Goodyear Grabber tires vaporized off the 22-inch wheels \u2014 whichever comes first.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">That\u2019s right, I took an F-150 to the race track. Apparently, Ford found that making a 700-horsepower supercharged $109K Raptor R off-road hellion wasn\u2019t enough to satisfy buyers\u2019 appetites for all things V-8. Ford says the future is electric pickups, which is like Ruth\u2019s Chris Steakhouse introducing a vegan menu. They know their customers still come for the red meat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Indeed, the Ford Performance 700 package was introduced at the annual Carlisle Ford Nationals red meat-fest in Pennsylvania this June amongst a celebration of Ford hot rods, aftermarket mod shops, drag racers and more. If my week with the Meg is any indication \u2014 it should sell like hot cakes. Make that hot steaks.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-2\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">My friend Kevin took one look at my Regular Cab two-door stealth weapon and called his dealer on the spot.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Order: I want a standard $40K XLT pickup with extra beef, quad pipes and a side of 22s.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Dealer: Boom. Done. That\u2019ll be 67 grand.<\/em><\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-3\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"2\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Ka-ching.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Ford must have been sick of seeing all that V-8 accessory business going out the door to Hennessey, Saleen and Roush. So it\u2019s made the FP700 package available on any F-150 trim. You read that right, any trim you want. XL, XLT, Lariat, Platinum. Rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/29\/PDTN\/70705757007-ford-f-150-fp-700-b-52-side.jpg?width=660&amp;height=340&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Those wheels are a tell. The Ford Performance 700 F-150 pickup comes equipped with 22-inch, low profile wheels in addition to the 700 horses under the hood.\" width=\"553\" height=\"285\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/29\/PDTN\/70705757007-ford-f-150-fp-700-b-52-side.jpg?width=660&amp;height=340&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/29\/PDTN\/70705757007-ford-f-150-fp-700-b-52-side.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=680&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Those wheels are a tell. The Ford Performance 700 F-150 pickup comes equipped with 22-inch, low profile wheels in addition to the 700 horses under the hood.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Those wheels are a tell. The Ford Performance 700 F-150 pickup comes equipped with 22-inch, low profile wheels in addition to the 700 horses under the hood.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Plenty of upscale customers who could afford a $109,145 Raptor R \u2014 but who don\u2019t want the rugged, look-at-me off-road wardrobe \u2014 will opt for, say a loaded $66,650 Platinum Crew Cab stuffed with the smokin\u2019 supercharged V-8 FP700 package. For such customers, adding $27,000 \u2014 $12,350 for the engine plus installation \u2014 will be pocket-change totaling $93,000-plus.<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\">\n<div class=\"label\" hidden=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"message\">\n<div class=\"title\">Get the\u00a0<span class=\"highlight\">Michigan Politics<\/span>\u00a0newsletter in your inbox.<\/div>\n<p class=\"description\">Washington and Lansing, red and blue, we&#8217;ve got your government covered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"frequency\">Delivery: Daily<\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"input-container populated\"><input autocomplete=\"off\" name=\"email\" required=\"\" type=\"email\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"clickable\"><\/div>\n<p><label>Your Email<\/label><\/div>\n<div id=\"bar\">\n<div class=\"highlight\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-primary\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-secondary\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">But if you don\u2019t have that kind of coin, then outfitting a base F-150 is not only half the price of a Raptor R \u2014 but a serious, muscle-car-slayin\u2019 sleeper supertruck.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Ford Performance 700 Regular Cab was the first time I have taken a pickup on the track. The closest thing to that was a Dodge Durango SRT that I terrorized Indianapolis Motor Speedway with\u00a0a few years ago. The Ford Meg was surprisingly manageable around M1\u2019s technical 1.5-mile course. Credit the two-door\u2019s relative light weight, rear-wheel drive and short wheelbase (you can only option a 5.5-foot bed) compared with the volume four-door Crew Cab F-150.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-4\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"3\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Bringing the cruise missile back to earth after the back straight was a challenge for the F-150\u2019s standard brakes (the FP700 package is a drivetrain option only) and General Grabber tires, so driver beware. But the one suspension modification \u2014 a lowered rear end \u2014 seemed to keep the Meg planted through the long, almost-180-degree, Turn 7 right-hander. More impressive was that I could keep it floored through M1\u2019s uphill Turn 8 right-hander \u2014 a test for any sports car \u2014 before I properly backed off for the 90-degree righthander to follow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Light weight aside, the short wheelbase XLT model had its drawbacks \u2014 most obviously some serious rear tire squirm thanks to the solid rear axle. Outfitting my pickup with limited slip out back would make tight parking lot turns more comfortable. Hit the highway, however, and you can let the big boy roam.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/29\/PDTN\/70705774007-ford-f-150-fp-700-mustanggt-500.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The Ford Performance 700 F-150 pickup (right) takes a page from the Mustang GT500 with a supercharged V-8 making 700 horsepower.\" width=\"474\" height=\"267\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/29\/PDTN\/70705774007-ford-f-150-fp-700-mustanggt-500.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/29\/PDTN\/70705774007-ford-f-150-fp-700-mustanggt-500.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The Ford Performance 700 F-150 pickup (right) takes a page from the Mustang GT500 with a supercharged V-8 making 700 horsepower.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The Ford Performance 700 F-150 pickup (right) takes a page from the Mustang GT500 with a supercharged V-8 making 700 horsepower.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">I took the FP700 to the\u00a0<a class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/business\/autos\/2023\/08\/02\/payne-living-auto-legend-bob-lutz-celebrated-at-willow-run\/70505382007\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\">Celebrate Lutz event<\/a>\u00a0in Ypsilanti (it feels like something Maximum Bob would have designed, yes?) and it was no secret to some of the motorheads there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI heard you drive up. That\u2019s the Ford Performance V-8, isn\u2019t it?\u201d said one industry insider, his face lit up with a smile as wide as the Ford\u2019s chrome fender.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-5\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"4\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">For all of its grins, the FP700 demands respect.\u00a0<a class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/business\/autos\/ford\/2022\/10\/31\/payne-ford-raptor-r-is-a-howling-v8-powered-hellion\/69597943007\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|${u}\">Put the similar 700-horse 5.2-liter V-8 in the Raptor R<\/a>\u00a0and it will hit 60 mph in an astonishing 3.7 seconds. My XLT can\u2019t be far off, and the truck gulped traffic on I-696 like a killer whale devouring goldfish.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Triple-digit speeds come in a hurry in a truck that, remember, is still sitting on stock suspension.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Beyond the visceral thrills, the FP700 pack comes in two flavors: Black Edition (mine) and Bronze Edition. The Black features black wheels and graphics, the Bronze boasts appropriately colored accents. Both come with the aforementioned 22s, rear lowering kit, a black painted grille, fender vents and special graphics. Other available goodies include sport exhaust, roof spoiler, tailgate spoiler and tires to wrap around the big wheels. While the pickup lacks rear seats, it boasts a healthy 8,200-pound towing capacity.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/29\/PDTN\/70705772007-ford-f-150-fp-700-m-1-rrr-34.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The Ford Performance 700 F-150 pickup ate up M1's straightaways with its supercharged V-8. Corners were more of a challenge with leaf springs and solid rear axle.\" width=\"449\" height=\"253\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/29\/PDTN\/70705772007-ford-f-150-fp-700-m-1-rrr-34.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/29\/PDTN\/70705772007-ford-f-150-fp-700-m-1-rrr-34.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The Ford Performance 700 F-150 pickup ate up M1's straightaways with its supercharged V-8. Corners were more of a challenge with leaf springs and solid rear axle.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The Ford Performance 700 F-150 pickup ate up M1's straightaways with its supercharged V-8. Corners were more of a challenge with leaf springs and solid rear axle.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">I figured my $48,000 XLT \u2014 which included features like adaptive cruise control and 360-degree camera \u2014 pushed $76K when outfitted with the FP700 package. While that\u2019s a bargain compared to a 700-horsepower Raptor R, it\u2019s only about five grand shy of the standard 450-horse, turbo-V6, terrain-chewing Raptor supertruck, which is loaded with SuperCrew cabin and top-line F-150 interior amenities.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-6\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"5\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Dealer installation means the pickup is, like its F-150 stablemates, backed by Ford\u2019s full 3-year\/36,000 mile warranty. So don\u2019t be shy with your right lead foot when you pull up next to a 495-horse Corvette at a Woodward stoplight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Next week: 2024 Subaru Impreza<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">2023 Ford Performance 700 F-150<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Vehicle type: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, five-passenger pickup<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Price: Estimated $75,775 as tested ($48,755 XLT plus estimated $27,000 FP700 dealer upgrade)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Powerplant: Supercharged 5.0-liter V-8<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Power: 700 horsepower, 590 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Transmission: 10-speed automatic<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Performance: 0-60 mph, NA; top speed, 110 mph; towing, 8,200 pounds<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Weight: NA<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-7\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"6\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Fuel economy: 10 city\/15 highway\/12 combined (Detroit News estimate)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Highs: Sleeper truck; Raptor R power for two-thirds the price<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Lows: Lacks amenities of a $70K truck; nearly as expensive as a V-6 Raptor<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Overall: 3 stars<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pontiac\u00a0\u2014 If the Mustang GT500 and F-150 Raptor R F-150 had a child, it would be called the Ford Performance 700 F-150. This insane, supercharged 700-horsepower V8-powered pickup could star in &#8220;Meg 2: The Trench.&#8221; Or maybe &#8220;Oppenheimer.&#8221; It\u2019s a nuclear bomb strapped to a Ford F-150 chassis. Fishtailing onto M1 Concourse\u2019s back straight, I [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31424"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31424"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31425,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31424\/revisions\/31425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}