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2005 Ford Sport Trac Adrenalin Concept

SVT Team Changes High Performance Pickup Plans from F-150 to Sport Trac

Truck enthusiasts, the new Sport Trac Adrenalin might just be your new dream ride. That is, this will be your new dream ride, come 2007. Ford showed a teaser of an SVT-tuned performance version of the Explorer Sport Trac that it unveiled earlier this year in Detroit to gauge public interest and opinion. The red-hot four-door pickup was later unveiled as part of a high-performance themed display alongside two additional SVT Fords at this years New York Auto Show.

The group responsible for this high performance truck is Fords Special Vehicle Team (SVT), an internal organization that has been tuning Ford products for nearly two decades (previously Specialty Vehicle Operations or SVO).

Ford showed its SVT-tuned Explorer Sport Trac Adrenalin in New York to gauge public interest and opinion. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)

Theyve successfully produced quicker, faster and better handling versions of everything from otherwise boring sedans, run of the mill hatchbacks, sports coupes and even pickup trucks. Aside from the Mustang Cobra, SVTs second most famous work has been the first and second generation F-150 Lightning, which had, prior to Dodges 500-horsepower Viper V10-powered Ram SRT-10, led the way for high-performance pickup trucks.

But where has the

SVT has shifted gears from the F-150 Lightning to the next-generation Explorer Sport Trac. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)

Lightning gone? Ford decided to skip out on the earth-trembling performance version of the current generation F-150, introduced at the Detroit show in 2003. Despite the success of the 500-horsepower 2003 concept, it was deemed that the vehicles poor fuel consumption and expensive development costs would be counter-productive to SVTs agenda of developing a hot variant of the Mustang. The project was shelved, leaving Chevrolets Silverado SS, to a lesser extent, and the record-setting Ram SRT-10 to keep pickup enthusiasts drooling.

Instead

When comparing the Adrenalin to the regular Sport Trac concept, very little has changed. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)

of continuing the F-150 Lightning legend, it looks like SVT has shifted gears to spice up the next-generation Explorer Sport Trac. Ford has opted for this slightly smaller truck for several reasons, one of which is the ability to carry more people than the Lightnings standard cab, long-bed layout could allow.

When it was introduced, the beautiful "Moonlight" Sport Trac SUT (Sport Utility Truck) dropped jaws for its styling, innovative design and safety features, but this time itll drop jaws for a whole new set of reasons: power, handling and performance.

When comparing the Adrenalin

The red-and-black theme of the exterior bleeds into the cockpit. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)

to the regular Sport Trac concept, youll notice that very little has changed. SVT boasts that Fords original design, with its "slammed" appearance, engine vent ducts, huge 21-inch five-spoke alloy wheels and 295/45R21 tires, was the exact look the team was aiming for.

The Adrenalin ditches the Sport Tracs suave appearance for attire thats much bolder, including a bright red paintjob and black chrome grille, bumper trim and headlight bezels. A few other minor differences, including body-colored side mirrors and special SVT and Adrenalin badging, round out the exterior changes.

The evolution of the SVT Sport Tracs design can also be seen inside. The red-and-black theme of the exterior bleeds

A 4.6-liter 32-valve DOHC V8 sourced from the previous generation Mustang SVT Cobra powers the truck. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)

into the cockpit, appearing on the heavily bolstered front and rear leather-trimmed bucket seats and door trims. Detailed red stitching on the multi-function steering wheel and the red needles on the chrome-ringed gauges add to the visual flair. Subtly contrasting shades of light and dark grey soft-touch plastics bring out the organized waterfall center console, which is loaded with goodies such as digital climate control, and a navigation system.

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