Think the standard Ford F-150 is a little too bland? Well, American tuning company Saleen has unveiled its flagship performance model, based on the big-selling bakkie. Yes, the Saleen Sportruck XR is offered with either a naturally aspirated or supercharged engine (with a bespoke exhaust system and high-performance air filters), with the latter churning out more than 520 kW.
That, of course, gives it more grunt than the 450 kW churned out by the tuned version of the twin-turbo 3,5-litre in the Hennessey VelociRaptor 600.
With a focus on off-road ability, the Sportruck XR is fitted with beefy 2,5-inch shocks front and rear, while the brakes have been upgraded to larger ventilated units at all four corners. The most focused Supertruck XR derivative, referred to as the Black Label edition, is offered with Racecraft control arms and Fox shocks, allowing a considerable 305 mm of suspension travel up front and 355 mm at the rear.
The vehicle’s decidedly butch exterior is amplified by a Saleen-specific grille, new front and rear bumpers, colour-coded wheel-arch flares and a more aggressive bonnet design. If you look closely, you’ll notice the LED light bar cleverly integrated into the front bumper.
The six-spoke wheels measure 17 inches in diameter and are wrapped in General Tyre General Grabber X3 rubber, although wider units can be specified. Inside, embroidered headrests, white Saleen instruments and embroidered floormats are found, setting this tuned F-150 apart from standard examples.
Unfortunately, the press material does not include claimed performance figures, so it’s not yet clear whether Saleen’s monster is quicker to 100 km/h than the 4,2-second time claimed by Hennessey Performance for its VelociRaptor 600.
