Ford to Unveil Custom Trucks at NYIAS

Ford must have plenty of floor space cordoned off for this year’s New YorkInternational Auto Show, given the size of the vehicles they’ll be unveiling. Besides the long-awaited Flex crossover people mover and the ultimate Mustang, the GT500 KR, Ford will be showing off two very large, very customized vehicles that will be going into production.

The product of a partnership that was formed late last year, Ford is introducing the F-150 Foose Edition, a truck that Ford claims will grab the title of the world’s fastest half-ton pickup truck away from Dodge’s Viper-powered Ram SRT-10. Known for his custom hot rods, not to mention his role on the TV show Overhaulin’, Chip Foose has applied his know-how to Ford’s best-selling truck, transforming it from trusty workhorse to true street machine.

The specialized truck features a custom bodykit with silver accented lower air intakes, a new grille, custom pinstriping and 22-inch Foose alloy wheels. Inside, the Foose Edition F-150 sports a leather-wrapped center console, embossed headrests and a serial plate.

But what will be more important to blue-oval fans is how fast it’ll go. Helping to achieve the much sought after title is a supercharged version of the F-150’s 5.4-liter “Triton” V8 that makes 450 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. And what about that aforementioned Dodge Ram SRT-10, you ask? While it produces less power than the so-called Viper Truck with its supercar-derived V10 powerplant, the Dodge went out of production last year, which means the door’s open for Ford to claim the title. We’ll have to wait and see how fast it’ll go, and whether or not it’ll top the 154.587 mph top speed of the SRT-10.

The second truck that Ford has in store for New Yorkshow goers isn’t so much about going fast as it is about looking good and making an impression. After working with well-known rapper Funkmaster Flex to create customized versions of the Fusion and new Expedition, Ford has decided to give the green light to the latter. Based on the regular wheelbase Expedition Limited, the Expedition Funkmaster Flex Edition will be for the most part a replica of the vehicle shown at SEMA, down to the radical red and black paint scheme. The bodykit, designed by 3d Carbon, lowers the visual height of the vehicle and includes a set of integrated fog lamps. What didn’t make the cut were the custom 24-inch wheels; Funkmaster’s choice was downsized by four inches and feature more spokes, but they’re still chrome plated. The bright red exterior theme can also be found inside this truck, as red is featured on the console and door trim plus the contrasting stitching on the black leather.

Both the F-150 Foose Edition and the Expedition Funkmaster Flex Edition will go into limited production later this year. Pricing has yet to be announced, but due to their exclusivity they’ll surely command a premium over their more ordinary counterparts.