---
title: "Oh Yes, That Awesome Dealer-Built, 650 HP Ford F-150 Lightning Is Great at Burnouts"
description: "For all those who thought the truck was pointless."
date: "2017-09-19"
modified: "2017-09-19"
authors:
  - name: "Kyle Cheromcha"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kyle-cheromcha"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/14488/oh-yes-that-awesome-dealer-built-ford-f-150-lightning-is-great-at-burnouts"
categories:
  - "Ford News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Watch This"
tags:
  - "burnout"
  - "F-150 Lightning"
  - "Ford"
  - "lightning"
  - "pickup"
  - "svt"
---

# Oh Yes, That Awesome Dealer-Built, 650 HP Ford F-150 Lightning Is Great at Burnouts

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/09/new-lightning.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Late last week, the car internet lost its collective hive-mind over a Ford dealer's plans [to resurrect the Ford F-150 Lightning.](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/14347/this-heroic-dealer-will-sell-you-a-new-ford-f-150-lightning-with-650-hp-and-a-warranty>) Pioneer Ford in Bremen, Georgia [lived up to their name](<https://www.facebook.com/pioneer.ford.75/posts/1759648217408600>) by transforming a base model F-150 into the closest thing we've seen to a factory SVT pickup since the last version bowed out in 2004. So to recap, that's a 650-horsepower, rear-wheel drive, side exhaust short bed. What's the point, really? *Burnouts.*

Even if you don't totally buy into the idea of an on-road [performance pickup](<https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/14410/watch-this-ford-f-150-ecoboost-blow-the-doors-off-a-hellcat>), you can't deny this video of *Hooniverse* news editor Greg Kachadurian throwing the 1-of-2 Ford F-150 Lightning homage around an empty airstrip is hilarious fun. With very little weight over the rear wheels and a 5.0-liter V8 engine up front, the supercharged truck breaks its back tires loose with ease.

All that power might be too much for a stock F-150—especially in the corners—so a lowering kit keeps everything planted. [In his review,](<https://hooniverse.com/2017/09/19/hooniverse-reviews-the-pioneer-ford-f-150-lightning-tribute/>) Kachadurian writes that the Lightning was about three seconds quicker than the regular truck through a short slalom course they set up. The two trucks they've built so far were from the tail end of the 2017 model year production, so future examples (and there will be more) will be built on the 2018 trucks and add a set of Bilstein dampers for even better performance. The only reported issue was a bit of brake fade.

https://youtube.com/embed/SGO8sAMrC8M

Whatever you think about the concept, this is the only 650-horsepower pickup you can buy off a showroom floor for under $50,000, and that alone makes it worth celebrating. While the [Roush](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/11674/roush-performances-727-horsepower-p-51-mustang-is-insane>) stage 2 supercharger voids Ford's powertrain warranty, it carries its own full coverage that replaces the automaker's for the same length of time. The only catch is that means the truck can only be serviced at an authorized Roush dealer like Pioneer Ford.

Still, watch this truck smoke its rear tires, and try to remember those little inconveniences. You can't. It's too fun.

## Author
Overseeing an expert staff of writers and editors from his lair in Los Angeles, Kyle shapes The Drive’s singular approach to covering the automotive industry and car culture. He’s been with the site as a writer since 2017, taking over as editor in 2019. On a daily basis, Kyle is responsible for directing The Drive's editorial news and car review content strategies, setting special coverage priorities, managing complex reporting projects, and ensuring what you read on the page meets our high internal standards for quality and trustworthiness. He is also the executive producer of The Drive's YouTube channel, which was relaunched in February 2024 to great acclaim and has accumulated over 14M new views in its first year back on the scene. He hosts a biweekly series on the channel where he breaks down fascinating and complicated stories from the automotive world.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/kylecheromcha.bsky.social>)  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/kylecheromcha>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-cheromcha-1550248a/>)