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On May 11, 2006 the very first of a one-off Chip Foose built Ford was unveiled, a 32 inch pedal car built to be auctioned off by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in Washington DC, the presenter being Edsel Ford, great-grandson of Henry. Chip Foose, one of the top custom street rod designers in the country with multiple awards under his belt, as well as being the youngest member of the Hot Rod Hall of Fame, then went on to design something very different – the Ford F-150 Foose Edition.
With a release date in early 2008, the Ford F-150 Foose edition was launched at the New York auto show, with a lowered suspension and 22 inch wheels replete with racing stripes, this is the highest performance truck in the half ton class anywhere in the world. The Foose Edition will also be limited, manufactured at the Kansas City Plant before the bespoke work is carried out and shipped off to dealers.
The F-150 Foose Edition has 22 inch wheels filling the wheel wells flanked by larger than normal flares, this gives the illusion that the vehicle is lower than in fact it actually is.
Increasing the illusion of a lowered chassis, Foose designed a rocker panel system to further enhance that ground kissing look but in fact the truck was lowered only very slightly with a subtle differential so that the front end appears to lean in to the road.
Foose has a reputation for being a master of the art of positioning a vehicle on it's suspension to make it look far meaner and sleeker than in fact it actually is.
Foose's F-150 design looks sleek and powerful, and there is no doubting that it delivers exactly what it says on the tin. The truck has a new F-150 grille complete with horizontal bars and the whole vehicle looks lowered with the help of well placed rocker moldings.
Inside there are the signature Chip Foose headrests and floor furniture with a leather wrapped center console and a unique VIN serial plate designed by Foose which also includes the build number.
The Foose F-150 Edition has a supercharged 5.4 liter Triton V8 engine plant mounted producing an awesome 450 bhp at 5,200rpm and with 500 ft-lbs of torque at 4,000rpm transmitted through a 4 speed automatic this is the fastest half-ton truck in the world.
The Dodge Ram SRT-10 produces more power but is no longer in production so the title of the worlds fastest pick-up truck in production falls to the Foose F-150.
Hot rod editions are really about market fashions and individual statement, and with that in mind expect there to be a very limited production run, rumor has it about the 500 mark, and with such a limited run you can expect a very hefty price tag.
Nevertheless, Chip Foose design and reputation together with the mainstay of the hot rod customization industry centering on the F-150 this looks likely to further strengthen Ford's grip on the after sales customization market.