The Ford SVT F-150 Lightning was certified Wednesday as the "World's Fastest Production Pickup Truck" by Guinness World Records, Ltd. after reaching 147 miles per hour at Ford's test track. During Motor Trend testing at Ford's Arizona test track for the June 2003 cover story, our test drivers recorded a 146 mph top speed. Since the truck's introduction in 1999, the supercharged SVT Lightning has been unofficially called the world's fastest pickup by numerous media outlets. Now it's a matter of official record. "We're proud to have certification from Guinness World Records," says Tom Scarpello, Ford SVT marketing and sales manager. "It is a well-deserved record for the engineering team, and overdue confirmation to all the SVT F-150 Lightning owners out there who have known for years that they drive the fastest truck on the planet!" The record run was conducted on the Michigan Proving Grounds of Ford Motor Company. The five-mile-long, high-speed oval provided a safe, controlled environment to test the limits of the truck's performance.

"This may seem like fun and games, but high-speed stability is critical for a performance vehicle, even a pickup truck," says Tom Chapman, Ford SVT chassis systems supervisor and driver for the record-setting run. "The SVT F- 150 Lightning is just as stable and planted at 147 miles per hour as it is at 55 mph; only the scenery's going by faster. That stability is a testament to the solid foundation of the Ford F-150, and the performance engineering found in Ford SVT products."

For the record, Guinness requires the truck to be production level, meaning it is identical to what a customer can find at his local Ford SVT dealer. Speeds must be measured over a kilometer, and the record speed is derived from an average of speeds in both directions.

To meet the vehicle requirements, Ford SVT used a stock 2003 Ford SVT F-150 Lightning. Exterior modifications were limited to folding in the side mirrors, and removing the radio antenna. To meet timing requirements, Ford SVT conducted the test on Ford's Michigan Proving Ground high-speed oval. Timing lights were set up seven-tenths of a mile apart (as certified by an independent surveyor). A Hot Lap In-Car Timer, from Longacre Racing Products, was used to measure elapsed time through the measured 0.7 mile. Elapsed time was then converted to miles per hour.

Clockwise, the fastest elapsed time was 17.03 seconds, or 147.974 mph. Counter-clockwise, the fastest elapsed time was 17.09 seconds, or 147.454 mph.

The average of those two runs is 147.714 mph.

This result is more than adequate to set the Guinness World Record for the "Fastest Production Pickup."

"Capable of acceleration from 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds, and reaching 147 mph, the SVT Lightning is the dominant sport pickup in the world," says Tom Scarpello. "No pickup truck on the market today can come close to matching those numbers."