The excellent history of high-speed pickups

Two things genuinely stand out about the new Tesla Cybertruck: its design and its estimated 2.9sec 0-60mph time.

While we’ve never seen a pickup that looks like this before, the idea of building a truck capable of keeping up with a sports car down a drag strip is far from new.

Companies like Dodge, Chevrolet and Ford have been injecting horsepower into their pickups for decades and many big-name American tuners have taken the torch when needed. Join us for a look at how the high-performance pickup trend began and where we expect it will go during the 2020s:

Dodge Custom Sports Special (1964)

In the early 1960s, when pickups were designed for farm work and little else, Dodge identified a market for a quicker, nicer truck it could comfortably charge more for. It tested its theory by releasing the Custom Sports Special package in 1964. The bundle included a 7.0-litre, 360bhp V8, bucket seats from the Dart GT, a centre console sourced from the Polara 500 plus a long list of chromed parts.

The Custom Sports Special was always an option package rather than a standalone model and it was offered through 1967. Dodge charged about $235 (around £1500 in 2018 money) for it. Production figures are murky but seeing a D-Series equipped with the Custom Sports Special package is a rare sight on US roads today.

Dodge D150 Little Red Truck (1978)

In 1978, Dodge transformed the D150 into the first purpose-built high-performance truck sold in America. In hindsight, the firm didn’t invent much. It simply dared to take the time-tested recipe of dropping a big, powerful engine into a relatively small chassis into the truck segment.

The Little Red Truck packed a 5.9-litre, 222bhp V8 that slurped petrol from a four-barrel carburettor and exhaled through a pair of Freightliner-like chrome stacks mounted behind the cab. Dodge cleverly exploited an emissions loophole to avoid fitting the truck with catalytic converters during its first year on the market. The powertrain also included a reinforced automatic transmission and a 3.55:1 rear end.

Dodge made 2188 examples of the truck in 1978 and 5118 units the following year. 1979 models are recognisable because they feature four square headlights instead of two round ones.

Shelby Dakota (1989)

The 173bhp version of the Dodge Dakota was one of the highlights of Carroll Shelby’s time at Chrysler. That number doesn’t sound impressive in 2019 but it was a big deal in the power-starved late 1980s. Shelby (1923-2012) achieved it by replacing the Dakota’s 3.9-litre V6 with a 5.9-litre V8 normally reserved for Dodge’s bigger trucks. 1475 examples of the Shelby Dakota were made in 1989 only.

Chevrolet C1500 454 SS (1990)

The 454 SS nameplate originally denoted a high-performance Chevelle so putting it on a truck was a bold move for Chevrolet. Luckily, it wasn’t a simple appearance package. The rear-wheel drive, regular-cab C1500 morphed into a muscle truck by receiving a 7.4-litre V8 with 227bhp, quicker steering and a performance-tuned suspension designed with input from Blistein. It was worthy of wearing one of Chevrolet’s most hallowed nameplates and enthusiasts welcomed it with open arms.

Chevrolet made about 17,000 examples of the C1500 454 SS between 1990 and 1993.

GMC Syclone (1991)

The 1989 Shelby Dakota proved the market for high-performance compact trucks was small but hungry. GMC took note. It turned its S-15 into an exotic-taming pickup by dropping a supercharged, 4.3-litre V6 into the engine bay and tuning it to 276bhp.

Its 0-60mph time of 4.3sec made it comfortably quicker than a Chevrolet Corvette while its $25,950 base price (about £38,000 in 2019) made it nearly as expensive as one. GMC nonetheless effortlessly sold the 3000 units it planned to make and followed up with a similarly powerful SUV named Typhoon in 1992.

Ford F-150 SVT Lightning (first generation, 1993)

Ford had often installed big, powerful engines into its trucks but only to help them tow or haul more. When it came to flat-out performance, it was sitting in the bleachers while rivals Dodge and General Motors were having all the fun. This changed when it unveiled the F-150 SVT Lightning in 1993.

Here again, Ford started with a short, rear-wheel drive variant of the F-150 to keep weight in check. Its Special Vehicle Team (SVT) installed a 5.8-litre, 237bhp V8 behind a body-coloured grille and fitted the truck with a full body kit. Chassis modifications made it handle better than a farm-spec F-150.

Ford sold 11,563 examples of the SVT Lightning between 1993 and 1995.

Ford F-150 SVT Lightning (second generation, 1999)

The original F-150 SVT Lightning’s popularity encouraged Ford to release a second-generation model in 1999. Again developed by SVT, the Lightning adopted forced induction with a supercharged, 5.4-litre V8 that channelled 355bhp to the rear wheels in its initial state of tune. That figure grew to 375bhp in 2001.

The Lightning sat on a stock F-150 frame but it received a comprehensive array of suspension updates that improved handling. The nameplate’s second and final generation was even more successful than the original. Ford made 28,124 trucks between the 1999 and 2004 model years.

Chevrolet Silverado SS (2003)

The SS nameplate returned to a Chevrolet pickup in 2003. This time, it denoted a 6.0-litre, 340bhp V8 shared with the Cadillac Escalade that sent the Silverado from 0-60mph in a hot hatch-like 6.3sec. That’s impressive for a truck but the SS was a full second slower than the Ford F-150 Lightning.

It was expensive, too: Chevrolet charged $40,000 (about £43,000 in 2019) for the SS. It launched with four-wheel drive but rear-wheel drive became available in 2005 to bring its price down and increase its appeal. The Silverado SS retired without a direct successor.

Dodge Ram SRT-10 (2004)

The idea of stuffing a Viper engine in a Ram 1500 was insane and no one thought Dodge would build the SRT-10 concept it unveiled at the 2002 Detroit motor show. And yet, the truck began arriving in showrooms in 2004. It was essentially unchanged; it kept the concept’s 8.3-litre, 493bhp V10 engine. To add context, Dodge had released a pickup with more horsepower than a Ferrari 360.

Dodge made nearly 10,000 examples of the Ram SRT-10 over three model years. Now known as Ram, the company hasn’t released a wilder truck since.

Toyota Tacoma X-Runner Supercharged (2004)

In its standard form, the Toyota Tacoma X-Runner unveiled at the 2004 Chicago motor show was more impressive to look at than to drive. Its body kit would have made it a shoo-in at SEMA but its 4.0-litre V6 offered 237bhp, the same amount as in any other Tacoma. It came with an enthusiast-friendly six-speed manual transmission, however, and buyers could bump the six’s output to about 300bhp by ordering a factory-developed supercharger that didn’t void the warranty once installed.

Toyota bragged that the X-Runner handled better than a standard Tacoma, too.

Ford SVT Raptor (2010)

Sensing that the market for quick, street-oriented trucks had cooled, Ford’s SVT division took the F-150 in a different direction when it released the first-generation Raptor for the 2010 model year. It was designed for high-speed desert runs with a long-travel suspension, 35in tyres and either a standard 5.4-litre V8 rated at 306bhp or an optional 6.2-litre V8 that developed 405bhp.

The SVT Raptor carved out a niche in the pickup segment that Ford’s rivals have yet to fully move into.

Ford F-150 Tremor (2014)

While the Lightning nameplate retired after the 2004 model year, Ford again mined the F-150’s performance potential when it released a limited-edition model named Tremor for the 2014 model year. It was offered only with a regular cab and a short cargo box but the similarities with the Lightning stopped there. Instead of a V8, the Tremor received a twin-turbocharged, 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 that delivered 360bhp. It was far less street-focused than its predecessor because it was taller and it was available with rear- or four-wheel drive. Model-specific decals added a finishing touch to the truck.

Ford made 2230 units of the F-150 Tremor during the 2014 model year only.

Ford F-150 Raptor (2017)

The Raptor returned for a second generation during the 2017 model year. It no longer wore SVT emblems and it lost a pair of cylinders under the bonnet in the name of downsizing. No one complained; it certainly wasn’t slow. Its twin-turbocharged, 3.5-litre V6 sent 444bhp to the four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission and the extensive use of aluminium made it about 500lb (1100kg) lighter than the original. This generation of the Raptor remains available in 2019. It’s priced at $52,855 (about £41,000).

Shelby F-150 Super Snake (2017)

American tuner Shelby picked up where Ford left off by creating a successor to the F-150 Lightning. The F-150 Super Snake arrived in 2017 with a V8 engine supercharged to 740bhp. And, unlike the Raptor, the Super Snake had no off-road pretentions. It sat lower than a standard F-150 and it received a body kit that reduced its ground clearance. Buyers could nonetheless order rear- or four-wheel drive.

Shelby made 150 examples of the Super Snake. Each one was priced at $96,880 (£78,000). In 2019, it makes a high-power, off-road-focused variant of the F-150 in addition to a tuned Super Duty model designed to tow. The Super Snake concept unveiled in 2019 suggests the nameplate will return.

Hennessey Goliath 800 (2019)

While Chevrolet has stepped out for the high-performance truck segment, American tuner Hennessey continues to dial obscene amounts of power into the Silverado. Its Goliath 800 model is essentially a run-of-the-mill Silverado (pictured) supercharged to 794bhp.

The modifications made to the 6.2-litre V8 are too long to list; they include hardened pushrods, custom-made forged aluminium pistons and ported cylinder heads. If 805 HP is too much, Hennessey also offers a 493bhp model named Goliath 500.

Saleen Sportruck (2019)

The surprisingly high number of aftermarket tuners building F-150s with jaw-dropping power suggests Ford is missing out by not making a modern-day Lightning. Saleen can build a 690bhp pickup by dropping a supercharger on top of the 5.0-litre V8 that Ford offers on the regular-production truck.

Not for those wishing to keep a low profile, the Sportruck receives a full body kit, alloy wheels and far-reaching suspension tweaks. All told, Saleen’s F-150 reminds us of the second-generation Lightning.

Ram Rebel TRX (2020)

Ram confirmed its long-awaited answer to the Ford F-150 Raptor will enter production during the early 2020s. It might arrive in American showrooms in time for the 2021 model, meaning we’ll likely see it in the metal before the end of 2020. While development work is on-going, the company gave us a preview of the truck when it unveiled the Rebel TRX concept (pictured) during the 2016 Texas State Fair.

It will arrive with a body kit that makes it much wider, a fully redesigned suspension and a model-specific version of the Dodge Challenger Hellcat’s 6.2-litre V8 engine detuned to about 592bhp. The Rebel TRX will be based on the current-generation 1500 so it won’t look exactly like the concept, which was built on the last-generation truck’s bones. It sounds like it’s worth waiting for, however.

Rivian R1T (2020)

Start-up Rivian emerged from stealth mode when it unveiled a close-to-production electric concept car named R1T at the 2018 Los Angeles motor show. The line-up will initially consist of three models including one with a claimed 744bhp that takes 3.0sec to reach 60mph. All variants will feature one electric motor per wheel, a layout which should come in handy when off-roading. The R1T is tentatively scheduled to enter production in late 2020 in a former Mitsubishi factory located in Normal, Illinois. Pricing starts at about $70,000 (around £54,000) and sky-rockets into the six digits.

Bollinger B2 (2021)

Bollinger is another start-up company that wants to leverage the instant torque delivered by electric motors to build a truck that’s as quick as it is capable. Shaped like a cross between an original Land Rover Defender and a Tonka truck, the B2 has a 0-60mph time of 4.5sec, which is on par with a Porsche 718 Cayman S. This unusual briskness comes from a 614 HP electric powertrain.

Its specifications are as impressive as its price. The Bollinger B2 will cost about $125,000 (around £97,000) when it goes on sale in 2021 and adding options will raise that figure quickly.

Tesla Cybertruck (2021)

Fully electric, the Toblerone-shaped Tesla Cybertruck is unlike any pickup we’ve seen before, for better or worse. It won’t enter production until the end of 2021 at the earliest so technical details remain vague but the California-based company promised the quickest variant will take 2.9sec to hit 60mph.

Its planned 14,000lb (6363kg) towing capacity places it between Ford’s F-150 and Super Duty models, trucks that each max out at 13,200 (6000kg) and 37,000lb (16,818kg). The entry-level model carries a $39,000 base price but the quick one costs about $70,000; those figures respectively represent £30,000 and £54,000.