Worlds fastest production truck is now officially.....

[GNVAIR]

the Lightning according to the Guiness Book of World Records.
A friend just sent this to me http://www.mustangweekly.com/2003/august/news/n8-10-6th.asp
Pretty darn impressive for 4,000+ pounds of truck.

 

[Nick McCardle]

I'd still rather have a Syclone, screw top speed

 

[turbosam6]

Oh nooooooo! You started a lightning thread HERE?!?!?! Here we go, all the ignorant GM die hards will be here shortly saying that a syclone is faster, and anything with a blue oval in the grill just sucks. Well, it will be entertaining at least. I like watching people talk out of their a$$ about stuff they know less than squat about. Thanks for the link, cool stuff!

 

[myclone]

Originally posted by turbosam6
Oh nooooooo! You started a lightning thread HERE?!?!?! Here we go, all the ignorant GM die hards will be here shortly saying that a syclone is faster, and anything with a blue oval in the grill just sucks. Well, it will be entertaining at least. I like watching people talk out of their a$$ about stuff they know less than squat about. Thanks for the link, cool stuff!

Yeeesh, this has been beaten to death on our board... We all know the lightning is faster and the Syclone is quicker.. Last I checked the general concensous was that performance was gauged in a 1/4mile drag race and the win light went to the quickest guy.

I like lightnings myself. Nice looking, decently quick, awesome supercharger sound, and they make a cool tow vehicle....Oh, they're fun to pick on at stop lights too...

 

[Bens87tr]

How come no mention of what it replaced as the fastest production truck? And where's Dodges stupid 500 HP Ram?

 

[AsphaltAnihil8r]

Lightnings sux and all other furd sux more,,,,Sam

 

[Snorman]

Syclone wasn't really quicker or faster than a 2nd gen Lightning.
Here's a link of a C&D test with a Syclone running 14.1
Autoweek tested one and it went 14.2

There are, of course, exceptions. I think Popular Hot Rodding claimed to go 13.16mph in one at only 100mph (must have had on helluva' short time) and a few other rags simply echoed GM's claim of 13.4@99.8.
I'm sure in the hands of owners, some Syclones went quicker, but I've also seen bone stock L's running 13.4's. A few cheap mods and they'll run 12's. I've seen those darned Harley Davidson Editions F150's running high-13's.
Anyway...I love Syclones and Typhoons, but I think 10 years of technology has been kind to the 2nd Gen Lightnings, particularly when you consider the fact that it's a 4800lb. full-sized truck capable of towing a trailer and carrying a modest payload.
S.

 

[iamjeff]

personally i would prefer to have a syclone for the same reaon that i got a turbo buick; the uniquness. but i have to say that they are both equally cool in my opinion, and i dont hink i will pick on a syclone when im lined up at a stop light. i was gonig to get a syclone before i stumbled on TR's.

-jeff

 

[MadPSI]

I am one of the most hardcore SyTy enthusiast, but inevitably there will always come the time where someone comes up with a truck that is faster in any, if not all, respects. The only thing that I would view as progress is if GM steps up and answers with a faster vehicle. They have the perfect opportunity with their new Vortec 4200 inline 6 motor, but I don't know if GM has the funding (or common sense) to release a badass truck like that.

With me it's not the fact that the Spark is faster in whatever respect that impresses me, it's the fact that it took Ford over 10 years to top it that says something.

This is talking stock-for-stock of course. Anyone can put a top fuel motor in a Lightning or Syclone and run the same numbers...

 

[QuickWE4]

Yeah, I started a Lightning thread not long ago - it was not pretty.



Rich

 

[49-blues]

17 seconds-pretty quick for a ford!

 

[GNVAIR]

Thats because most of the Buick guys that respond to these threads are narrow minded and uptight. They get bent at the mere mention of the name Ford. Its funny, because I go on a lot of other enthusiast sites like this and this is the only one where grown men get into arguments about how bad another manufacturers car is. I love my Buicks, but there is faster stuff out there.

 

[TurboDave]

Originally posted by 49-blues
17 seconds-pretty quick for a ford!

17 Seconds??

We just took my Son-In-Law's Lightning out to the strip (Milan) a few weeks ago.
In bone stock (right off the showroom floor virtually) trim, it ran two 14.18's and a 14.12.
Not bad for a big old heavy F150.

And I love the sound of that supercharger screaming in there!!

 

[TTA89]

My 03 Lightning went 13.52@103 Bone 1500 mile stock with 1.8 60fts on stock tires.

The difference is that the Syclone has a truck body but can't do anything that a truck is supposed to do. I have towed 6000lbs with a bed full of race equipment, the truck is rated to handle 1300lbs in the bed. I have been Auto xing with the truck, Drag Racing.

It does everything! I love it!

I spent 500 bucks for a Chip, Filter, Pulley and in the cooler weather it should run in the 12s. Hey same price as it costs a GN, except the Lightning weighs 4824 with me in it and does it on pumpgas

 

[hot6-231]

Originally posted by TTA89
My 03 Lightning went 13.52@103 Bone 1500 mile stock with 1.8 60fts on stock tires.

The difference is that the Syclone has a truck body but can't do anything that a truck is supposed to do. I have towed 6000lbs with a bed full of race equipment, the truck is rated to handle 1300lbs in the bed. I have been Auto xing with the truck, Drag Racing.

It does everything! I love it!

I spent 500 bucks for a Chip, Filter, Pulley and in the cooler weather it should run in the 12s. Hey same price as it costs a GN, except the Lightning weighs 4824 with me in it and does it on pumpgas

Hmmm...........You must have a REAL good running "stock" Lightning to run a 13.52 as most i've seen running that are "stock" seem to run VERY high 13's and low 14's. Not saying it didn't run that number, just saying I think you've got a real good runner there. Course i've seen "stock" TR's run 12's too with just a chip,K&N,bla bla bla.

KB

 

[TTA89]

Heh thats funny.. A factory ringer? When my 98 LS1 Trans-Am went 13.1@106 factory stock everyone said it was a ringer. When my Turbo T/A went 11.80s on all stock parts everyone said it was a ringer...

Maybe I can drive?


Just as a reference There was 4 of us there with stock trucks all running 13.5s and 13.6s at 102-103mph.

Weather has a HUGE effect on these trucks. In 90 degree weather the same trucks were running 99-100mph vs in 50 degree spring air.

These are not "tweaked" stock these are as delivered factory stock.

 

[ALBERTAN]

I still don't get it with the Lightning. I certainly didn't drive my 2000 much, selling it last Fall with only about 700 miles on it. But the reason it sat was because on the street it was a turd compared to my other vehicles. I understand they need to be broken in, and I can vouch for their top end prowess (mine was a dream at 130 mph). But on the street where it counts IMHO the thing was not very confidence inspiring. Once a guy on a Harley pulled up to me at a light on the bypass (freeway) and asked me if it was fast. I replied it was OK and I knew it was on. It was all I could do to keep up with him. When I take a SyTy out on the street I am on the prowl for anything and everything. Viper at a red light? Yum yum. They most certainly lay down big time on the top end. But with 1.7 60's on the street almost everyone gives up by the time you are across the intersection. Last time I checked, you couldn't do 147 mph on too many roads in North America.

And for the argument that the Syclone can't do anything that a truck is supposed to do...My 2003 Duramax CC Dually 4X4 does everything a truck is supposed to do 100X better than the Lightning ever could. I guess it's all relative. The Lightning is a jack of all trades. But master of none IMHO which is why I sent it down the road last Fall.

 

[TTA89]

And for the argument that the Syclone can't do anything that a truck is supposed to do...My 2003 Duramax CC Dually 4X4 does everything a truck is supposed to do 100X better than the Lightning ever could. I guess it's all relative. The Lightning is a jack of all trades. But master of none IMHO which is why I sent it down the road last Fall.

The point is that it is a jack of all trades! It does everything that I wanted it to do with mastery skills.

It will run 12s at the dragstrip with minimal work, it will keep up with Cobras/Fbodies on an AutoX and Road Course. It Brakes awesome for a Truck. It can tow a car on a car trailer across the country. It can take a bed full of mulch home without any problems.

For the things above, the Lightning is the Best you can buy. For my needs nothing does it better. For MY needs your Duramax doesn't do anything near as well as my Lightning. It might be able to tow 12,000 pounds but I only need something that will tow 5,000 pounds. The Lightning does that with the cruise on 80 no problems at all.

Besides, I wanted a 12 Second Tow Vehicle

 

[GNVAIR]

Originally posted by TTA89
The point is that it is a jack of all trades! It does everything that I wanted it to do with mastery skills.

It will run 12s at the dragstrip with minimal work, it will keep up with Cobras/Fbodies on an AutoX and Road Course. It Brakes awesome for a Truck. It can tow a car on a car trailer across the country. It can take a bed full of mulch home without any problems.

For the things above, the Lightning is the Best you can buy. For my needs nothing does it better. For MY needs your Duramax doesn't do anything near as well as my Lightning. It might be able to tow 12,000 pounds but I only need something that will tow 5,000 pounds. The Lightning does that with the cruise on 80 no problems at all.

Besides, I wanted a 12 Second Tow Vehicle

Well said Mike. I had this funny picture in my head of someone with a crew cab Duramax (read hook and ladder like handling) trying to auto cross it.

 

[Nasty Wendy]

Word.