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| photography courtesy of Ford Motor Company |
The guy in the elevator was impressed. after spotting our 2008 Harley-Davidson Ford F-250 pickup in the parking lot, he said he owned one almost like it. “It’s a stud muffin,” he smiled. “You could go straight up a cliff in that thing.”
Well, maybe not straight up. But you certainly wouldn’t have any trouble jumping curbs in this loud, handsome, three-quarter-ton behemoth. It’s so big and powerful—in a swaggering macho way—you might call it the Anti-Green Testosterone Machine.
The Crew Cab Lariat model we tested was outfitted with a twin-turbocharged diesel engine. Paired with a five-speed automatic transmission, the V-8 powerplant generated 350 horses and 650 pound-feet of torque, or pulling power. The Ford’s also got a switch designating 2WD, 4X4 Low, or 4X4 High, making it perfect for towing boats or horse trailers. (Or maybe a random smokestack from the neighborhood nuclear plant.)
The 6.4-liter engine’s been revamped for ’08—last year it was 6 liters—and so has just about everything else about this bruising, four-door workhorse. There’s a taller hood and a bigger grille—it reminded me of a train locomotive—as well as a sturdier frame, a new suspension, and a spiffed-up cabin.
The latter’s downright palatial, like a guy’s den in a Highland Park manse. Roomy as hell, it’s marked by plush leather seating for five; a gaggle of chrome, retro-style gauges; a rear video camera; and a power-sliding moonroof. The $5,415 Harley-Davidson package adds the likes of special H-D badging, heated seats, and 20-inch wheels.
This year marks the 105th anniversary of both Ford and Harley-Davidson, two All-American icons if ever there were some. So if you’ve got 59 large lying around—and a penchant for making your presence known automotively, without apologies to anyone—you might consider snapping up one of these “stud muffins” to celebrate.
THE DETAILS
Sticker price: $58,960
Engine: 350 HP 6.4-L V-8
MPG: 8 to 12 (estimated)
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| photography courtesy of Ford Motor Company |
