When the '99-model-year Ford Super Duty debuted in 1998 it reset the benchmark for 3/4- and 1-ton diesel pickup trucks. Then the '03-model-year Super Duty brought us the not-so-loved 6.0L Power Stroke but also introduced us to the world-class 5R110 TorqShift automatic transmission. When the '05-model-year Super Duty was launched, it came with an all-new front suspension, an upscale interior and exterior, and brought us the first integrated electric trailer bake controller.For the '08 model year, the Super Duty received a radically revised (and substantially cleaner) 6.4L Power Stroke that addressed all of the 6.0L's issues and moved the Power Stroke engine into the modern era with common-rail injection. The '08-model-year truck also received an all-new interior, gave birth to the F-450 pickup, and came with a new front-end treatment that has finally grown on us.
The 2011 Super Duty
In 2010 Ford will debut its '11-model-year Super Duty, and for the first time, Ford will use its own diesel engine under the hood. The all-new 6.7L Power Stroke (which we showed you last month in "Code Name: Scorpion," Oct. '09) was designed to meet, or beat, the 6.7L Cummins' reliability and the 6.6L Duramax's refinement. Based on our initial findings, the new 6.7L Power Stroke looks poised to give Dodge and GM a run for their money.
This month we bring you the next piece of the puzzle and give you a sneak peek at an '11 Ford F-350. We spoke with Chris Brewer, the chief engineer of the Super Duty, to bring you up to speed on what the new truck has to offer. Brewer, a 23-year veteran of Ford Motor Company, was actually on site at the Louisville Truck Plant-where the Super Duty trucks are built-during our interview. Here's what we found out.
6.7L Power Stroke Engine
In order to meet 2010 federal emissions standards, Ford needed to reduce the NOx emissions of the 6.4L Power Stroke by 80 percent. Meeting those standards required such an investment that Ford chose to take its diesel engine program in-house. In a nutshell, the new Ford-built 6.7L Power Stroke features a compacted graphite iron block, aluminum heads, a 30,000-psi Bosch piezo injection system, and a radical single-shaft Garrett twin-turbo system. Ford won't release the power ratings until just before it launches the truck, but we expect 370 to 400 hp and 700 to 750 lb-ft of torque from this super-quiet, biodiesel-compliant (B20) diesel engine. The 6.7L will also meet California's new idling requirements, so the F-450 and F-550 won't have to shut down after five minutes of idling on the jobsite.
 The 6.7L Power Stroke is the...  The 6.7L Power Stroke is the first diesel Ford has ever built for a pickup in North America. It doesn't share a single piece with the 6.4L Power Stroke built by International. The new 6.7L V-8 is intended to replace the 6.4L in the '11 Super Duty during the first quarter of 2010. |  The 6.7L will use the most...  The 6.7L will use the most advanced turbocharger in the segment. It's a single-sequential Garrett turbo that functions like a twin-turbo system and features a variable geometry exhaust housing, a ball-bearing center support, and two compressor wheels. |  |