According to Ford, annual U.S. diesel truck registrations have increased (about 25 percent) to more than 500,000 a year from about 400,000 in 2001. Ford alone has sold 1.3 million diesel-powered F-Series pickups in the United States since 2001. Sorry, Duramax and Cummins guys, Ford sells more diesel-powered pickup trucks annually than Chevrolet and Dodge combined. So it should come as no surprise that Ford takes its diesel truck business seriously. The new '08 Super Duty with the 6.4L Power Stroke diesel engine represents the largest investment in the Super Duty program since it was first conceived in 1994.
Led by Chief Engineer Peter Reyes, the Super Duty program team updated the '08 trucks to make them "all-new where the customer wants it to be new." Along with the revised interior and exterior treatment comes a larger 6.4L Power Stroke engine built by International to meet the strict '07 diesel emissions standards. With the '08 launch also comes a new standard in heavy-duty pickup trucks, the F-450 dualie. The F-450 promises Class 4 truck capability with 24,500-pound towing capacity and a factory-installed pickup bed. And this is just the beginning.
The good news is that the 6.4L engine is a completely revised and updated version of the 6.0L, so those of you who are familiar with the previous Power Stroke will feel right at home with the 6.4L. The increase in engine size comes from a larger 3.86-inch bore. The stroke remains 4.13 inches to give the engine a 390 ci displacement. The Borg Warner turbo uses a stronger actuator to control the variable vanes. The iron cylinder head castings have been reinforced with added material. The head bolts are now 16mm. The crankshaft and main bearings are bigger. The head gaskets use a new multi-layer steel (MLS) design. The only true carryover part is the camshaft.
 The biggest news is the redesigned...  The biggest news is the redesigned 6.4L Power Stroke that capitalizes on clean diesel technologies like the Siemens high-pressure common rail injection with six-hole piezo injectors, increased EGR, and advanced diesel particulate filtration. Thanks in part to a new Borg Warner sequential turbo system that delivers up to 42 psi of boost, the 6.4L makes 350 hp at 3,000 rpm and 650 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 rpm. Even at these power levels, the engine still manages to reduce particulate output by more than 90 percent and posts emissions numbers on par with gasoline engines. |  Construction of the '08 Super...  Construction of the '08 Super Duty began with a revised frame. The boxed front rails have been lowered and spaced wider to fit the new cooling system and meet frontal impact standards without the need for the old "blocker bar." The rear frame sections were also modified to accommodate leaf springs that are 8 inches longer than on the previous Super Duty. |  Ford then added more strength...  Ford then added more strength to the front of the new truck with this patented hydroformed body structure. |
 This high-strength steel skeleton...  This high-strength steel skeleton that the new hood and fenders are mounted on feature side rails that are welded to the radiator support and tie into the firewall. |  With the all-new front sheetmetal...  With the all-new front sheetmetal draped over its foundation, you can see the new stacked headlight configuration and how the updated grille is now connected to the hood. |  |