Special Vehicle Team
Encyclopedia
- See also Special Vehicle OperationsSpecial Vehicle OperationsIn 1981, Ford formed the Special Vehicle Operations group to design and develop performance parts and accessories related to the company's racing programs....
Special Vehicle Team, also known as SVT, is an arm of Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
responsible for the development of the company's highest-performance vehicles, much like Mercedes-AMG
Mercedes-AMG
Mercedes-AMG GmbH, commonly known as AMG, is a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz car company specializing in high-performance luxury cars....
, BMW M
BMW M
BMW M GmbH is a subsidiary of German car manufacturer BMW AG.BMW M, also known as M-Technik or just "M" was initially created to facilitate BMW’s racing program, which was very successful in the 1960s and 1970s...
, Chrysler's SRT
Street and Racing Technology
Street & Racing Technology is a high-performance automobile group within Chrysler LLC. SRT began as "Team Viper" to develop the Dodge Viper. It later merged with "Team Prowler", the developers of the Plymouth Prowler, to become Specialty Vehicle Engineering . This was renamed Performance Vehicle...
division and GM's Performance Division
GM Performance Division
GM Performance Division is a division within General Motors that is responsible for developing performance vehicles for the various brands of GM. Its creations include the Super Sport vehicles from Chevrolet, the V-series from Cadillac, the GXP series from Pontiac, and the Red Line series from...
. SVT is the successor to the SVO
Special Vehicle Operations
In 1981, Ford formed the Special Vehicle Operations group to design and develop performance parts and accessories related to the company's racing programs....
division.
The current SVT Director is Hermann Salenbauch. SVT was previously led by Hau Thai-Tang (2004-2007) and John Coletti
John Coletti
O. John Coletti was an automobile engineer at the Ford Motor Company, and is currently the COO and president of EcoMotors International....
(199X-2004).
Information
The group mainly produces specially tuned versions of Ford production vehicles such as the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor which is based on the F-150 pickup, and the Shelby GT500, which was based on the MustangFord Mustang
The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
. However, they do occasionally develop models independently of the rest of the company, namely the GT
Ford GT
The Ford GT is a mid-engine two-seater sports car. Ford Motor Company produced the Ford GT for the 2005 to 2006 model years. The designers drew inspiration from Ford's GT40 race cars of the 1960s.- Development :...
supercar (developed in conjunction with Saleen
Saleen
Saleen, Incorporated, commonly known as Saleen, was an American manufacturer of high-performance sports cars and high-performance automotive parts in Troy, Michigan, formerly based in Irvine, California...
). SVT was founded in 1993 by John Plant of Ford Marketing, Janine Bay of Ford Mustang Program Management, and Robert Burnham of Ford Truck Program Management. Originally known as Special Vehicle Operations, SVO
Special Vehicle Operations
In 1981, Ford formed the Special Vehicle Operations group to design and develop performance parts and accessories related to the company's racing programs....
developed the 1984-1986 2.3 liter turbo-charged 4 cylinder Mustang SVO, as well as marketed performance parts through dealer networks (now known as Ford Racing Performance Parts, or FRPP).
Ford SVT just debuted the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor high-performance off-road truck. The Raptor is the only high-speed off-road performance truck offered by any OEM. Using a completely re-designed suspension, with internal-bypass Fox Racing Shox and specially developed BF Goodrich all-terrain 35" tires, the Raptor is considered an OEM-style "pre-runner." Pre-runners are reconnaissance vehicles used for high-speed testing of off-road race courses before a race.
F-150 SVT Raptor also debuted the all-new 6.2-liter V8 engine as an option for the 2010 model year (likely to be standard in subsequent model years). Ford reports horsepower and torque as 411 hp (306 kW) @ 5500 rpm, 434 lb·ft (588 N·m) @ 4500 rpm in the Raptor. All Raptor models will have a 6-speed automatic transmission, selectable 4WD, and rear E-Locker that stays engaged at high-speeds.
The GT500 coupe, convertible, and King of the Road (KR) models engineered by SVT continue on for the 2009 model year. All models are equipped with a supercharged 5.4-liter V8 and six-speed manual transmission. GT500 produces 500 hp and 480 ft-lbs of torque. GT500KR models have 540 hp and 510 ft-lbs of torque.
Speculation suggests that as a result of Ford's plan to globalize their vehicles, SVT and the European RS division will merge, thus aligning all American and European performance vehicle activity together.
SVT vehicles
| Model | |Version | Year | Engine | Power | Torque | Production | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SVT Lightning | 9 | 1993 | 5.8 L Windsor FI Fuel injection Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s.... V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
240 hp (179 kW) | 340 ft·lbf (461 N·m) | 5,276 | |
| 1994 | 4,007 | ||||||
| 1995 | 2,280 | ||||||
| Total | 11,563 | ||||||
| 10 | 1999 | 5.4 L supercharged Triton V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
360 hp (268 kW) | 440 ft·lbf (597 N·m) | 4,000 | ||
| 2000 | 4,966 | ||||||
| 2001 | 380 hp (283 kW) | 450 ft·lbf (610 N·m) | 6,381 | ||||
| 2002 | 4,726 | ||||||
| 2003 | 4,270 | ||||||
| 2004 | 3,781 | ||||||
| Total | 28,124 | ||||||
| Total | 39,687 | ||||||
| SVT Cobra Ford Mustang SVT Cobra The 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra was launched during the 1992 Chicago Auto Show. It was the premier vehicle of Ford's newly established SVT division, designed to showcase SVT's four hallmarks of Performance, Substance, Exclusivity and Value... |
Fox Ford Fox platform The Ford Fox platform is a rear wheel drive, unitized-chassis, automobile architecture used by Ford Motor Company in North America. Introduced for the 1978 model year, it would go on to be produced until 1993 in its original version; a substantial redesign of the Ford Mustang in 1994 extended its... |
Base | 1993 | 5.0 L Windsor V8 | 235 hp (175 kW) | 280 ft·lbf (380 N·m) | 4,993 |
| R | 1993 | 107 | |||||
| Total | 5,100 | ||||||
| SN-95 1 | Base | 1994 | 5.0 L Windsor V8 | 240 hp (179 kW) | 285 ft·lbf (386 N·m) | 6,009 | |
| 1995 | 5,008 | ||||||
| 1996 | 4.6 L DOHC Modular V8 | 305 hp (227 kW) | 300 ft·lbf (407 N·m) | 10,002 | |||
| 1997 | 10,049 | ||||||
| 1998 | 8,654 | ||||||
| R | 1995 | 5.8 L Windsor V8 | 300 hp (224 kW) | 365 ft·lbf (495 N·m) | 250 | ||
| Total | 39,973 | ||||||
| SN-95 2 | Base | 1999 | 4.6 L DOHC Modular V8 | 320 hp (239 kW) | 317 ft·lbf (430 N·m) | 8,095 | |
| 2001 | 7,251 | ||||||
| 2003 | 4.6 L DOHC SC Modular V8 | 390 hp (291 kW) | 390 ft·lbf (529 N·m) | 13,476 | |||
| 2004 | 5,664 | ||||||
| R | 2000 | 5.4 L DOHC Modular V8 | 385 hp (287 kW) | 385 ft·lbf (522 N·m) | 300 | ||
| Total | 34,859 | ||||||
| Total | 79,932 | ||||||
| SVT Contour Ford SVT Contour The SVT Contour was a modified version of the Ford Contour sedan from Ford's in-house Special Vehicle Team. The SVT Contour was produced from 1998MY through 2000MY, with a mid-year revision for 1998.5... |
CDW27 Ford CDW27 platform The Ford CDW27 platform was Ford's midsize car automobile platform from the early 1990s and was designed to be used as its 'World Car' platform. The platform was developed over six years and at a huge expense totalling $6 billion, but was expected to save 25% compared to developing separate models... |
1998 | 2.5 L Duratec 25 SVT V6 | 195 hp (145 kW) | 165 ft·lbf (224 N·m) | 6,535 | |
| 1999 | 200 hp (149 kW) | 169 ft·lbf (229 N·m) | 2,760 | ||||
| 2000 | 2,150 | ||||||
| Total | 11,445 | ||||||
| SVT Focus | CW170 | 2002 | 2.0 L Zetec I4 Straight-4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
170 hp (127 kW) | 145 ft·lbf (197 N·m) | 4,788 | |
| 2003 | 6,158 | ||||||
| 2004 | 3,057 | ||||||
| Total | 14,003 | ||||||
| Total | 144,993* | ||||||
SVT is also credited for the following vehicles:
- 2005–2006 Ford GTFord GTThe Ford GT is a mid-engine two-seater sports car. Ford Motor Company produced the Ford GT for the 2005 to 2006 model years. The designers drew inspiration from Ford's GT40 race cars of the 1960s.- Development :...
- 2007–present Shelby GT500Shelby MustangThe Shelby Mustang is a high performance variant of the Ford Mustang which was built by Shelby American from 1965 through 1970. Following the introduction of the fifth generation Ford Mustang, the Shelby nameplate was revived in 2007 for new high performance versions of the Mustang.- 1965–1966 :The...
- 2010–present Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
See also
- Ford TeamRSFord TeamRSThe Ford TeamRS is Ford Motor Company's European performance car and motorsport division for Ford Racing activity. The Ford RS badge was born for rally racing, the RS stands for Rallye Sport.- Ford RS models :...
, Ford's European performance car and motorsport division - Ford Performance VehiclesFord Performance VehiclesFord Performance Vehicles is the Melbourne-based, premium performance vehicle partner of automobile manufacturer Ford Australia. The company, which is as a joint venture between Prodrive and Ford Australia, has produced a range of Ford based models under the FPV brand name since April...
(FPV), Ford Australia's performance car division
Main
- SVTPerformance.com SVT Owners and Enthusiasts forum
- SVTEnthusiast.com SVT Owners and Enthusiasts online community
- www.svtoa.ca SVT Of Alberta
- Contour.org Contour Enthusiasts Group
- SVTOA.com SVT Owners Association
- SVTregistry.com Official SVT Owner Registry
- MNFocus.com Minnesota Based Focus Enthusiasts Forum
- FocalJet.com Focus Enthusiasts Site
- FocusFanatics.com Focus Enthusiasts Site
- SVTOffroad.com Raptor Enthusiasts Site