When taking a yellow FX4 off-road at the Lightning Ranch, near San Antonio, the vehicle performed well going up steep inclines and then plunging down equally severe drops.

This yellow Ford F-150 FX SuperCab is similar to a vehicle that was used for an off road course at the Lightning Ranch near San Antonio. This is the pickup for those who think all trucks should be 4x4s. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)

The ultimate model is the Lariat, which features optional premium heated dual power leather captain's chairs with a flow-through console and floor shifter, or a standard 40/20/40 split bench leather seat. The instrument panel and center console feature finely crafted stitched surfaces and wood grain touches on the doors and instrument panel center stack. The instrument cluster has cream-colored gauges ringed in chrome that match the chrome-ringed air registers and chrome door handles. The steering wheel has built-in controls for key audio and climate control functions. Other Lariat features include an in-dash message center, electronic automatic temperature control and power-adjustable memory seats and pedals.

This picture shows the heart of the Ford F-150, the new 5.4-liter, 3 valve Triton V8. This engine, produced at Ford's engine plants in Ontario, delivers 300 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)

Ford's F-Series trucks are currently manufactured at its Norfolk (Va.) and Kansas City (Mo.) assembly plants. Next year, the F-Series will also be made at the new Dearborn Truck Plant, at Ford's Rouge Center factory complex in Michigan. (The F-Series had also been built at Ford's Oakville, Ont., truck plant that was recently closed as part of the automaker's restructuring program. The 900 jobs at that factory were added to the adjacent Oakville van plant where Ford is building the new Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans and plans to add two new SUVs.)

The 5.4-liter Triton V-8 engines that power the new F-150s are built in Ontario, Canada, where Ford recently completed a three-year, CAD$770 million -- approximately USD$485 million -- expansion program. The Windsor Engine Plant produces the 3-valve, all aluminum cylinder head, which is then shipped to an all-new production line at the Essex Engine Plant for final assembly.