First Look: 2012 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150
Meet the 2012 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150, the 16th special-edition F-Series pickup (10th F-150 version) produced by the long-running collaboration between Ford and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. It will be revealed Tuesday at the 71st annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.
How is it different from the 2011 Harley F-150 we recently tested? The latest Harley half-ton features a new serpentine theme inside the cabin with snakeskin leather stretched across the steering wheel and center console lid, plus a snakeskin pattern etched into aluminum scuff plates mounted in the door sills. A swoosh-style exterior graphic replaces last year’s scallop-shaped exterior highlights. Also new are 22-inch machined-aluminum wheels with painted accents and unique center caps. There’s also a brand-new exterior color – White Platinum Tri-Coat.
“For 2012 we worked with Harley-Davidson to continue to push the styling envelope while still delivering the durability and power that F-150 is known for and that our collective customers expect,” said Marc Lapine, Ford F-150 marketing manager. “It perfectly captures both brands.”
All 2012 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150s come standard with the F-150’s excellent 4.2-inch information display plus voice-activated navigation. Other standard features include a power moonroof, rearview camera, second-row heated seats, ambient lighting, remote start, a 110-volt power inverter and power-adjustable performance pedals.
The Harley F-150 is powered solely by the same 411-horsepower, 434 pounds-feet of torque 6.2-liter V-8 engine that powers the F-150 SVT Raptor high-performance off-road truck. It’s rated to tow up to 7,500 pounds.
Pricing for the 2012 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 hasn’t been announced. The 2011 model starts at $48,505, the most expensive starting price in the F-150 lineup.
Future Truck: 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Chevy Silverado 2013 New Model Pictures
Rendering by Mark Stehrenberger for PickupTrucks.com
Because GM has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to redesign its full-size pickups, we asked renowned automotive illustrator Mark Stehrenberger to take a stab at what these trucks could look like when they debut around 2013.
A few weeks back, we showed you the next-gen GMC Sierra 1500 half-ton. This time, it’s the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
A significant influence for the future Silverado is likely to be the 2003 Chevrolet Cheyenne concept pickup. Its breakthrough styling was based on past Chevy trucks that included the 1955 Cameo, 1972 C10 Cheyenne and 1988 C/K Silverado, because each of those trucks shared a “common design vocabulary that was pure in form and purpose,” according to GM.
We’ve also heard buzz about a new production vehicle that might shape the Silverado’s skin: the Chevrolet Camaro. The Camaro combines retro styling with aggressive modern cues to create a unique shape in that long-running sports car’s heritage. It’s finding its way into other vehicles, too. The upcoming replacement for the Chevrolet Malibu full-size sedan will show off elements of Camaro in its taillights and C-pillar. So, with both the Cheyenne and Camaro in mind, here’s a potential styling direction the Silverado could take that makes it more aggressive than today’s truck while carrying forward traditional Chevy truck DNA.
We’re told by sources that the Silverado will look significantly more different from GMC Sierra than it does today.
A sleeker exterior is expected to contribute to improved gas mileage. GM is also studying whether automatically opening and closing the grille inlets of its full-size pickups could improve aerodynamics and mileage.
Powertrain improvements are expected to include wide use of direct injection across the Silverado’s engine lineup, including, we’re told, a (maybe 7.0-liter?) new large-displacement V-8 gas engine. GM’s next-generation full-size hybrid technology will also arrive by 2013, with stronger, more efficient electric motors and batteries, giving the gas-electric trucks up to 50 percent better towing capacity.
Like their 2011 heavy-duty brothers, the next-generation Silverado and Sierra light-duty pickups will ride on all-new frames. Expect the HD pickups to receive new sheetmetal that’s similar to the light-duty pickups.