Perhaps if we discuss the vehicle at length, we can sort things out in our heads. Let's start with the most obvious feature of this truck: the exterior. This F-250 is dubbed "Super Chief" after the Super Chief trains that ran across the U.S. back in the 1940's because, well, this truck looks like one of those old trains. Both rolling behemoths share a very tall, flat nose and gun-slat windows. The Super Chiefs of old carried a lot of Art Deco styling cues, but with this being the 21st Century and all, Ford's Super Chief gets a decidedly techno-inspired visual vibe.
On the outside of this truck, we're actually feeling the 3-bar grille that seems to be Ford's new "American Face". We like the 3 bars on the Fusion, we like the 3 bars on the Edge, and we like the 3 bars here. We're also really feeling the LED headlights and neon-look tail lights. We also really like the Goodyear-wrapped 24-inch rims. However, we're not feeling the big "Super Chief" logo on the front of the truck; it really takes away from the visual impact, in our opinion.
Moving inside the Super Chief, one could best describe the interior of this Ford "indulgent". Seriously, this thing is way nicer than the uber-expensive Maybach. There is a decidedly techno-meets-art deco vibe going on in here. Expensive-looking walnut is everywhere in the cabin; only the occasional bit of aluminum trim is called upon to separate the acres dead trees. The seats are wrapped in leather, of course, but they don't look anything like "standard" car seats - they look like thrones ripped straight out of an Eames office furniture catalog. (If you don't get the "Eames" reference, go ask one of your art snob friends.)
Back seat passengers have all the luxuries one can think of. Not only do both back seats get their own huge flat screen monitor, they also get some trick pop-out ottomans. It also looks as if there is an "adult beverage storage area" nestled between the rear seats. We wonder if "open container" laws would apply to the rich and powerful people riding around in the back of this Super Chief.
The powertrain of the Super Chief is really mind-boggling. Well, it's not mind-boggling so much as it is "very complicated". First thing's first: the Super Chief is powered by a big engine, which should come as no surprise. A 6.8 liter V10 sits under the hood of the Super Chief, and it puts out 280 and 310 horsepower and 400 and 425 lb.-ft. of torque. And before you ask; yes, you are reading 2 different horsepower and torque ratings. This truck gets 2 different power ratings thanks to its 3 methods of fuel. Wait... 3 methods of fuel?!! Here's where the powertrain starts to get complicated.
The Super Chief's V10 is the world's first Tri-Flex Fuel engine, meaning it can run on either regular gasoline, ethanol or hydrogen. We all know about regular gasoline, so we'll just tell you that the Super Chief gets a power rating of 310 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque, gets 12 mpg and has a total range of 336 miles while running on dead dinosaurs.
When running on Ethanol, the Super Chief will still get 310 horses and 400 lb.-ft. of torque, but it will only get 8.5 mpg and have a range of 241 miles. So if the Super Chief gets less MPG when running on Ethanol, why use it? The answer is simple really: Ethanol is not only greenhouse-friendly, it is a renewable (and cheap) fuel. The stuff is made out of crops such as corn, so we can use and re-grow and use and re-grow as much as we want. We don't really have to worry about our dependence on foreign corn or running out of corn with Ethanol. Brazil mostly runs on the stuff, so it can be a viable way to fuel this country, too.
Lastly we have the Hydrogen power. The Super Chief's V10 is supercharged, but the supercharger only runs on Hydrogen power, hence the huge increase in power. When the supercharger is engaged, the Super Chief's power jumps to 400 horses and 425 lb.-ft. of torque. It's range also increases to 13.6 miles per kg. The total range though, is just 150 miles. While the Super Chief can't go far on Hydrogen, its emissions are over 99 percent cleaner than when it is running on gas. Cool.
So it's as big as a freight train, more luxurious than the Maybach and is cleaner than a Prius. Who would have thought that such a truck could ever exist? It's unlikely that we'll ever see a Super Chief ever make it into production, as such a vehicle would be too damn expensive. That said, we anticipate seeing a Tri-Flex fuel engine becoming available within the next decade. We do hope, however, that Ford's next F-Series will look like the Super Chief - hopefully just without that damn badge on the front.
Be sure to check out our Media Gallery for more pictures of this eco-friendly and massive luxury pick-up! We've got detail shots, engine shots and more! So hurry and check it out!