Ford F-150 Lobo reportedly due out as street-oriented performance truck

High-performance pickups designed to hit the road rather than the trail have disappeared, but a new report suggests Ford will soon try to jump-start the segment. The company is allegedly working on a variant of the F-150 called Lobo that sounds like a hot rod with a cargo box.

We’ve been here before: Ford sold two generations of the F-150 Lightning from 1993 to 1995 and from 1999 to 2004 (pictured). Fast-forward to 2023 and the name denotes the electric variant of America’s best-selling vehicle, so the follow-up will reportedly get the Lobo nameplate. It’s a word that translates to “wolf” in Spanish, and it’s the name that has historically appeared on the F-150 sold on the Mexican market.

Citing anonymous inside sources, enthusiast website Ford Authority wrote that the Lobo will land as a standalone trim level, like the Raptor, instead of an appearance package. It will stand out from the other models in the lineup with a lowered suspension system and an exterior design described as “sinister and aggressive” by the publication’s sources. Details such as the available cab configurations aren’t available.

It’s too early to tell which engine will power the F-150 Lobo, but we’re guessing (and hoping!) the truck will pack a serious punch to back up its muscular look. Put another way, don’t expect to find the base F-150’s 3.3-liter, 290-horsepower V6 in the engine bay. One option is the 5.0-liter V8, which develops 400 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque in its standard configuration. Another possibility is the twin-turbocharged, 3.5-liter V6 that powers the entry-level F-150 Raptor. The engine is rated at 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque.

Assuming the Lobo sees the light that awaits at the end of the production line, it will be interesting to find out whether it’s rear- or all-wheel-drive. The first two generations of the F-150 Lightning were rear-wheel-drive, as were most of the hot-rodded pickups sold in the 1990s.

Ford confirmed it will unveil the updated 2024 F-150 at the 2023 Detroit Auto Show scheduled to open its doors on September 13, but it hasn’t commented about the report and it hasn’t publicly announced plans to expand the range with a Lobo model. If the rumor is accurate, we’ll learn more about the 2024 F-150 Lobo — and possibly see it in the metal — in the Motor City next month. Sales should start soon after.