Getting behind the wheel of the Roush Nitemare F-150
What happens when you take Ford's most lightweight F-150 and inject it with some supercharged performance? You get one seriously fast truck. The Nitemare is a limited edition F-150 from Roush that features a supercharged version of Ford's 5.4-liter V8 that produces 445 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. Since it is based on a 4x2 standard cab, the engine has a minimal amount of weight to haul around, providing a better power-to-weight ratio than any other production truck. This is without a doubt the fastest truck to ever be sold in a dealership. Roush recently allowed us to get behind the wheel of the Nitemare to see first hand how it performs.
A Menacing Appearance
Roush took a minimalist approach with the appearance of the Nitemare, only adding a front fascia, black billet aluminum grille, and 20-inch wheels and tires. The lack of extra body components keeps weight down and gives a more subtle look. "Nitemare" fender and tailgate badging, a hood scoop, as well as a ROUSH windshield banner let people know that there's more to this truck than meets the eye while still maintaining an understated look. The optional sport suspension system lowers the truck two inches in the front and three inches in the rear. All of this creates a sporty and aggressive look without having to use an over-the-top body kit, oversized wheels, or flashy colors.
Inside, the Nitemare has the same feel as the outside - the essentials with a few well placed upgrades. Black Nitemare gauges, embroidered floor mats, black dash trim, billet aluminum pedals, and black leather seating with "Nitemare" lettering in the headrests carry on the black theme from the outside of the truck.
Putting the Power to the Ground
To make sure the Nitemare is even faster than it looks, Roush has fitted their roots-style supercharger to the 5.4-liter V8 to produce 445 horsepower and 500 lb-ft torque. The supercharger kit includes a new intake manifold, intercooler, radiator, and air induction system. Put the pedal to the floor and this truck MOVES! The 3.73 limited slip rear axle allows the tires to grab as much traction as possible, providing brutal acceleration at just about any rpm at any speed. The exhaust note coming from the dual tailpipes is simply wonderful, providing a deep throaty tone that is worthy of the powerplant behind it. Best of all, all of these Roush components include a 3-year/36,000 mile warranty.
A Sporty Ride
The optional sport suspension on the Nitemare includes new rear leaf springs, upgraded shocks, and a beefier front sway bar. While the truck definitely had higher handling limits than a regular F-150, we were slightly disappointed at how the Nitemare handled uneven pavement. Even slight dips in the road on the highway caused the entire truck to become unsettled. Even so, the suspension did a great job the majority of the time.
One other concern was with the braking. The stock brakes were left on the truck to handle all of the extra power from the supercharger. With how quickly the Nitemare can build up speed, we would think that upgrade brakes would be mandatory. A quick look at Roush’s web site revealed that they don’t sell brake upgrades for the F-150, although we were told that they will be hopefully offering them soon.
Limited Production
If the Nitemare sounds like your kind of truck, then you better get down to your Roush authorized Ford dealer as quick as you can. Only 100 will be produced for 2007, and there is no word yet whether Roush will be offering them for 2008. For more information visit www.roushperf.com or call 800-59-ROUSH.
 |  |  The hood scoop with Rouscharged badging is optional |
 Nitemare badging on the rear fenders is subtle |  The dual exhaust has a deep, throaty toan |  Nitemare badging on the front fenders |
 Headrests are embroidered with the Nitemare logo |  |  |
