2008 Roush Nitemare - Nitemare On Roush Street

Hot Hot Rod
In fact, driving the '08 Roush Nitemare can be a fast path to notoriety. With its standard 22-inch chrome wheels and new body-side graphics, you'll be hard-pressed to make a subtle entrance anywhere-from the local Home Depot to the Bellagio in Sin City. The Roush suspension modifications tighten up this hauler's ride, making it a competent city and highway handler without utterly trashing overall ride quality. Ford's fully boxed frame with hydroformed front rails is the strongest in its class and reduces shake and shudder on rough roads. After the new front coil springs, rear leaf springs, front sway bar, and specially valved shock absorbers are installed, the Nitemare sits 2 inches lower in the front and 3 inches lower at the rear. As a result, it's mean-lookin' and bad-hookin'.

There's no doubt that the increased output from the Three-Valve Triton V-8 engine motivates this truck in ways never before experienced. When you need to get it on, the vehicle's reprogrammed ECU is there to help, both with the Roushcharged output and the four-speed 4R75E automatic transmission. Crisper upshifts under power make sure that the engine stays in its powerband longer for optimal performance. This truck should be able to turn in mid-13-second runs all day long at the drag strip, if you're so inclined. The price you'll pay for this thrill ride, though, is having to fill the 26-gallon fuel tank with premium gas only.

At this point in time, the closest competitive model on the market is Ford's own '08 Harley-Davidson special-edition F-150, whose super-charged engine is also rated at 450 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque at the flywheel. However, since that truck is based on the Supercrew body, it's heavier by at least 400 pounds-even more if it's the AWD version. And at present, there's no fear from the competing camps at GM or Chrysler.

Roush-modified vehicles have long been known for their thorough approach in addressing all aspects of vehicle performance. This Nitemare truck is no different. In fact, the only available option is a Magellan GPS unit that sits in the middle of the dashboard.

When all is said and done, the only nightmares occuring belong to those who thought they had already put together a performance truck. It's time to pull up the covers!

Roush Performance products, including this Nitemare pickup, are available through an extensive network of authorized Ford dealers across the country. For additional information, call the company at (800) 59-ROUSH or visit its Web site at www.roushperformance.com.

The Details
'08 Roush Performance Nitemare Pickup

Engine

Ford Triton 5.4L V-8
Iron block
Aluminum heads
SOHC
Three valves per cylinder
Variable camshaft timing
Sequential multi-port electronic fuel injection
Roushcharger system, including supercharger, revised intake manifolds, intercooler and radiator
Roush air-induction system and recalibrated ECM
450 flywheel hp
500 lb-ft flywheel torque

Transmission

Ford 4R75E four-speed automatic Overdrive transmission
Gear ratios: 2.85, 1.55, 1.00, 0.70

Rearend

Ford 8.8-in

Exhaust

Roush Performance exhaust system
Dual rear-exit configuration

Suspension

Front: Coil-on-shock, long-spindle double wishbone independent, cast aluminum lower control arm with Roush Performance front coil springs, front sway bar and specially valved shock absorbers
Rear: Hotchkis-type non-independent live axle, with Roush Performance leaf springs and specially valved outboard shock absorbers

Brakes

Front: Ford 13.0-in vented disc, vacuum-assist with ABS
Rear: Ford 13.7-in vented disc, vacuum-assist with ABS

Wheels

Front: Roush Performance chrome-finished, 22-in
Rear: Roush Performance chrome-finished, 22-in

Tires

Front: Pirelli Scorpion Zero, P275/45R22
Rear: Pirelli Scorpion Zero, P275/45R22

Interior

Roush Black Nitemare leather seating with embroidered logo, Nitemare logo floor mats, billet aluminum pedals, Nitemare instrument cluster, optional Magellan GPS system

Exterior