Ultimate Ford Transit Unveiled – But You Can’t Buy One!
OK, this is a bit of a cheat, as you are not going to be able to go out and buy one, but Ford has released more pictures of what must be “White Van Man’s” dream.
Everyone knows there isn’t anything like a Transit when it comes to moving stuff around quickly, and every delivery driver or ‘bank robber’ must hunger for an even faster version and that’s exactly what Ford have just built.
The Transit Super Sport Van or SSV is a “one off” built by Ford’s engineers but its based upon a regular Sport Van but is fitted with the 5 cylinder 3.2 litre 200ps Duratorq TDCi engine which Ford puts in the 4.25 tonne Transit Jumbo. Fitted to a much lighter SWB van, it produces 470 NM of torque so is a flying machine (although just how fast, hasn’t been disclosed).
Fitted with Le-Mans type stripes, Alloy Wheels, Very Low Profile Tyres, Twin Exhausts, Front & Rear Lower Spoilers, Side Skirts and Fat Wheel Arches as featured on the production Sport Van, the SSV is certainly a looker.
The SSV was shown at the 2011 commercial vehicle show and public reaction was huge and whilst there is no intention to build the van, you can’t imagine it would be that difficult to do, if enough people wanted one.
This isn’t the first fast Transit Ford have built as way back in 1971, the legendary Transit Supervan I made its debut at Brands Hatch and was based on a Ford GT40 sports racing car and was powered by a 5.0 litre V8 engine that saw the van run up to 150mph (and that was fast in 1971).
In 1984, Supervan II which was powered by a Cosworth DFY F1 engine was clocked at 178mph on the Silverstone circuit.
In 1995 Supervan III was produced using a 650bhp Cosworth HB Formula One engine.
OK, this new van isn’t as radical, but it’s a pretty nice thing and who knows, may prompt Ford into actually offering something like it to the public?
Keep an eye out for the SSV on shows and events as it’s bound to pop up all over the place.
