The year was 1993 when Ford->ke31 launched its first specialty pickup truck done up by the guys at its Special Vehicle Team, or SVT. Long before the SVT Raptor and its high-speed, off-road antics, there was the F-150 Lightening. The first-generation Lightning came on the F-150’s ninth generation, which spanned from 1992 till 1996. Though the Lighting would eventually get a second go-round between 1999 and 2004, it all started here.

We’re given this blast-from-the-past from MotorWeek and its host John Davis. The long-running automotive TV program shows just what the 1993 F-150 Lightning was like in its factory fresh condition. The truck came coated in a fiery red paint with teardrop-style alloy wheels. Only offered in the single cab, short bed form, the Lightning proved that trucks weren’t just for work.

Powering the truck was an up-tuned, 5.8-liter V-8 with 240 horsepower and 340 pound-feet of torque. That’s 40 more horses and pound-feet than stock. The iron-block mill came mated with a four-speed automatic transmission borrowed from the Super Duty and retuned for quicker shifting. Disc brakes up front with ABS and drum brakes out back pulled the Lightning to a stop, though MotorWeek complained about the lack of four-wheel discs with all-around ABS.

Though the V-8’s 240 horsepower is rather mild by today’s standards, the Lightning could hit 60 mph in 5.7 seconds – plenty quick for the mid-1990s. Not only did the truck get a power boost, its suspension was sport tuned. Unique springs, shocks, and thicker anti-roll bars helped it corner like a Mustang. What’s more, all the performance upgrades didn’t hamper the Lightning’s ability to work. Payload and towing numbers were nearly identical to a standard F-150.

Best of all, the F-150 Lightning’s 0-to-60 mph time was competitive with the then-current Mustang GT,->ke428 making Ford’s marketing claim of “It’s a Mustang GT with a cargo bed” something of a truth.

Now imagine what a modern-day F-150 Lightning would be like – a single cab, short bed truck with the high-output version of Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6. Sure, it might be the same engine that’s powering the 2017 F-150 SVT Raptor, but with less weight, gearing for the street, and a performance suspension system, it’d be the fastest thing in its segment, hands down.