Ford to Sell Limited-Edition F-150 Lightning Pickup in 'Sinister' Black Matte

24.08.2023 - 13:07 / pcmag.com

BROOKLYN, NY—Ford took the wraps off its first limited-edition F-150 Lightning this week, but act quickly if you want one. Only 2,000 people will score this Platinum Black Edition when orders open in early 2024.

The exterior features a black matte paint job, or "wrap," resulting in its playfully "sinister" styling, as the Ford design team describes it. The Ford logos on the front and rear feature a unique black background, as opposed to the traditional blue. Inside is another first for the F-150 Lightning: Black leather seats, as opposed to the typical space gray. A smoky gray coating on the headlights ensures the vehicle stays appropriately furtive in the dark.

"My favorite feature has gotta be the smoked light bar," a Ford marketing manager said at the New York launch event. "It's beautiful yet scary." The word "Batmobile" certainly comes to mind.

"We made this vehicle because our customer surveys show that people feel overwhelmed by all the changes in the world around them, and there's a carpe diem attitude of wanting to find joy," says Jen Brace, chief futurist at Ford.

That survey revealed 86% of respondents find joy in their car, especially from personalization, which Ford baked into every corner of the Platinum Black.

In select locations, such as the door handles and rearview mirrors, the Platinum Black foregoes its characteristic matte finish for a glossy, Agate Black coating. These are high-touch areas where the black matte coating would visibly absorb oils, Megan Gegesky, Program Engineer for the F-150 Lightning, tells PCMag. The custom-made wheels also feature glossy black rims, complete with unique black lug nuts.

Each F-150 Lightning Platinum Black will sport a specialty badging to mark which of the 2,000 units they own. The badge on the pre-production vehicle at the event read 0000/2000; the first Platinum Black owner will have 1/2000, and so on. The "exclusive VIN stamp," as Gegesky calls it, flashes in silver when the driver opens the door and when opening the massive frunk.

That may be worth the $97,995 price tag for the right person, which is $6,000 more than a 2023 Lightning in the same top-of-the-line Platinum trim. (The base model 2023 Lightning Pro starts at $49,995. Ford hasn't released any 2024 prices.)

The existence of a limited—or "buzz"—edition F-150 Lightning unlocks a new level of legitimacy for Ford's EV lineup. Over the company's overwhelmingly gas-powered 120-year history, it has delivered a number of exclusive production runs. But this is the first for a Ford EV.

Still, the Ford F-150 Lightning has been a collectible since its spring 2022 debut. "People frame the wall stickers from the dealer when they take it off the lot," a Ford spokesperson said at the event.