Something happened when Ford engineers let loose on an unfettered project. 1971 saw the introduction of the SuperVan, which fused a chassis and mid-mounted 400-horsepower V8 engine with the body of the first-generation Transit van, resulting in a car with a top speed of 150 mph.
It was followed by the 1984 SuperVan 2, which had a more custom fiberglass body based on the Mark 2 Transit facelift, which rested on a monocoque and a 582-horsepower V8 from a Cosworth C100 – it could reach 174 mph. Then came the 1994 SuperVan 3, which had the look of the second-generation Transit (called the Mark 3) and the 641-horsepower Cosworth V8 shared with Formula One.
All three SuperVans toured the UK and other countries as excellent promotional tools for the brand and its racing partners, but while two more generations of Transit vans have been introduced since then, there hasn’t been another SuperVan. at least not until now, as the brand unveiled the all-new Ford Pro at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this week Electric SuperVan – the craziest SuperVan Ford has launched to date.
The new SuperVan has a fully electric powertrain based on the recently announced E-Transit Custom, making it the first SuperVan to be based on a Ford minivan product. the SuperVan has a 50 kWh battery pack and four electric motors – giving it all-wheel drive and an output of 1,973 horsepower. That’s more than three times as much as the SuperVan 3 and nearly 400 hp more than the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport. Ford says the SuperVan can accelerate to 100 kilometers in two seconds, and the battery can be fully charged in 45 minutes.
The new SuperVan takes the floor design of the production E-Transit Custom and incorporates a custom steel space frame and composite body panels. It uses a double-wishbone suspension setup at all four corners and the SuperVan is equipped with a race-spec subframe and brakes. The car has five selectable drive modes – Drag, Drift, Rally, Road, and Track – plus regenerative brakes with three different adjustable settings. In addition, the SuperVan even has a “Tire Clean Mode,” which engages one axle’s brakes while turning the other to create a huge burn to help clean and warm up the tires.
But perhaps even crazier than the SuperVan’s performance is its appearance. Although it could be recognized as a van, the SuperVan has extra-wide fenders, huge air intakes, a strong rear spoiler and diffuser, new wheels with racing tires, and angular headlights connected by light bars. The most striking design element is its rear dorsal fin, which is formed by the original side window panels flowing inwards to form a V-shape where the body meets the rear wing. The rear-most pillars remain intact, however, giving the SuperVan a rather ridiculous wing effect that is, frankly, reminiscent of something found on the Ford GT supercar.
The interior is almost completely stripped down – anti-roll bars fill the entire cabin, FIA-spec bucket seats, a large e-brake handle for drifting, and a sophisticated steering wheel. In addition, the SuperVan has the same large vertical touchscreen as the Mustang Mach-E, which performs the usual infotainment functions in addition to its ability to control the SuperVan’s powertrain and other performance features. In addition, it can instantly send real-time telemetry data to team members in the pits, similar to the way fleet managers monitor production vehicles. Most importantly, the SuperVan still has cargo space behind the driver, which can be accessed through a side door with an electromagnetic release.
