Full-size truck specs are getting way out of hand. Seriously. As evidence, take the 2023 Ford Super Duty lineup, which is available with up to 1,200 lb-ft of torque from the PowerStroke diesel engine, and when the right option boxes are ticked, you’ll be able to tow 40,000 lbs with a fifth-wheel. That’s ridiculous, particularly considering that the Blue Oval will sell one of these things to any geek off the street with no special license or qualifications required.
Just how impressive is that 40,000 lb number? Well, the Ram 3500 HD can tow a maximum of 37,050 lbs and the best that the Silverado 3500 can offer is 36,000 lbs. Will 99 percent of the truck-buying public ever come close to towing that much on a public highway? I sure as hell hope not.
Of course, while the headline figures are impressive enough, there are also a bunch of other updates that should improve the quality of life of the maniacs who buy these things. For example, the new Super Duty will get over-the-air software updates and comes with built-in 5G wi-fi. The days of full-size trucks being powerful penalty boxes are long gone, and the 23 F-250, 350 and 450 are evidence of that.
Besides the flagship high-output 6.7-liter diesel, you have a few engine options starting with the base 6.8-liter gasoline-powered V8. That makes a very respectable 405 hp and 445 lb-ft. Move up to the 7.3-liter Godzilla V8, and those numbers go to 430 hp and 485 lb-ft, which are class-leading for now. Then there’s the base diesel engine with 475 hp and 1,050 lb-ft, followed by the HO diesel, which gives you 500 hp and that 1,200 lb-ft figure.
Ford is pretty proud of the 8,000 lb available maximum payload, too, and will even sell you a truck with a built-in bed scale so you can show off how many big dumb rocks you can haul to all your Ram and Chevy driving friends without driving to a highway weigh station. Ford’s also offering bedside and rear corner bumper steps to make it easier to get up into the bed, which is a good thing, especially if you get your Super Duty with the very capable but totally unnecessary Tremor off-road package.
Ford plans to start making customer deliveries of the 2023 Super Duty beginning early next year, with order books open as of publication. If you want one, be prepared to fork over at least $45,765 (including Ford’s whopping $1,795 destination charge) for the privilege and expect to pay a lot more with options.