In the 2000s, Ford sold a weird pickup truck slotting between the humble Ranger and the workhorse F-150. The Ford Explorer Sport Trac had Explorer SUV bones, plus a baby truck bed with a cool extender. Before the trucklet departed in 2010 after around a decade on the market, Ford produced a street version you’ve probably totally forgotten about. The Ford Explorer Sport Trac Adrenalin paired the truck’s optional V8 with all-wheel drive and a slick body kit. The truck was supposed to come with a supercharger, but Ford canned that idea. Tuners filled the gap, turning the Explorer Sport Track Adrenaline into super trucks making 500 HP.
A longtime fascination of American automakers is seeing what vehicles can be turned into trucks. The Frazer Vagabond/Kaiser Traveler was a sedan that turned into a truck in 1950. Just a decade later, you could buy a wagon with a sliding roof and a truck bed floor called the Studebaker Wagonaire. Both of these vehicles turned family haulers into work vehicles when necessary.
The modern era is chock-full of these types of vehicles. Some enthusiasts will readily point out car-based pickups like the Subaru Baja and newer crossover-based trucks like the Hyundai Santa Cruz. Don’t forget, that the popular Ford Maverick shares its Ford C2 platform with crossovers like the Escape and the Bronco Sport.
Another niche American automakers got into was turning SUVs into pickup trucks. The Chevrolet Avalanche and the Cadillac Escalade EXT are famous examples of this, while the Envoy XUV is more obscure. Even Honda got in on the trend when it cranked out the Pilot SUV-based Ridgeline pickup truck. I’m sure there are more examples of these types of vehicles out there, but I think you get my point.
Ford was actually first out of the gate in the 2000s with an SUV-based truck. The Explorer Sport Trac converted the Explorer into the crew cab mid-size pickup that Ford didn’t sell in the Ranger. Most Sport Tracs were cool by themselves, but there’s a version that stands above all.
Based On Ford’s Runaway Success
The Ford Explorer Sport Trac’s history takes us back to the 1990s. The original Ford Explorer of the early 1990s was a smashing success, selling over 300,000 units between 1990 and the end of 1993. It destroyed the Chevy Blazer, demolished the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the sales of every import SUV combined. By the middle of the decade, FoMoCo was ready to follow it up with an even better SUV.
For the second-generation of the Explorer, Ford stayed with the formula that worked so well with the first Explorer.
The Ford Explorer still shared its bones with the Ranger pickup, but Ford put in more work to differentiate the SUV. The 1995 Ford Explorer left the old Twin I-Beam in the past, replacing the front suspension bits with unequal-length control arms. Going with the fully independent Short-and-Long-Arm (SLA) suspension setup meant the Explorer had improved road handling and steering response. Ford’s engineers didn’t stop there, as the recirculating ball steering was replaced with a rack-and-pinion.
Under the softer, rounder body also sat new technology. The second-generation Ford Explorer came equipped with Control Trac four-wheel-drive. Developed with Borg-Warner, Control Trac offered up an automatic 4×4 system. When the driver of an Explorer set their SUV to Auto 4WD, the SUV would run in RWD until slippage was detected, then power would be sent to the front wheels through an electro-hydraulic clutch in the center differential to put you back on track. Control Trac constantly monitored conditions and its ability to distribute torque was wide enough that it could send 100 percent of available power to the front wheels. This system was combined with a 4WD Low mode and was designed to make the 4×4 experience seamless and painless. No need to learn when and how to engage 4×4 when the SUV could do it for you!
This nifty 4×4 system was paired with a new four-speed automatic transmission as well as an upgraded 4.0-liter V6. Later, a 4.9-liter V8 would fill the extra space left up front by the new suspension.
Despite those changes, the Ford Explorer’s reputation would be marred by the infamous Ford-Firestone tire tread separation scandal. So much went into this debacle and the resulting fallout that it is deserving of its own article, but I’ll try to keep it short here. Early-generation Ford Explorers were shod in Firestone all-terrain tires. When many of those SUVs drove at high speed, the Firestone tires experienced tread separation. Following these events, the driver of the Ford SUVs sometimes lost control, leading to catastrophic crashes. These crashes led to the deaths of well over 200 people and injured a few thousand more.
Ford and Firestone found themselves under scrutiny and both companies began pointing fingers at each other. Firestone was accused of cutting corners and manufacturing defective tires while Ford was accused of cutting corners and manufacturing trucks and SUVs that had weak roofs, low specified tire pressures, and were prone to rolling over. The scandal did not conclude without 14.4 million tires getting recalled and both Ford and Firestone getting battered and beaten by each other and everyone from attorneys to the NHTSA.
The scandal was such a big deal that Ford and Firestone severed a relationship going back nearly a century. Business and law students also learn about the feud today and what future businesspeople and attorneys could learn from the disaster today. Sadly, one of the vehicles impacted by the tire separation calamity was today’s subject, the Ford Explorer Sport Trac. Thankfully, those tires were recalled and any truck that somehow didn’t get new tires back then will almost certainly have new rubber by now.
The Explorer Gets A Bed
Towards the end of the second-generation Ford Explorer, the folks of Ford decided to do something a bit weird.
As the Washington Post wrote in 2000, the Ford Explorer name was now a decade-old, and buyer habits were showing signs of change. Young people in their 20s and 30s in 2000 were gravitating away from the old Ford Explorer and into hip off-roaders like the Nissan Xterra. Meanwhile, mid-size truck buyers began showing interest in four-door pickups, as evidenced by the early success of the Nissan Frontier crew cab. Ford also had a lot of interest from the 1996 Adrenalin truck concept it displayed at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Ford, wanting to get as many buyers into an Explorer as possible, decided to respond with its own hip and cool four-door truck. Now, you’d think Ford would have made a four-door Ranger, but the mid-size truck came from the Explorer nameplate. To make the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Ford started with the second-generation Explorer’s UN105 platform and extended the wheelbase from 111.6 inches to 125.9 inches. The guts underneath the Explorer Sport Trac were the same as the Explorer, meaning you got a 4.0-liter V6 as standard as well as RWD and a manual transmission. Four-wheel drive, Control Trac, and an automatic transmission were options.
Ford robbed its own parts bin to create a unique truck. A Ford Explorer Sport Trac featured the front end of an Explorer two-door, a modified four-door Explorer cab, the tailgate of a Ford F-150 SuperCrew, and a 4.17-foot composite bed. Along with that bed, the Explorer Sport Trac had a power rear window, fold-down rear seats, and rubber flooring. Of course, the Sport Trac is famous for its optional bed extender that uses the truck’s open tailgate to net you nearly two feet more bed length.
The Washington Post notes that along with those changes, the truck got thicker frame rails and a stiff cross-member, which resulted in a tighter, more confident ride than a standard Explorer. Unfortunately, while Ford eventually broke up with Firestone, rollover fears didn’t pass. In 2004, the Chicago Tribune reported that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tested 68 vehicles for rollover risk. The Ford Explorer Sport Trac came out the worst with a 35.8 percent chance of rollover in a crash, reportedly more than twice any car tested at the time.
By 2005, the regular Explorer gained AdvanceTrac RSC (Roll Stability Control), which used ABS, traction control, and yaw control to fight the chance of a rollover. The Sport Trac did not get this upgrade.
Ford never split Explorer Sport Trac sales up from the regular Explorer, but best estimates placed Sport Trac sales numbers at around 20 to 25 percent of all Explorer sales. For example, in 2005, Ford sold 239,788 Explorers. This would mean Ford sold roughly 48,000 to 60,000 Sport Tracs that year. Reportedly, Ford liked Sport Trac sales enough to consider doing a Sport Trac variant of the smaller Ford Escape, but those plans never became reality.
In 2005, Ford added the Adrenalin Edition to the Explorer Sport Trac line.
The Adrenalin was a limited model that featured body color cladding, sporty wheels, and a sport-inspired interior with leather and a Pioneer 500-watt 6-disc stereo plus subwoofer. The Adrenaline Edition also comes with some small details such as different instrument panel lighting and special floor mats.
Round Two
2005 also marked the year when Ford teased the second-generation Explorer Sport Trac, often just called “Sport Trac” in marketing materials. The 2005 Explorer Sport Trac concept hit the auto show circuit as a more road-friendly Sport Trac.
This new Sport Trac, which began sales in 2006 for the 2007 model year, was given a visual update that placed it more in-line with modern Ford design. It’s noted that the truck’s design matches the Explorer from the front bumper to the B-pillar. Then, the Sport Trac blazes its own trail with its rear cab and the bed. Once again, the composite bed makes a return and brings along integrated storage cases with it.
The new Sport Trac shared its Ford U251 platform and many of its parts with the 2006 Explorer but gained a 16.8-inch wheelbase stretch to 130.5 inches along the way. New with the 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac was the addition of an independent rear suspension and a 444 percent stiffer chassis than the previous generation. Ford advertised an internally heated windshield and two-tone leather as highlight features, but the truck also got a rubber floor back, too.
The big news with the new Sport Trac was the addition of an optional 4.6-liter Modular V8, good for 292 HP. The standard 4.0-liter V6 wasn’t bad either, and it churned out 210 ponies of its own. Ford also paid attention in class this time and made sure the Sport Trac fought the possibilities of rollovers.
Not only was the truck wider and lower, but AdvanceTrac RSC finally made its appearance as well. When equipped with that aforementioned V8, the Sport Trac was able to tow up to 6,800 pounds.
This truck was cool, but it’s not the grail of Sport Tracs.
The Grail
In 2005, Ford hit the auto show circuit with the Ford Sport Trac Adrenalin Concept.
Ford was proud to call this truck “the world’s first high-performance sport-utility truck (SUT)” and in theory, it hit all of the right notes. The Adrenalin pushed off any off-roading pretensions and fully embraced its role as a souped-up street truck. Ford’s Special Vehicle Team essentially made a Lightning version of the Sport Trac. The truck was given a low, sporty body kit, 21-inch wheels wrapped with wide tires, and a special 60/40-torque split AWD system with a rear bias. SVT also tightened up the suspension and upgraded the truck’s anti-roll bars.
Of course, I saved the best for last. SVT took the 4.6-liter V8 and crowned it with a roots-type supercharger and a water-to-air intercooler. This engine dashed past its original 292 HP power figure and came up to 390 HP and 390 lb-ft of torque. This was paired with a six-speed automatic and the truck even retained a 6,000-pound tow rating.
SVT said this truck was the culmination of everything SVT learned from building the Ford SVT F-150 Lightning and the Ford GT, but in a family-friendly sport truck package. Ford planned on selling this truck, too, then company brass canned it. In 2006, Ford launched “The Way Forward” restructuring plan. In short, Ford wanted to cut costs by making itself a leaner company and focusing on more successful vehicles. Along with cutting thousands of jobs, special projects like the Adrenalin were canceled.
Sadly, this meant when the second-generation Explorer Sport Trac did come out, Ford did go ahead and create an Adrenalin, but it wasn’t as juiced up as the concept truck. In 2008, the Explorer Sport Trac Adrenalin hit the road as a factory truck with what Ford called an “aftermarket look.” The production Adrenalin truck did look like the concept, but had slightly smaller 20-inch wheels and did without the stiffer super truck suspension.
In terms of hardware, the base engine of an Adrenalin was the Sport Trac’s 4.0-liter V6, which was good for 210 HP and 254 lb-ft of torque. The better engine was the 4.6-liter V8, which made 292 HP and 300 lb-ft of torque. This engine was optional for other trim levels of the Sport Trac, so it wasn’t a special feature in the Adrenalin. The Adrenalin’s options also weren’t far out. It had leather, power equipment, a CD/MP3 player, Ford Sync, dual-zone climate control, and an alarm system, but these were also options that you could get with other Sport Tracs. Still, the Ford at least tried to set the Adrenalin apart with Pirelli tires and the aforementioned special AWD system.
Once again, Ford never released production statistics for the Adrenalin trim, but it’s believed that around 6,000 examples were sold between 2008 and 2010. After production ended in 2010, the Sport Trac was discontinued and the Explorer moved to the unibody chassis it’s known for today.
I found two comprehensive reviews on the Sport Trac Adrenalin, and it seemed reviewers weren’t wowed. An Autos.ca review suggested performance wasn’t any different than the regular Sport Trac. Autos123 wasn’t impressed:
Lacking… adrenalin?
The Explorer Sport Trac is available with a choice of two engines: a 210-hp 4.0L V6 and a 292-hp 4.6L V8. The Adrenalin offers both with no changes whatsoever. Accelerations are not blistering but they’re fast enough in daily driving conditions.Engine operation is adequate, as are the automatic transmissions (5 gears with the V6, 6 with the V8). I cannot give you a fair report on fuel economy since a trailer was attached to my vehicle for the better part of my test week. When not towing a trailer, however, I did notice that handling and braking performance are not among the strengths of the Adrenalin.
Thankfully, that didn’t stick around forever. Tuners started tweaking the 4.6 V8 to make it closer to what Ford originally promised. Some people were fitting superchargers on their trucks just a couple of years after the Adrenalin came out, and those people claimed horsepower numbers similar to or better than the Adrenalin concept truck. The good news is that these mods are still available today for buyers of those late 2000s Explorers and Sport Tracs.
Indiana-based Brenspeed charges $8,837 for an Edelbrock TVS2300 Supercharger kit that bumps power to 475 HP. For $9,362 you can get the same supercharger and other go-fast parts, but have them tuned to 520 HP.
Despite what reviewers said, the people who own these trucks love them. While the Sport Trac itself has been described as a bargain, the owners of Sport Trac Adrenalins still want $20,000 or more for these trucks. For comparison, a base model 2007 Sport Trac was $24,940 ($38,000 today). The Adrenaline started at $30,495 ($44,557 today), which included a $720 destination charge.
In theory, this means for the price of about $30,000, you can buy a rare Sport Trac Adrenalin and it’ll punch out more power than even the concept truck did. Sadly, I have not seen any reviews of a modded Adrenalin truck, but I’m willing to bet that what’s more or less a 500 HP Ford Explorer would live up to its name.
Either way, the 2008 to 2010 Ford Sport Trac Adrenalin was a weird moment in Ford truck history. It was supposed to be a souped-up versatile pickup, then was watered down before release. Then, the aftermarket decided to do what Ford didn’t. In the end, there are probably 6,000 of these trucks that look just a bit different that you probably forgot about. I was debating with myself over calling this truck an Unholy Fail. Ford came so close to making the perfect truck. But, at the very least, you can finish what Ford did not.
I can also see why these trucks remain expensive. Think of the Sport Trac as the kind of truck for the person who would buy a crossover, but want the ability to haul dirty stuff in a bed and not in the cabin. The Sport Trac is for the kind of person who would buy a Hyundai Santa Cruz but wants to tow a camper every now and then. When viewed from that point, these trucks were far ahead of their time.
Do you know of or own a car, bus, motorcycle, or something else worthy of being called a ‘holy grail’? Send me an email at mercedes@theautopian.com or drop it down in the comments!
[Correction: An earlier version of this story called the Ford 4.9 V8 a Modular engine. That was incorrect, the Modular V8 that found its way into the Sport Trac was the 4.6. We regret the error.]
(Images: Ford)
I always associate the Sport Trac with an old neighbor who had one. Doors and fenders rusting away, he’d always wear a pair of sweatpants, a Champion shirt, and a Packers Starter jacket when it was cold. Light a Marlboro and hop into the truck before cranking for 6 seconds to get it running.
Every time I see one, I just imagine the owner is always one bad bill away from foreclosure and losing their job at a warehouse.
“a base model 2007 Sport Trac was $24,940″
wow. A new Maverick hybrid is about that price, in inflated dollars.. so it’s actually cheaper than the Sport Trac was.
I have a 2004 Sport Trac with the base engine 210hp and it’s plenty of power – hauls over the Colorado mountain passes at 70mph easily, keeps up with traffic anywhere.
The Adrenalin version does indeed command startling prices these days. Everyone who has a ST likes it, many of us love them 😉
About 19mpg average for me but I do drive like a little old man most of the time.
The body is in fair shape, the underbody is rusted to frightening levels. As far as I know it lived in Colorado most of its life, the rust is unexpected.
The bed extender is great for hauling stuff, took down an old cottonwood tree in the backyard and cut everything into 6-ft lengths to fit the truck..
The Explorers of this generation are called Exploders because of the fragile transmission. I once heard Judge Phil from Lemons say the following “It’s like the transmissions are made of glass, just more fragile.” My college roommates father had one and in three years he went through two transmissions. Could you imagine putting 80% more HP through that.
The incomplete Adrenalin goes in the same pile as the other hot-rodded Fords that never made it past the bean counters: the Bronco White Lightning, Ranger SVT V8, and some others I’ve forgotten.
This really makes me want Ford to revive the idea in a Maverick Adrenalin.
GIVE ME A MAVERICK ST.
GIVE ME A MAVERICK
STRS.My dad bought a new second gen (95?) Explorer, it was horrendous. It rusted so bad you needed to make sure you didn’t slice your calves getting in and out, the exhaust fell off constantly, the engine had to be bolted down yearly as it would shake itself loose, the door latches broke frequently, the suspension components wore out comically fast, but it could tow a lot with the 4.0 V6 and was the best value at the time. Fond childhood memories of that POS.
I have a 98 second gen as my daily driver. It was my grandads, and so far it hasn’t rusted out or had too many problems. the suspension components falling apart incredibly fast is a thing I’ve noticed, and the fragile 3-speed transmission has decided 1st gear isn’t part of the team. But, I still love it and I love the childhood memories in it. that’s honestly the reason I haven’t replaced it with something else for daily duty.
I remember thinking that the Sport Trac was just silly, then saw the bed-extender and that was a smart idea. A coworker had one some 15 years back and it served her well allowing her to cart things she wouldn’t have wanted in her previous Cherokee, so they did serve a purpose.
Didn’t recall the Adrenalin at all, but it’s a neat footnote to our truck history
Who could forget that icon of the fox body era, the legendary Ford Mustang GT 4.9!
Lol
Of course it’s well known that the Ford 302 is actually a 4.9, but I’ve just never seen it described that way.
Fun fact about those first V8 Explorers is that they had a V8 grill badge mimicking the one used on the Model A.
Sometimes I forget how bad that scandal was for Firestone. I remember the public perception was that the tires were just plain dangerous. This was evidenced by former factory workers who claimed that quality control was poor.
There were also many stories at the time about vehicles that were poorly maintained with near flat tires, and fatalities caused by people riding in the trunk, no seat belts, etc.
It is concerning to hear now that the Explorer was significantly more prone to rollover than it’s contemporaries.
I look forward to a deeper dive into what actually transpired.
Nevertheless, I must give kudos to Firestone for rebuilding their reputation through years of delivering great quality products, and actually restoring prestige to their name.
I have had nothing but good experiences with their products over the last few decades.
Probably to Fords everlasting chagrin Car and Driver insists on referring to it as a 4.9 liter.
Ah, I was reading Motor Trend through that era!
The Sport Trac is proof that Ford is stupid. They already had a Ranger crew cab, so they should’ve just sold us that instead of making another car.
The V8 can probably fit in a Ranger too 😉
http://topcarspecs.com/manufacturers/ford/ford-ranger/ford-ranger-crew-cab/ford-ranger-crew-cab-9.jpg
maybe this link will work better:
https://photos.carspecs.us/8373590d22a6833e589e9efd8ae17e0feeae96aa-2000.jpg
I “think” the reason the Ranger crew cab wasn’t sold here wasn’t purely a marketing play. There may have been some issues getting the crew cab to pass some federal safety regs. In any event, I see the Mexican Ranger crew cabs and get envious.
I don’t think the regs are the reason. It’s just a Ranger with an extra set of doors. All the other shit needed was already there or easy to put in. And even then, it’s easier to modify an existing vehicle than it is to make something entirely new.
GM, Nissan, and Toyota brought small crew cabs here around that time.
Margins were likely much higher on the Sport Trac than they would’ve been on a Ranger SuperCrew, another likely factor.
This is probably closer to the correct answer.
Also, they actually made an article about it on Jalopnik:
https://jalopnik.com/ford-robbed-us-of-the-old-four-door-ranger-because-it-w-1851051625
Someone commented that at least some of them were made in the US, and there were even Ranger crew cabs spotted in the parking lot (either pre-production or for export). Of course, there were also LATAM Rangers made down there.
I owned a red Adrenalin just like what’s pictured. 2008, 4.6L V8, sunroof, had everything except the navigation radio which wasn’t a big loss.
Had a painted to match Leer hard tonneau cover with little lift shocks on it.
Loved it, was truly a great size, looked great, was fun to drive as well. Only negative was the fairly crummy fuel mileage.
Red was great color and I will see a black one, silver and a sweet blue one from time to time on the roads.
As a multi-time Explorer owner, including two first-gen Sport Tracs, I have always wanted a second gen Adrenalin. I had a 2004 Adrenalin in red, and while it looked good, the second gen Adrenalin looked significantly better.
Unfortunately, the second gen Adrenalin has always commanded a large premium, especially the V8 versions. I always said “maybe one day”, but the prices these transact at means “probably never” is more accurate.
I had completely forgot that there even was a second gen Sport Trac, let alone a V8 sports option. It’s a pretty mean looking little truck. And rather cool that these had a composite bed, certainly would help them looking good in the rusty parts of the country.
I remember these things being laughed at like they were a Nissan Cross Cabriolet back then. But really they were ahead of their time. A small, quad cab, short bed pickup with a V8? Awesome. Prices on one in decent condition are bonkers.
Fun fact: Adrenalin (possibly with an “e”, I don’t remember) was the working name while the Sport Trac was in development. I had a hand in building a robotic laser cutting system that took an existing Explorer body side panel and chopping the back end for use on the first gen models. I was a rookie PLC programmer back then and learned a lot on that system. I’ll never forget it.
I’ll forgive auto manufacturers for a lot of cheesy model & trim names (e.g. add an “X” when you want to be cool!), but “Adrenalin” is driving me crazy. Was the field name character limited?
The Sport Trac (again, why not “Track”?!) was obviously ahead of its time. It looked pretty good and was nice inside.
Small nitpick- No such thing as a modular 4.9. The second gen is (I believe) the last ford to come with the old school 5.0, before being replaced with the 4.6 modular with the 3rd gen.
Yep, that was definitely my fault. Somehow I got my 4.9s and my 4.6s mixed up. Thank you for pointing it out! It has been corrected.
No problem! I’m a bit of a modular nerd so it caught my attention.
Me too! Have owned one (in a Mustang) for 20 some years now. A great, reliable engine that doesn’t get the full appreciation it should.
I only know this from looking at Aussie Falcons on Gumtree tonight, but the Falcon/Fairlane got the 5.0 for one year past when it was dropped from the Explorer (the last North American Ford to use it).
Didn’t even think of overseas stuff! I wonder if anywhere else used it past then? Although push rod v8s seem like a fairly american/aussie affair. Maybe South Africa?
Great deep dive as always. The thoroughness of the detail (including the interior pics, that are almost never the focus of the story but yet usually my favorite part) always teaches me something.
I didn’t even know this version of the Sport Trac existed. The whole saga reminds me of the concurrent Ford ZX2 S/R fiasco, where Ford decided to make a hot-ish coupe, but didn’t complete the follow-through.
But going to the pics, I’ve always had a thing for the first and second gen Explorer Sport.
Even back then they were rare – like now with the 4 door Wranglers that are everywhere – it took a special person or a lot of convincing to buy a 2 door medium-sized SUV.
In the car to truck category, I proffer the Cheverolet El Camino and the Ford Ranchero. I suppose you could throw in the GMC Caballero as well.
I always liked these but I recall the truck crowd dissing them as “not a real truck” similar to the treatment the Ridgeline is afforded.
They totally did. But today, they are seen as underappreciated in their time. Good luck finding a truck in that size with a V8 anymore.
I forgot about that weird time where food trucks and VW sedans essentially shared that front chrome grille style
I wanted one of these so bad when they came out, but was not at a point in my financial life I could afford it. Still think it’s a good looking truck.