OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS; Roush Performance's Stage 3 F-150 takes the edge off the wait for the next SVT Lightning.(Special Vehicles Team (ford))

Byline: MAC MORRISON

It's past midnight on a warm summer night and suburbia is fast asleep. Most of it, anyway. The mall rent-a-cop roves the parking lot in a light-bar-equipped Geo Tracker. First thought is: "No good,'' but just then he loops around and motors to a distant blacktop, likely for a nap. Perfect timing.

Five minutes later he hotfoots it across the lot, alerted to our presence by the distant thunder of tortured rubber and a cumulus of white smoke that envelopes a near light pole. But it's too late. We've spun donuts, recorded acceleration times, and we're out of his jurisdiction into the night before he can wag a finger.

Considering the tool for this immature tomfoolery, the seizure of such a brief opportunity is appropriate. With Ford's new SVT pickup launch more than a year out, the Roush Performance (www.roushperf.com) crew grabs its chance and delivers a hot rod F-150 to Fordistas who just can't wait for the Lightning storm.

Roush builds several F-150 packages, from a Tejon appearance upgrade to the company's most popular version, the Stage 1, which adds a Roush-designed suspension to the mix. Stage 2 gets a dual side-exit exhaust. All upgrades are available for 4x2 and 4x4 XLT, Lariat and FX4 models. This monster, a rwd XLT Stage 3, follows the building-block philosophy, as Roush rounds out its lineup by way of a Magnuson supercharger bolted to Ford's 5.4-liter Triton V8.

Roush cites improved performance as its main goal, but acknowledges that appearance runs a close second (if not an equal first) in the aftermarket game. Hence, the Stage 3 comes equipped with a nonfunctioning hood scoop, window banners and body kit.

F-150s arrive complete at Roush Performance's Livonia, Michigan, shop. Roush removes the factory seat covers and replaces them with custom, red and black-striped leather (other colors are available), but not before adding foam bolstering for support. Carbon fiber plates replace the stock, plastic dash and door armrest bits. The execution's tastefulness is surprising, though we would live without Jack Roush's signature embroidered into the front seatbacks.