[DeTomaso] pictures

[Garth Rodericks]

<<< Isn't that what the Lightning trucks did?...or something like it. I know of several customs that did it at WOT. >>>

Yes. Here's an excerpt from a 2003 press release announcing the 2004 SVT F-150 Lightning:

Cool Technology Takes Power to New Levels

Under the hood   

Coletti’s team fit the SVT Lightning concept with an all-aluminum,
5.4-liter DOHC supercharged and intercooled V-8 engine conservatively
rated at 500 horsepower and 500 foot pounds of torque (SAE net). And
while they were at it, they invented and patented a speed secret for
those times when even that much power just isn’t enough. 



Ford’s patented SuperCooler technology cleverly provides a special
burst of power for the SVT Lightning concept. Traditional intercoolers
dissipate heat from the supercharged air by circulating coolant through
a front-mounted, air-cooled radiator. With the SuperCooler system, the
vehicle’s air conditioning system is used to chill a small storage tank
of coolant to about 30 degrees Fahrenheit. 



On demand, the SuperCooler system switches the intercooler flow from
its normal circulation and dumps the chilled coolant into the engine’s
intercooler. In turn, the intercooler dissipates up to 20 percent more
heat from the charge air – resulting in a denser air charge. 



A green light on the instrument panel indicates the system’s readiness.
SuperCooler is activated automatically when the driver depresses the
accelerator to a wide-open-throttle position. 



“This technology plays directly into the hands of the enthusiast,”
Coletti says. “The SuperCooler provides the edge for the driver, and it
is done simply by taking advantage of the hardware that already exists
in the vehicle.” 



As a result of this cool technology, the SVT Lighting concept can give
its driver as much as 50 transient horsepower for short bursts of 30-45
seconds and regenerate within 2 minutes under normal driving
conditions. While its effect is similar to that of an aftermarket
nitrous oxide system, the SuperCooler is completely self-contained,
environmentally friendly and regenerative. 



The SVT Lightning concept engine features a Lysholm, screw-type
supercharger, paired with both an intercooler and the new SuperCooler
system. The 32-valve, double-overhead-cam powerplant boasts Manley
connecting rods, two fuel injectors per cylinder and high-performance
heads similar to those on the limited-edition 2000 Ford SVT Mustang
Cobra R. 



Exhaust gases escape through free-flowing headers and dual side pipes,
producing a classic American V-8 rumble. Power is delivered to the rear
wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. The same Tremec T-56
transmission is used in the 2003 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra. In keeping
with the performance nature of the SVT Lightning, the short-throw,
console-mounted shifter is more like that of a sports car than a
traditional pickup’s long-shaft, floor mounted shift lever.