Simple as it may be, John’s Ford F-150 has seen adventures of every kind and of course, he’s planning to add more bits and bobs to it to make it a more dedicated 4×4. He’s also planning an upgrade real soon. So while he’s not with the new ride yet (another epic off-roader), we catch him with his F-150.

Tell us a little background story about the car…

I must say that I love trucks. I love that they have a big bed and are the ideal vehicles if you enjoy an outdoor lifestyle, which I certainly do. I took this for a test drive and fell in love with it even more, and couldn’t resist.

After I sold my previous Cadillac CTS which was my work car, I started to look for a truck. As much as I would have loved to drive some of the cars which I previously owned such as Jeep Wrangler 95 YJ inline 6 and Ford Mustang GT, I couldn’t find any good one in the market. After a few months of looking around, I found this F150 for sale. Low mileage, no modifications, spotless and never been off-road – exactly what I was looking for. It has never let me down since then.

Do you have something that you would consider to be a “special feature” of your car?

Absolutely, it is unstoppable. I take it off-road all the time and it never puts a foot wrong. It has a 5.0-litre engine mated to an automatic transmission and it has plenty of power.

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I have driven it in the dunes and on rocky trails, and it tackles any terrain with ease. It helps give me an awesome sense of adventure and then when I get on the highway it drives as smooth as silk. Wadi and mountain trails gives me more fun than desert drives

What were your other options before you bought this car?

The Dodge RAM was a closer option and almost finalised on one. But then this came my way and I couldn’t resist buying it. The FX4 trims -interior trims (suede with red pipe trims) and Exterior black stripes bowled me over.

How do you spend time with the car?

I take her out to explore places in every chance that I get. I have been to places where only competent 4* 4’s can only go. Needless to say the truck has seen places, many places. Other than that, I have also pulled out a few cars out of some bad pickles. Those vehicles are competent dune bashers but the drivers probably had a bit of bad luck.

But the best rescue was during last March’s rain. I helped get seven kids home after they got stuck inschool. School buses couldn’t get to the school because of the floods and parents asked for help. I picked them up from Jebel Ali school and dropped them back home through roads which only my truck could manage. Should’ve seen the smile on their parents faces.

I have always believed that the car you drive reflects your personality — and I would say my truck speaks volumes about mine.

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Any future modifications that you are planning?

I have never seen the need to add performance modifications to a car – a good driver will take a standard car much further than a bad one will take one with extra horsepower or a larger engine transplant.

It is super-smooth and hassle free, but of course some driving skills are required. It’s a powerful truck and its suspension allows it to tackle large bumps very smoothly, even at high speeds. Basically, the F150 makes you feel in control and powerful, and this FX4 package is way more capable and formidable than before. White and black indeed looks good, but I also quite like these in red. I have plans to modify it a little with a Roush performance exhaust system as well as off-road bumpers.

For the exterior, I’d like side steps and bash plates. I have foiled the bed door matte black recently to get that mean dirty look

What 4×4 do you dream of owning?

Roush Raptor is still in my bucket list for 2017. Maybe you’ll see me driving one?


Name: John Joseph

Nationality: Indian

Occupation: Group Projects and Facilities Manager at Binhendi Enterprises

Ride: Ford F-150, FX4