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The base version of the 2007 Harley F-150 starts at $36,285 for a 4x2 driveline or $39,285 for all- wheel-drive. The supercharger adds another $6,500 to the price tag. Throw in the $925 destination charge and a few other goodies, and I estimate the 4x2 truck I drove cost around $45,000. That’s non-trivial money, but comparable in price to GMC’s similarly upscale Sierra Denali and its non-supercharged 403-hp / 417 lb-ft V8. Off-the-line performance and highway passing acceleration felt comparable to the Denali but we’ll save final judgment until we can put both trucks together head-to-head.

For the not so power-hungry Ford fans out there who still want a ride with lots of show but only standard levels of go, brand new for 2008 is the Lariat Limited edition F-150.

Only 5,000 Lariat Limiteds will be produced to celebrate the final model year of the current F-150, before it receives a significant revamp for 2009. I also drove this twin to the Harley F-150.

The exterior of the Lariat Limited and Harley pickups are virtually identical, except instead of ebony black or dark amethyst (purple) paint, you'll only be able to order the Limited with a “white sand metallic” finish. There’s also the same raised box-side lettering, but it spells out Limited instead of Harley-Davidson. The 22-inch wheels with Pirelli tires are the same on both trucks but the Lariat Limited’s rims have white painted highlights on the sides of the spokes. The Limited also comes with polished running boards.

The Limited’s interior is much brighter and upbeat than the Harley’s biker-tough insides. Its seats have suppler, perforated two-tone beige and gray leather that’s more-forgiving to the backside than the Harley’s thicker skinned seating surfaces.

The gray and beige hues also extend to the dashboard and center console. Faux wood surfacing around the HVAC and audio/navigation unit warms up the interior a bit more than Harley shield logos etched in black plastic. Each Limited comes with a numbered plaque to identify its numeric sequence in the special run.

The truck I drove also came with Ford’s slick new rear-camera backup assist system, which projects a rear-facing image onto the rearview mirror when you shift the truck into reverse. Nice, because you don’t need an optional navi-system installed to use the rear backup camera, even though this truck had that feature also.

Without a supercharger, the Lariat Limited is motivated by the F-150’s standard 300-hp / 365 lb-ft 5.4-liter V8. It drove almost identically to the 2007 Ford F-150 King Ranch pickup I had a few months back, but the 22-inch wheels give a ride that I think is better than the optional 20’s on the KR.

And speaking of the expensive King Ranch, Ford hasn't announced pricing for the Lariat Limited yet, but I'm estimating its base price will fall somewhere in the mid 30s. Call it a King Ranch for those with a McMansion budget.

Lariat Limited production starts in August.

As we neared Detroit, about 75-miles outside the city, our two-truck Harley-Davidson / Lariat Limited convoy was joined by some teenagers in a late-model customized F-150, with an aftermarket twin-nostril hood and polished dubs. Clearly they were some young truck aficionados. It’s hard to tell which rig they must have liked more, because they took turns following each vehicle closely to get a good look and stayed right next to us for the next 50-miles.

Whether it’s NASCAR, Harley-Davidson pickups, or limited edition haulers, Ford knows how to reach out and grab the attention of buyers of all ages at the race track and on the highway with trucks for just about any pickup enthusiast.