The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, as the old saying goes.

So when the worst laid plans of Audi imploded with two botched test drives in a row, it was time to call in the cavalry at nearby Ford for something, anything that I could test that week.

“All I’ve got is an F-250,” said Debbie, Ford’s vehicle-slinger extraordinaire, once she had consulted her last-minute list.

“Ulp,” I replied.

I blinked, the universe shifted slightly and somewhere, a few kilometers away, there was probably a quiet thump as my bank manager turned white and slid under his desk.

Okay, I’m exaggerating, but a Super Duty? The biggest pickup in Ford’s lineup? Maybe Petro-Canada wouldn’t exactly have to sink a new oil well just for me but, with three tons of fun on the curb weight scale, a 10,000-plus pounds tow rating, with either a V8 or V10 powerplant and a potential $200 fillup, yikes, I swear I could feel my gas card quivering in my wallet.

But, alas, beggars can’t be choosers.

“Uhhh, th-that’s great,” I stammered. “I’ll take it.”

Now, some of you may be wondering, “What’s the point?”

Why bother reviewing something with the image of an automotive dinosaur when everyone’s shunning SUVs and turning in their trucks to flock to fuel efficient alternatives?

Well, the fact is, these trucks are more about necessity than desire. Or as Ford reps have often put it, “our Super Duty customers don’t just want a truck, they NEED a truck.”

These purpose-built workhorses are not toy trucks. They are designed for heavy-duty farm and construction work, serious payloads and maximum towing demands.

And, redesigned for the 2008 model year, the new Super Duty lineup offers even more ability, power and performance for the serious truck owner.

Super Duty pickups come in three cab styles—Regular Cab, SuperCab and Crew Cab—and with two bed lengths. There’s also a choice of 4X2 and 4X4 offerings in a variety of F-250, F-350 and now even F-450 models, depending on the customer’s work and towing demands.

I was testing a F-250 Crew Cab 4X4 model that stood head and shoulders above the crowd in brilliant clearcoat red. You can’t be timid in a truck like this. Because not only are you going against the flow of currently-correct tiny econoboxes, you are dwarfing them. I got more than a few exasperated head shakes and occasional eco-glares cast upwards towards the solo rider in the roaring behemoth.

And why? I mean, it’s not like I was driving around with a “Nuke the Whales” bumper sticker and punting Priuses off the road. But maybe I’m wrong and those were just admiring glances as they took in the bold, more muscular shape of the new Super Duty, the bigger grille, the distinctive dropped beltline and the fender vents—red for diesel, black for gasoline.

When you climb up and into the Super Duty, the model renewal carries over with what Ford refers to as “tough luxury design”, a big-truck evolution of the award-winning F-Series interior with a mix of mucho macho attitude and luxury sedan refinement. And, remembering its workhorse origins, there’s plenty of useable storage—a big glovebox, deep door slots and a huge lap-top swallowing console. This is the front office section of the working truck.

Under the hood, Ford offers a choice of three engines.

The 5.4-litre Triton V8 makes 300 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque.

The 6.8-litre Triton V10 bumps the power to 362 hp and 457 lb-ft. And, as tested here, a new for 2008 6.4-litre Power Stroke V8 Turbo Diesel engine boasting 350 hp and an impressive 650 lb-ft of torque.

When Ford first launched the 2008 Super Duty, I took a comparison run in an ë07 model and the new 6.4-litre diesel is not only more powerful, it is also much quieter than the older 6.0-litre version, with significantly less of that traditional pots-and-pans diesel acceleration clatter.

The 6.4-liter Power Stroke Diesel combines a high-pressure, common rail fuel system with Piezo-electric fuel injectors and an advanced diesel particulate filter system to deliver power while reducing particulate output by more than 90 per cent and posting emissions numbers on par with gasoline engines.

As for mileage, well even the diesel tends to be thirsty and I averaged about 24.5L/100km, although I could squeak by at around 13L/100km at modest highway speeds, remembering that the only thing I was hauling was me. I had a lot of trucker-wanna-be fun with the six-speed manual but the bulk of sales will probably prefer the TorqShift five-speed automatic.

And notable new features include:

•A stowable bed extender that folds flat against the cargo box sides when not in use boosts cargo-hauling versatility.

•An industry-first, integrated Tailgate Step with grab assist, both folding out of the tailgate for easier access to the cargo box.

•Industry-exclusive PowerScope power-fold, power-telescoping trailer-tow side mirrors for wide load convenience.

•Rear View Video Camera Backup System to help drivers maneuver in tight spaces or line up the truck’s hitch with trailers

I haven’t even begun to list the four trim levels, the wealth of standard equipment, the extra options, stand-alone performance packages and new special edition models that, for 2009, will include a Cabela’s FX4 for the outdoor enthusiast and for the first time, a Harley-Davidson F-450 pickup.

So, forgetting what I said about “a truck you need”, once you start picking and choosing from the “truck you desire” column, it’s easy to bump up the price with an almost limitless list of extra performance equipment and option choices. As tested, this heavily-loaded FX4 added almost $22K to the $43,699 base price, for a total of $65,184. Definitely the boss’s truck.

Of course, whatever’s added to the base vehicle is up to the customer, but considering the foundational improvements to chassis, powertrain and performance, this newest version of Super Duty successfully complements an F-Series lineup that has been Canada’s best-selling pickup truck for 41 years.

So whether you’re towing a backhoe for work or a big boat, a very big boat for play, the Super Duty lineup has a model capable of serious trucking and hauling.

But, as for me, as much fun as it was playing the trucker . . .

“Umm, Debbie, have you got a Focus? Or something a little smaller?”

2008 Ford F-250 Super Duty At A Glance

BODY STYLE: Heavy-duty pickup truck.

DRIVE METHOD: front-engine 4X4, six-speed manual

ENGINE: (as tested) 6.4-litre Power Stroke V8 Turbo Diesel (350 hp / 650 lb-ft)

FUEL ECONOMY: (as tested) 24.6L/100km avg.

PRICE: Base (Regular Cab) - $28,999, FX4 4X4 Crew Cab - $43,699 starting price as tested plus options - $66,484 (including $1,300 destination fee).

WEBSITE: ford.ca