Imagine a classic Ford F-100 pickup, but instead of hauling hay, it’s built to fly across the desert at insane speeds. Introducing Vivian, a 1977 Prerunner built by Morgan Clarke Design (MCD1) for owner Eric Conner. Top Gear‘s Rob Dahm recently got a taste of this wild machine in Plaster City, California, ultimately calling it the “Lamborghini of off-roaders.”Morgan Clarke of MCD1 described Vivian as a “”utility luxury prerunner” — basically, a truck that can hammer through rough desert at speed but still has some nice touches.”

Owner Eric Conner chimed in, saying, “I wanted something that would, once I finished it, I wouldn’t just wanna sell it. I’d want to go out and have fun with it.” This F-100 actually started as Conner’s Tundra Prerunner before they decided to swap the classic Ford body onto the proven chassis.Powering Vivian is an 800-plus horsepower V8 built by Robert Moruzzi. Morgan Clarke explained it rides on a custom chassis with a trophy-truck-like 125-inch wheelbase and massive long-travel suspension. Rob Dahm got to ride along with Eric first and was immediately impressed. “Nothing… none of it will capture what you experience inside of there,” he stated. He later added, “From the outside it looks brutal, but inside it’s almost serene.”But desert thrashing has its risks. After a particularly hard hit, Eric Conner reported to Morgan over the radio, “Morgan? The fuel tank cracked. We hit something.” As Morgan Clarke dryly noted, “This is a good example of why you don’t use your race truck to pre-run.” Despite a quick field repair, the adventure continued.

When Dahm finally took the wheel himself, he was hooked. He eventually concluded, “Morgan built one hell of a car. Eric can wheel… is a madman behind the wheel.” His ultimate praise for Vivian was clear when Rob Dahm declared, “This is the crème de la crème. This is the Lamborghini… of off-road vehicles.”

Vivian, the F-100 is clearly a next-level off-road beast, transforming a classic pickup into something that eats off-road trails for breakfast. What do you think about MCD1’s take on this extreme prerunner?