SPY PICS: Ford Super Duty ute detonates!

A camouflaged prototype version of the 2016 Ford Super Duty ute, which is not imported by Ford Australia, has caught fire during hot weather testing near the Nevada border in California.

The results of the test speak for themselves: the new Ford may need improved cooling... Then again they don't call it Death Valley for nothing!

With temperatures of up to 57 degrees recorded in Death Valley, which lies 86 metres below sea level, the area is frequently used for hot weather testing but clearly something went wrong in Ford's latest test.

The Automedia spy photographers say the camouflaged Ford ute, which was towing a trailer, went from an operational vehicle to a pile of molten metal and carbon dust in just 21 minutes.

The early photos show flames licking the driver's side wheel well, and then spread to eventually engulf the entire vehicle.

What's fascinating is there's a significant explosion of some sort that appears to shower metallic sparks far and wide, adding to the drama of the situation.

Ford is looking into how the spectacular fire occurred, which was visible for miles around due to the thick black smoke trails rising into the sky. Both Ford engineers driving the vehicle fled and were not injured, but it's still not clear what actually started the fire.

It's the second high profile prototype car explosion in recent times; Honda's sleek new supercar, the NSX, was burned to cinders after it overheated on the Nurburgring road course in Germany.

See more fiery pics in the motoring.com.au time-line gallery