AS SEEN IN OUR DIESEL WORLD MAY 2026 ISSUE – Buy Now!

The Mitchell Robinson Edition F-350

It’s always interesting to see what kind of custom vehicles celebrities choose to drive. You can usually tell right away which ones have solid taste and which ones have poor taste in car selection and customization style. When we laid our eyes on this truck and found out about its high-profile owner, we were stunned. Without dragging out the suspense any longer than we must, here’s the scoop—this 2021 Ford F-350 is owned by Mitchell Robinson, current starting center for the New York Knicks. While MR’s career stats in the NBA are downright impressive, we’d have to say that his exquisite selection of trucks and choice in automotive restyling are right on par with his prowess on the court.

As you can imagine, Mitchell is very busy with his travel schedule with the Knicks. Locating a capable shop was imperative to build up his F-350, and he ended up trusting Christopher Varner of Varnbilt Motorsports with the task. Chris’ previous work is well documented and is an easy sell to someone wanting nothing but the best for their ride. Mitchell was already knowledgeable of the results Varnbilt is capable of, so he handed Chris the keys to his Ford with the utmost confidence that he would deliver a top-tier custom truck in near record time.

Now, it’s safe to say that Chris has boiled his personal style of truck building down to a science. Aside from a few suggestions from Mitchell, Chris was given full creative control on the rest of the project. The one thing Mitchell did want included in the build was an Any Level lift setup due to the ability to change up the ride height on the fly up to 14 inches. This addition alone is one of the telltale signs that Mitchell has a distinguished taste in lifted rigs. The function of this hydraulic-assisted suspension is incredible, and to increase the value of its form, the entirety of the factory frame, along with the suspension components, was powder coated in a neck-snapping Prismatic Playboy Blue hue by Dayton Custom Coatings. Elevate MFG supplied custom frame plates with stainless overlays, but what truly makes the boldest statement is the set of 30×16 TIS Forged F60 wheels and 42-inch Fury Off-Road tires that complement the F-350’s newfound towering stance.

The factory 6.7L Power Stroke was fine enough to leave alone, but it was upgraded with an MBRP DPF-back exhaust system complete with a CMS exhaust tip. Given the growing heft of Mitchell’s F-350, SSBC 8-piston brake kits were affixed to all four corners. The exterior has been blessed with an Overkill Fab grille with a custom “MR” logo badge, color-matched headlights by NJ Retrofit Lighting, Fusion bumpers, BAMF LED rock lights, and a Varnbilt custom speaker rack in the bed that has been outfitted with Memphis Audio stereo components to provide thumping tunes for every occasion. Auto Image, in Brick, New Jersey, applied a 3M matte black digital camo wrap that gives the Ford an elevated utilitarian style that is well-suited for both business and pleasure scenarios.

Marshall’s Ford was coming along nicely, but he did put in a special request for a complete overhaul of the truck’s interior before considering the truck complete. Of course, Chris was happy to deliver on that request. Relicate Lamborghini leather in matching Playboy Blue was used all throughout the cab. Swift Stitch Upholstery in Tuckerton, New Jersey, handled the task of a full color change throughout the confines of the F-350, from the custom seats, door panels, dash, headliner, and every other interior surface imaginable. Of course, other one-off touches like the Rolls-Royce Starlight kit in the ceiling, the real forged carbon fiber pieces with glow-in-the-dark flakes, and the custom carpeting make for a lasting first impression.

Everyone has their personal sense of style, and this truck speaks not only to Mitchell Robinson and Chris Varner but also to most of us who love to see a unique, sophisticated monster of a diesel pickup truck. It’s so hard to select just one favorite facet of this gem, as it is jaw-dropping from every angle. Mitchell’s truck debuted at SEMA 2023, and when asked about the finished project, he said, “Do what makes you happy. That’s what really matters when building a vehicle that is heavily personalized.”