The horsepower wars in the truck sector have been raging off and on over the past few years. We have seen 2 generations of the Ford F-150 Lighting which put down a mere 380-hp thanks to a supercharger. There was the GM Syclone which was a small pick-up that had 280-hp of turbocharged fury. And what I thought would be the pinnacle of trucks; the Dodge Ram SRT-10 which had the drive train from the Viper including the huge V-10 engine that roasted tires with 500 all-motor horsepower. Well Toyota has one-upped Dodge with the release of the TRD Tundra.
So how do you get 504-hp and 550lb.-ft of torque? Slap a TRD Supercharger and Intercooler on an already 
potent 5.7 liter 381-hp engine and you get ridiculous results. A TRD Dual Exhaust system frees up those spent exhaust gasses. 22-inch TRD Wheels hide the 16-inch cross-drilled rotors with six piston calipers. Wow! The suspension pieces are also TRD and lower the new Tundra about 2 inches.
Do you need a 504-hp truck? Probably not; but at $40k that’s not too far out of range for real horsepower lovers. And it sprints to 60 MPH in 4.6 seconds with a ¼ mile time of 13.5 seconds. I’m definitely going for a test drive!
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Scion has hit a gold mine with the Release Series versions of their line-up. Well the Scion xD RS 2.0 has recently hit the markets with a buzz. The xD will only be offered in one exterior color: Electric Wasabi Green. And yes this color looks just like what you’d see in your local Sushi restaurant. The name tells the whole story; this car will definitely stand out! With only 1600 versions of this vehicle being offered, they will sell out fast. But what exactly do you get with a Limited Edition Release Series xD? 
First off is the sweet Pioneer Navigation Audio System. The 5.8” Nav features a touch screen, IPod connectivity, Bluetooth, HD Radio, and a Rear-View Camera.
The Interior receives a couple of upgrades and accessories. The xD will get black fabric seats with some cool silver highlights. This interior color scheme is very refined and appealing. There is an interior illumination feature that has 4 different lighting options that include green, blue, orange, and white. To go with this upgraded interior are illuminated door sills that glow with the interior color of your choice. Rounding out the interior is a unique numbered holographic badge to indicate this limited edition model car. 
Moving to the outside the custom xD gets 16” Release Series Wheel covers that are specifically branded for the Release Series. Finally top this off with a color matched rear spoiler wing and you have one custom limited edition Scion xD. This car is on sale right now as a 2009 model and the price checks in at $16,590. A manual or automatic transmission is available. And of course this automobile features power everything.
Source Scion Website See Other Cool Scions
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Ford’s Special Vehicles Team (SVT) which has produced some crazy cars like the Cobra and Lightning are going outside their comfort zone to create the greatest off-road truck ever offered by a car manufacturer. The F-150 Raptor is a high-performance off-road truck that Ford hopes will sell like umbrellas on a rainy day.
This beast is powered by a V-8 engine that spews out 400 horsepower and 400lb-ft of torque; which is necessary when climbing incredibly steep hills or blasting down a dirt road at impressive speeds. Fuel economy and emissions are actually a bit better in this 2010 F-150 than previous years due to Ford’s open valve technology.
As with all Baja trucks the proof is in the suspension. And the Raptor is no slouch. The running track has been widened 7-inches compared to a stock F-150 and chassis has been modified to allow for much more suspension travel in order to absorb jumps. The last piece of the puzzle is the hi-Tech Shock Absorbers from Fox Racing Shox. These little gems include an internal bypass feature which allows the Raptor to have a comfortable street ride, and an excellent stiff off-roading ride.
The electronics on the Raptor in clued things like hill-descent and an electronic locking differential which are necessary when navigating the desert. The Raptor will be available soon!
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GMC showcased one of their top two-mode hybrid concept cars at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, the Denali XT Hybrid concept truck. The Denali XT Hybrid is the latest feature of Professional Grade engineering and offers a 50% increase in fuel economy. It is combined with 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline capability and a more efficient 4.9L engine with 326horsepower. It also has Active Fuel Management powers and features fuel saving technology like direct injection. The engine matches the exclusive two mode propulsion hybrid system which includes an all electric drive at slow speeds. The multi-link face suspension exhibits forward mounted steering and dual lower links with ball joints. This feature in the XT provides sharper responses to the driver’s input.
The XT is rear wheel drive but is still categorized into the Sport 
Utility Truck [SUT] group. It overlaps the defining lines between the pickup and the SUV but is lighter in weight than the traditional conservative truck. To bring the Denali XT a confident road presence, this high-tech hybrid has nominal overhangs, outsized wheels, lustrous headlamps, and a low roof profile. The interior of the car is leather trimmed with metal backdrops, seats four, has large cargo bed space, and embodies the inside of an aircraft cockpit.
Sources:
http://www.gmc.com/denali-xt/index.jsp
http://www.motortrend.com/future/concept_cars/112_0802_2008_gmc_denali_xt_concept_first_look/index.html
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