1,308bhp Monster Truck with Scooter Firing Air Canon to Star at Top Gear Live Event

One of the stars of this year's edition of the Top Gear Live show that takes place at the NEC Birmingham from November 11 to 13, and at the ExCel London from November 24 to 27, will be the Red Dragon monster truck.

Hand-built by former European Monster Truck Champion, Rob Williams, this beast made its stage debut at the Top Gear Live event in South Africa last year.

The Red Dragon is based on the Ford F-350 Super Duty but power come courtesy of a bespoke 9.5-liter supercharged V8 engine from Chevrolet that delivers 1,308bhp and 1,040 lb-ft while burning through a gallon of methanol fuel every 50-60 yards (!).

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Cadillac Escalade Remains the No1 Target for Car Thieves in the USA

For years, Caddy’s big SUV, the Escalade is the number one target of thieves in the States and this hasn't changed in the latest study from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).

According to the latest data for 2008-10 models from HLDI, the Escalade is more than six times as likely to be stolen by thieves compared to the average vehicle.

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2012 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 Comes Complete with Snakeskin Leather

Since teaming up in 1999, the brand alliance between Ford and Harley-Davidson has produced 10 F-150 models, six Super Duty F-250 and F-350 models, as well as the first Harley-Davidson F-450 edition truck in 2009, resulting in more than 70,000 sales.

The latest Ford model to wear the Harley Davidson badge is the 2012 F-150, which like its predecessors, gains distinctive design tweaks and added standard features.

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Pickup Trucks Inventories Rising, Manufacturers are Worried

It seems like US carmakers are beginning to worry about the rising inventory of their big pickup trucks. For example, General Motors has an inventory of 122 days (or 4 months) of its Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra according to a report from Reuters, or 50% higher than the typical industry inventory of 80 days.

But GM isn’t the only automaker in distress. Chrysler, Toyota and Ford also are behind their projected sales, with 93 days inventory for the first two makers and 79 days for the third respectively.

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Ford Says F-150 Orders with EcoBoost V6 on the Rise

With gas prices on the rise again, an increasing number of Ford F-150 buyers looking to save some (let’s not get carried away here…) cash at the pump without compromising on power are turning to the company’s new EcoBoost turbocharged V6 engine. According to Ford, demand for the EcoBoost engine in the F-150 has increased each month since production began in January. In March, one in every four (25%) models sold in the States was equipped with the force-fed V6, increasing to around 35 percent in April. Read more »

Steam Whistle Brewery’s “Retro Electro” Injects Some Green Cred into Some Detroit Old Iron

When I say, “Electric Pickup,” you no doubt think of either the Ssangyong Actyon Sports-derived Phoenix SUT or one of those toy-like, Chinese-built neighborhood electric vehicles. What you may not think of is a bright green 1958 Chevy Apache owed by Canada’s Steam Whistle Brewery and recharged via wind power.

No, this isn’t a late April Fool’s Day joke: this is serious. And being green is serious business for Steam Whistle, which – among other things – uses renewable energy, recycles damn-near everything and supports various environmental causes as a sideline to its beer brewing enterprise.

Brewery manager Mike Kiraly came up with the idea of electrifying the ol’ girl and even uses it as his daily driver. He explains his brainwave: “What if we could take a sexy vintage ride, save it from the metal scrap heap and outfit it with a zero-tailpipe-emissions engine. Old-school style combined with a modern conscience.”

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Ford Expands Airbag-Related F-150 Recall to another 1.2 Million Units

Ford has issued a massive recall action for its top-selling U.S. model, the F-150 pickup truck, of which around 1.2 million units are involved. The move comes after Ford agreed in February to recall more than 150,000 F-150 vehicles built between 2004 and 2006 for possible airbag faults. Read more »

Oops Video: Brand New 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 Limited Edition Rear-Ended by Ford F-150

If we didn’t know better, we’d say that Ford is trying to wipe out the competition with its F-150 pickup truck, or as some may know it, the Ferd F-Teehthousand. The latest victim of the F-150 after the memorable stomping of a Ferrari F-150 is a brand new 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8, which judging by the bodykit, stripes, alloy wheels and badges, is the 392 limited edition with the 470-horsepower V8 Hemi.

The driver of the Dodge’s muscle car was waiting for the light when a Ford F-150 decided to give the Challenger an unnecessary -and quite painful- rear-end makeover. Follow the break to watch the clip.

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Ford F-150 Video Parody: Presenting the Ballsy Ferd F-Teenthousand

Need a ride to make you feel four times the man you are? Look no further. The Ferd F-Teenthousand is here and it's the biggest and most awesomest pickup truck ever to walk the face of the earth. Ford people and F-150 owners that despise stereotypes and lack a whimsical sense of humor may want to skip this one. The rest can watch the video right after the jump along with a couple of original Ford F-150 ads that inspired the creation of this parody. [NSFW]. Read more »

Ford F-150 Video Parody: Presenting the Ballsy Ferd F-Teenthousand

Need a ride to make you feel four times the man you are? Look no further. The Ferd F-Teenthousand is here and it's the biggest and most awesomest pickup truck ever to walk the face of the earth. Ford people and F-150 owners that despise stereotypes and lack a whimsical sense of humor may want to skip this one. The rest can watch the video right after the jump along with a couple of original Ford F-150 ads that inspired the creation of this parody. [NSFW]. Read more »

Door Handle Issue Prompts Recall of 281,000 Ford F-150s

A recall has been put out for certain 2009-2010 model year Ford F-150s built from January 18, 2008, through November 30, 2009, because of a potential problem with the interior door handles. More specifically, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] said that the interior door handle spring may fracture during normal usage resulting in insufficient spring force to return the handle to the fully stowed position.

"In the event of a side impact crash, the door handle spring can fail causing the door latch to open," the government safety agency said in a filling. Ford said that as of January 21, 2011, there are no reports of accidents or injuries related to this condition.

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Door Handle Issue Prompts Recall of 281,000 Ford F-150s

A recall has been put out for certain 2009-2010 model year Ford F-150s built from January 18, 2008, through November 30, 2009, because of a potential problem with the interior door handles. More specifically, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] said that the interior door handle spring may fracture during normal usage resulting in insufficient spring force to return the handle to the fully stowed position.

"In the event of a side impact crash, the door handle spring can fail causing the door latch to open," the government safety agency said in a filling. Ford said that as of January 21, 2011, there are no reports of accidents or injuries related to this condition.

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VIDEO: Oops...Ford F-150 Steps Over Ferrari 458 Italia

The owner of a brand new Ferrari 458 Italia with some 500 miles on the odometer in Brandon Florida received a quick lesson on the disadvantages of a low slung sports car in the land of pickup trucks and SUVs when a Ford F-150 ran over its hood. We don't know if the F-150 driver mistook Maranello's creation for a red speed bump or if the Ferrari owner questioned Ford's 'Built Tough' slogan, but something tells us this video is going to become a hit. You can watch the clip after the break.

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VIDEO: Oops...Ford F-150 Steps Over Ferrari 458 Italia

The owner of a brand new Ferrari 458 Italia with some 500 miles on the odometer in Brandon Florida received a quick lesson on the disadvantages of a low slung sports car in the land of pickup trucks and SUVs when a Ford F-150 ran over its hood. We don't know if the F-150 driver mistook Maranello's creation for a red speed bump or if the Ferrari owner questioned Ford's 'Built Tough' slogan, but something tells us this video is going to become a hit. You can watch the clip after the break.

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Ford Recalling F-Series Trucks, Edge and Lincoln MKX Over Fire Hazard

Nearly 15,000 Ford trucks and crossovers are being recalled in the States because of problems with electrical systems that can short and create a fire. The recall concerns certain 2011MY Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550 and Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles.

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Ford Recalling F-Series Trucks, Edge and Lincoln MKX Over Fire Hazard

Nearly 15,000 Ford trucks and crossovers are being recalled in the States because of problems with electrical systems that can short and create a fire. The recall concerns certain 2011MY Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550 and Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles.

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Automakers Developing Significantly Lighter Trucks to Meet New Fuel Economy Standards

Reuters is reporting that major automakers are tirelessly working on reducing the weight of future generation pickup trucks, in order to meet stricter fuel economy standards without sacrificing key abilities, such as power, payload capacity or towing capability.

Until 2016, when the new mandates take effect, manufacturers must reach an average fleet economy of 35.5 mpg (6.63 lt/100 km), while light trucks will have to return around 30 mpg or 7.84 lt/100 km. Given that around 50 per cent of vehicles sold in the U.S. in the first 11 months of the year were light trucks, it’s clear that the likes of Ford and GM have to act fast.

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Automakers Developing Significantly Lighter Trucks to Meet New Fuel Economy Standards

Reuters is reporting that major automakers are tirelessly working on reducing the weight of future generation pickup trucks, in order to meet stricter fuel economy standards without sacrificing key abilities, such as power, payload capacity or towing capability.

Until 2016, when the new mandates take effect, manufacturers must reach an average fleet economy of 35.5 mpg (6.63 lt/100 km), while light trucks will have to return around 30 mpg or 7.84 lt/100 km. Given that around 50 per cent of vehicles sold in the U.S. in the first 11 months of the year were light trucks, it’s clear that the likes of Ford and GM have to act fast.

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