Now here's just the thing to mix up with a heated-up Flattie, or better yet, a Rajo Model T powerplant, which would be perfectly authentic for the vintage. Oh sure, purists will argue that this artifact, which apparently started life as a Hariss Steam Car prototype carrying a Stanley Steamer power unit, should be returned to its original state. Good luck figuring out exactly what that was.

With a deft enough touch, you could pay homage to the 1930s craftsmanship in this vehicle without ruining it. Either way, if you're determined enough to buy this obviously Stout Scarab-inspired vehicle (it currently has one bid at $8,500) it will be yours to do whatever you choose, critics be damned. Going all Travels With Charley with this split-window behemoth, especially towing a homebuilt teardrop trailer, would be a fantastic summer diversion, and if you did go all external-combustion-engine on it, you'd always have a fire to sit around at night.



[Source: eBay Motors]

Here we have what may quite possibly be the World's Coolest Hybrid. It may not be particularly adept at saving fuel – owner Chris Lentz of Jackson, Michigan, says it burns one to five gallons of kerosene per minute (though presumably it could also run on biodiesel like Jay Leno's EcoJet) but we aren't aware of any other hybrid vehicles that can put out 2700 horsepower at 516 miles per hour.

While half of the 2005 Ford F-150 STX's drivetrain consists of the stock FoMoCo 4.6-liter V8 and four-speed automatic transmission, the truck's coup de grâce is certainly the 1950s-era Czechoslovakian Motorlet M-701 turbojet mounted discreetly in the bed. The 728-pound jet engine is reportedly capable of punching out 1,962 pounds of thrust at 15,500 RPM.

Coupled together, the two engines can push the truck down the quarter mile at 103 miles per hour and up to a measured top speed of 140 mph, though it could likely go faster with a slightly modified mounting arrangement. Speed, though, is only a small part of the story. Click past the break for a video of Lentz's truck in action.

[Source: Automobile]

Last year, we compared the dirtside manners of the Hummer H2 and Toyota Land Cruiser. Both trucks did everything we asked of them, but at the end of the excursion we were left with another question begging to be answered: could the Hummer H3T stand up to the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon? These cruiserweights live on a fatter part of the buying curve, and any time a Jeep is summoned to the ring, the other vehicle is inevitably the challenger. Even though the H3T is still relatively new to the world, it came time to find out if it was ready to stand up and fight for its place. Follow the jump to see how it held up.



Photos Copyright ©2009 Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc.

China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery, the company that recently surfaced as the top bidder for Hummer, is about to start talks with Chinese regulators to secure the deal. While General Motors has a tentative agreement with Tengzhong, the two companies have yet to receive the state's blessing, which is necessary for the sale to go through.

Tengzhong, GM and Hummer have been working on a proposal to present to the National Development and Reform Commission, despite speculation that the deal will be blocked by those Chinese officials. Tengzhong reportedly remains optimistic, saying they haven't heard anything from the authorities and don't expect to until their proposal is actually submitted.

Speculation that the deal was in jeopardy began when a China National Radio station reported that government regulators would block the deal based on environmental concerns about Hummer vehicles and the fact that Tengzhong doesn't have much experience as an automaker. Tengzhong is better known as a manufacturer of special-use vehicles, structural components for highways and bridges, construction machinery and energy equipment, so some have suggested this is little more than a publicity stunt for the company, but it certainly sounds like they are serious about the deal now.

[Sources: Reuters, Wall Street Journal]

Autoblog went to the premiere of Raptor - Born in Baja, and while the film is on the long side, it's an enjoyable flick. We wrote before that the truck "only" came in third (out of four total trucks in Class 8), but to finish the Baja 1000 at all is an achievement -- especially when the overall attrition rate is close to 50%. Throw in a truck that had been built in three months and hadn't been tested in any other race before and you've got a little adventure on your hands.

The movie provides plenty more. There's never a good time for things to break, but the Raptor R chose a couple of the most abysmal moments to get sick: it was compelling irony to watch the whole race team wearing "Built Ford Tough" t-shirts gathered around a truck that wouldn't start 90 minutes before the race began.

And if it wasn't the Raptor, it was other trucks in the road holding things up. Still, not only did they get it started, but the Raptor R got to the end with all of its panels and, as far as we could see, no dents -- and it came within minutes of taking second place.

But you'll have to watch the movie to truly glimpse the eye of the tiger... and the thrill of the fight. You can view it on Speed TV on Sunday, July 12 at 4 p.m. EST -- and when you do, look for Pickuptrucks.com's Mike Levine, Jalopnik's Ray Wert, and our own Drew Phillips who make cameos during the SEMA coverage. In the meantime, you can check out the trailer after the jump.

One week after Chrysler announced that it was re-opening seven of its plants, one truck plant is being put back on the shelf. Automotive News reports that the Fenton, MO Dodge Ram 1500 plant will close on July 10, yet the facility will still reopen on June 29.

After the July 10 re-shutdown, the plant will remain closed "contingent upon volumes." In other words, Chrysler already has 68,000 Rams sitting on dealer lots -- a 115 day supply. The Missouri plant is already scheduled for ultimate closure sometime in the third quarter, and since July 10 officially qualifies as being in the third quarter, we've got the feeling the Fenton plant isn't coming back. The 1,200 UAW workers in Fenton will receive buyout package offers and, in some cases, the opportunity to transfer to other plants.



[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Packing more badass than a gang of werewolf bikers on mescaline, the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor does not require you to be a truck guy to appreciate its purpose. The bold styling, mile-high suspension and big V8 engine under the hood ensure the Raptor stands apart from the rest of the pick-up crowd. But now our man Mike Levine over at PickupTrucks.com reports that Ford could be considering extending the Raptor's passenger compartment to give it a full four-door crew cab.

The news comes right from the mouth of F-150 marketing manager Mark Grueber, who revealed to Levine that FoMoCo has already received more than 1,000 orders for the new Raptor, but that they've come accompanied by requests from customers for a full crew-cab with four full-sized doors. The increased wheelbase would undoubtedly compromise the vehicle's off-road performance, but is Ford about to tell that to customers waiving fistfuls of cash? Guess we'll have to wait and find out.



[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Our friends at PickupTrucks.com are reporting that General Motors has filed documents in court in an attempt to get "New" Chrysler to honor its full pre-bankruptcy debt of $531,275 (of which Chrysler has so far only agreed to pay back about a third) for work on the sophisticated Two-Mode hybrid powertrain that was jointly developed by the two American automakers along with Daimler and BMW.

Chrysler and General Motors have both filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors, which allows the automakers to renegotiate – or in many cases completely cancel – past contracts that are no longer desirable. It seems that Chrysler's contract with The General, which is supplying the hybrid transmissions to Chrysler, has yet to be picked up by New Chrysler.

This case is a bit more intriguing than most – such as Chrysler's canceled contract with Cummins for light-duty diesel engines for the Ram pickup – as it pits General Motors across the courtroom and on the other side of bankruptcy negotiations. We suspect that New Chrysler may be keen to pick up its old tab since the automaker is still planning to use the Two-Mode Hybrid technology for future vehicles, starting with the 2010 Dodge Ram, though possibly with more favorable terms.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor has just finished its close-up, and pretty soon you'll be able to see it on both the big screen in "Raptor – Born in Baja". The Blue Oval took its factory-built off-road runner to the Baja 1000 last year and documented the entire build and the race. The documentary is like Truth in 24, but with trucks and lots of dirt, and the Raptor only finished third in its Class 8 division (full-sized 2-wheel-drive), but that's not bad for a team that had only three months to complete the build.

The movie will premiere in Hollywood on June 23 at the Egyptian Theater, and then air on Speed TV a few weeks later. For now, you can check out the trailer after the jump.



[Source: Ford]

According to court documents, Chrysler has put at least a temporary halt to the expected light-duty Cummins diesel engine for the Dodge Ram 1500. Mark Land, director of public relations at Cummins, tells our sleuthy friends at PickupTrucks.com:

This is not a surprise. We're OK with this. We've been trying to rework development of the [light-duty diesel] engine over the last several months, given the current economic climate.

It may not come as too much of a shock to anyone that's been paying attention, but it's unwelcome news nonetheless. Just like all other contracts that Chrysler had with its suppliers, the agreement between Dodge and Cummins to build the diesel powerplant was voided when the automaker filed for bankruptcy and the deal was not transferred to New Chrysler. Fortunately, there's still a ray of hope that the engine program will live on. Says Land:

Chrysler hasn't told us they don't want to [build the engine], it just won't happen under the terms of the original contract with the New Chrysler.

Even without Chrysler, Cummins plans to eventually put the light-duty diesel engine into production. There remains a possibility that another automaker (Nissan perhaps?) may pick up the powerplant for use in a consumer-grade vehicle.



[Source: PickupTrucks.com]