New Cars 2010/2011: Ford SVT Raptor

When the performance truck scene first hit hard in the early 1990s, there was only one contender: the Chevy 454SS. While it had its good numbers on the track, it was mostly distinguished by its different wheels and flamboyant "454SS" graphics. That truck's success spawned the Ford Lightning, and later the Dodge Ram VTS/SRT-10.
In 1992, Ford's SVT Lightning made its debut. Sporting a hotter version of the 5.8 (351), a mildly lowered suspension, and new wheels, the truck was little more than a sportier version of an F-150 regular cab. In 1999, when the Lightning was redesigned however, it came out full bore. Bodykit, sidepipes, beefy tires mated to a sextastic wheel design, and oh the engine noise that puppy made. 360 horses out of a 5.4L Triton will do that.
Contrary to the Lightning's emphasis on speed, the new truck is all about off-roading in the dunes. No. Wait. Making that flying over dunes. Equipped with either the 5.4 Triton or a behemoth 6.2, the Raptor features more suspension mods than anything. Fox Racing shocks (yes, that Fox Racing), set up for hardcore offroad use allow for more than a foot of travel be it front or rear. Let's see your 1992 model do that!
Outside, the new Raptor means business, and boy does it look the part. The wide, black textured grille, large Ford lettering all spell out "MOVE PLEASE!" What's more, the Raptor doesn't have any chrome, no tacky doodads (okay, maybe the optional graphics are pushing it), and not an ounce of luxury outside. Hell, the wheels on this beast are 17s rather than 20s or 22s found on Limited or Harley Davidson models.
To me, having a truck like this would be useless. Where could you use it in the city? Aside from romping over snowpiles in the winter and terrorizing your average Honda Civic driver, there isn't much use for it in an urban community. However, if you live in the desert... This is probably the most fun toy you can buy this side of a sandrail. What's not to love about tearing through sandy dunes at 100 MPH? Aside from the 10 MPG you'll get of course.