We’ve already praised the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor pickup truck quite a few times, but Hennessey newest version of the off-road ready monster is definitely worth a special look.

After releasing the upgraded VelociRaptor edition, the US tuner has revealed a new modification, the Hennessey VelociRaptor APV SUV.

The company decided to turn the pickup into a full pledged SUV and, just for the kicks, added special armor plating, in case people try to shoot you while you’re blazing through desert dunes and over huge rocks. A special non-armored version will appear in the future, but for an upcoming apocalypse, we prefer the one with armor plating.

At the heart of this new VelociRaptor is a 6.2-liter V8, tuned to develop 575 HP, and, as we’ve seen on the regular VelociRaptor, capable of impressive performance.

Pricing has yet to be revealed, but you can be sure that it’s going to require a bit of a financial effort.

Source: Hennessey

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Armored Hennessey VelociRaptor SUV is perfect for the apocalypse

A few months ago, the Mini Countryman crossover was officially confirmed by the both the British car brand and by British rally team Prodrive that it will be entering the 2011 World Rally Championship.

Now, the two companies decided to showcase the first few pics of a camouflaged Mini Countryman WRC tearing it up on the private Prodrive test track.

According to Mini, the Countryman is still in the primary stages of testing, and the body kit that you can figure out behind the funky camouflage is just a mock-up, until Prodrive tweaks everything. Also, the Countryman WRC is preparing for a trip to Portugal, where it will experience the tough gravel courses the country has to offer.

While the Countryman is still being tested, it is rumored that for the 2011 WRC season, British driver Kris Meeke will be at the helm of the Countryman WRC. He is currently the reigning champ in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, running a Peugeot 207.

Source: Mini

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Mini Countryman WRC rally prototype showcased

Monster trucks are born from competition, and when Joey Sylvester, driver of the Bad Habit truck saw that Big Foot set a new world record for the longest jump, with 202 feet traveled in the air, he set forth to break that achievement.

Sadly, things didn’t go so well in the first test run, with Sylverster crashing the truck into the dirt landing ramp. With a lot of work and dedication, the Bad Habit monster was back on its huge wheels and, on September 5, tried to officially beat Big Foot.

The first run was short, as the truck did 75 mph and jumped ‘only’ 198 feet, but on the second run, Sylvester pushed it to 79 mph, and achieved a 208 foot jump.

Hit the jump to see video with the first crash, and a teaser of the record breaking jump. Sadly, the rest of the footage is only available as a DVD.

Source: Bad Habit

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Video: Bad Habit monster truck sets new world record with 208 ft. jump

A few months still keep us from enjoying big racing video games like Gran Turismo 5 or Need For Speed Hot Pursuit.

Luckily, EA has decided that since over 1 million players have registered for the Need For Speed World online video game, it will make the game completely free to play, without any restrictions.

Up until now, gamers could play NFS World for free until they reached level 10. Afterwards, it they wanted to keep on progressing until the level 50 cap, they had to buy a special Starter Pack.

Now though, all restrictions have been raised, and all players can access new areas, new cars and a special co-op pursuit mode, without any purchases necessary. Those who already bought the Starter Pack will be rewarded free 7-day car rental vouchers for the BMW M3 GTR, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 and the Audi R8.

You can register for the Need For Speed World online racing video game at this website.

Source: EA

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Need For Speed World now completely free to play without level restrictions

GM wants to really capture the compact segment in its home country. It’s main weapon is the new Chevrolet Cruze sedan, which is already being shipped to dealerships as we speak.

Marketing is now being kicked into overdrive for the compact sedan, and the US carmaker has already revealed two ads. The first, New Kid, showcases just how many features the new Cruze packs as opposed to its rivals and to its whole segment.

The second gets more specific, targeting the current compact top dog, the Toyota Corolla. In it, Chevrolet highlights a few things the Cruze has standard, as opposed to the Corolla’s optional features.

Both are narrated by actor Tim Allen and are worth a view, check them out after the jump.

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Videos: Chevrolet Cruze ads target Toyota Corolla, showcase plenty of features

Subaru fans were treated to a mighty impressive surprise this spring, when the Japanese company officially revealed the new and improved 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STI performance models, in both five-door hatchback and four-door sedan versions.

Now, after seeing an awesome ad campaign starring professional rally driver Dave Mirra and regular people going for a ride in a WRX STI, the online car configurator is finally available.

The website, located at this address, allows you to configure either the 265 HP WRX or the 305 HP WRX STI. Prices start at $25,495 for the WRX, while the STI versions starts at $33,995 for the four-door and $35,995 for the hatchback.

You can add in all the types of extras you want, but prices will increase quite fast. Sadly, gold wheels or yellow decals aren’t included.

Source: Subaru

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2011 Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STI car configurator now online

Nissan is really betting big on its Leaf all-electric vehicle, and has decided to release a brand new commercial, designed to tug on the heart strings of every eco-friendly person out there.

In the new ad called simply ‘Polar Bear’, Nissan shows just how a melting ice cap forces a polar bear to change its natural habitat, and reach a lovely suburban setting where an owner of a new Leaf resides.

The ad is very well done and definitely worth a watch. Check it out after the jump.

Source: Nissan via Autoblog

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Video: Nissan Leaf EV gets promoted with a polar bear

After seeing the special Ariel Atom 500 V8 yesterday, lightweight car fans can now enjoy another road-legal race car, in the form of the Caterham Roadsport 125 Monaco.

This special model, as its name suggests, is dedicated to the small European country, and proudly displays its white and red flag on the sides of the car. This is in contrast with the brushed aluminum finish and the black nose and fenders.

On the inside, red and black mix together to commemorate the many roulette tables from Monte Carlo’s casinos. Not much else is present though, as the Caterham stays true to the lighter is faster saying.

The Roadsport 125 Monaco uses a 125 HP 1.6-liter Ford engine, paired up with a five-speed manual gearbox. Given its extremely low weight, expect the Caterham to blaze past other cars in Monaco.

The car costs £20,995 (around $33,000), but the first 20 models have a discount of £1,000 ($2,000), so act fast.

Source: Caterham

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Caterham Roadsport 125 Monaco revealed

It seems that Subaru wants to further expand its presence in the crossover market, and might launch a more powerful version of its popular Forester entry-level model.

According to a report coming from Australia, of all places, the Japanese company might deliver a power boost to the Forester in order to appeal those who want improved performance, and to one-up rivals like the Toyota RAV4 or the Mazda CX-7.

This model will be destined for the global market, unlike the special 322 HP Forester STI that has been selling in Japan for the last five years. More details will be known in the following weeks, but a more powerful entry-level crossover sounds pretty good.

Source: Sidney Morning Herald via Autoblog

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Performance Subaru Forester coming soon