When thinking about the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, one tends to picture an orange meteor barreling across the desert at absurd velocities, flying through the air, long-travel suspension dangling its dirty bits below. That’s partially because desert storming and bombing down muddy, root-strewn fire roads was the Special Vehicle Team’s design brief, and partially because those environs have dominated Ford’s advertising efforts. Marketing shtick aside, there’s little doubt that the Raptor has that Kool-Aid Man “Oooh, Yeah!” wall-crashing thing going on better than any other vehicle on sale today.

In fact, if you tend to picture the Raptor exclusively in terms of yumps and dry creekbeds, you’re not alone. Ford and SVT kind of admit they did, too. But in building this street-legal trophy truck, they’ve come to realize that they unwittingly created a vehicle that’s far more versatile than originally envisioned. Case in point: Back in 2009, a massive snowstorm crippled the ability of Ford staffers and media members trying to reach theChicago Auto Show. In particular, Mark Fields and other key execs had to journey from Dearborn to the Windy City, and company pilots refused to take off in the horrible weather. Fields and some other executives settled on boarding the train, arriving haggard eight hours later and barely making their press conference.SVT boss Jamal Hameedi and his crew elected to travel by Raptor. Driving their trucks through inches of thick slush and ice in the fast lane at more-or-less normal highway speeds (while what little traffic was sharing the road crawled along with hazard lights aglow) was a revelation. Despite building the thing, Team SVT simply didn’t expect something with wide, knobby tires and a higher center of gravity to cut through the frigid slurry like that.

Subaru car maker has unveiled new cars of 2011 Subaru Trezia, now new cars Subaru Trezia is the latest in a long line of Toyota-Subaru transformed as part of an ongoing collaboration between the two Japanese automakers. 2011 Subaru Trezia is essentially a rebadged Toyota Verso S (Ractis called in Japan), introduced in Europe at the Paris Motor Show this year.
The differences between the Subaru and Tréziers S-Verse two is limited to the Subaru Impreza Refreshed 2011 as the network, the treatment of chromium in the rear doors and, of course, the Subaru logo. Everything, including the interior and even the wheels and the construction of the hub cover has not changed.

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Renault car maker has unveiled new Twizy ultra-compact city car and show it’s at Paris Motor Show Last September. The European marketing of Renault Twizy is scheduled for the end of 2011 , while bookings are already open on Renault site Z.E. speak of a purchase price similar to that of a three-wheel scooter and therefore probably close to 7,000 euros.

2011 Renault Twizy is an innovative response to the challenge of urban mobility With its four-wheel chassis. The ultra-compact dimensions of Twizy Z.E. Concept (2.30m in length, and just 1.13m wide) ensure that it is nimble enough for urban use. The four-wheel arrangement, open bodywork and a seat format which puts the driver and passenger behind one another express Twizy Z.E. Concept’s distinctive character. It seats two, with the passenger sitting behind the driver. It has a 31 liter lock-box/luggage compartment underneath the rear seat that can be expanded to 55 liters and can hold a small shopping bag or a briefcase.

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According to a leaked memo to Saab dealers obtained by Autoblog, the bankrupt automaker is ceasing all warranty coverage on its vehicles in North America.

The memo was sent out Monday following a Swedish court’s approval of Saab’s bankruptcy petition and – aswe suspected – all new vehicles will be sold “as is.”

The North American branch of Saab also is suspending the payment of new car, powertrain, emissions and parts warranties, along with recall campaigns, certified pre-owned coverage and no-charge maintenance programs. There’s no telling if the suspension is a permanent action or simply a temporary one –Saab will likely need to sift through its bankruptcy proceedings before that picture becomes any clearer for consumers.

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The 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth. Image: Chrysler Group LLC

Affordable Italian sports cars used to be a staple of the American motoring diet. In the 1970s and 1980s, we had Lancias, Fiat Spyders and Fiat X/19s aplenty, and stepping up to the next price level would have gotten you an Alfa Romeo GTV or an Alfa Spyder. These cars all had a lot of personality, but most were constructed with inadequately rustproofed steel, which meant owners could watch their prized Italian automobiles decay before their very eyes. Since Italian cars weren’t renown for bulletproof reliability, either, getting stranded once or twice was usually enough to overcome their charms. In the 1980s, finding a cheap Fiat that needed work was as easy as opening the newspaper.

Fiat’s stepped up its game considerably in the years since, and its uber-cute commuter car, the Fiat 500, has been a relative success in its first year of American sales. While the diminutive city car is packed with Italian charm, there isn’t much there for driving enthusiasts, which is why Fiat is bringing in its Fiat 500 Abarth. Sporting a turbocharged 1.4-liter MultiAir engine good for 160 horsepower and weighing in at less than 2,400 pounds, the miniscule 500 Abarth promises to deliver a heaping helping of driving fun. Read more on Auto Fans

At the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford officially put all other muscle cars – and even some supercars – on notice. The 2013 Shelby GT500 made its public debut, and while it doesn’t look much different than the models that came before it, the huge change for 2013 lies under the hood: an all-new 5.8-liter supercharged V8 capable of sending 650 horsepower to the coupe’s rear wheels.

Since the modern GT500?s debut in 2007, Ford has always offered a convertible variant, and that isn’t expected to change with this new 2013 model, especially since the rival Camaro ZL1 will be offered in both hardtop and droptop forms. According to TopSpeed.com, the GT500 Convertible will debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in just a few weeks, packing the same 650-hp powertrain and – at least, we hope – some added chassis tweaks for structural rigidity. We can’t even imagine trying to handle 650 supercharged horses through a willy-nilly rear end. Read more on Auto Fans

Chris Harris commits spare tirecide.

When you equip the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG with the available Performance Package, the car sends some 480 horsepower to the rear wheels. Even when those rear wheels are shod with sticky, 255 millimeter-wide tires, traction is a potential challenge. Leaving the electro-nannies on is a good idea for street driving, and it’s probably in order for less-than-experienced drivers on the track, too.

What if you replaced those rear tires with 125 millimeter temporary spare tires? In fact, what if you replaced all four wheels and tires with temporary spares, then let an experienced motojournalist like Evo’s Chris Harris loose on a racetrack? The combination would either be a recipe for big fun, or a recipe for disaster, depending upon your perspective.

We won’t spoil the outcome, but we’ll tell you that you’ll want to watch the video below. We’ll also tell you that we’re phoning junkyards to stir up three other temporary spares for our own rides.