Awesome Trucks

BMW’s idea of an April Fools’ joke, the “World’s Fastest Pickup” has a 420hp engine and a maximum load capacity of more than 990lbs. It actually looks fairly decent with the Targa roof off.

Ever wonder why they put those concrete barriers around government buildings? We always thought they were just for show, but after watching how they can stop a truck at 50mph, we’re believers.

Sariel says that this 11-lb. tow truck is his most complex creation yet, and we believe him. 17 electric motors powers its moving parts, including the towing arm and the steerable front wheels.

The Sierra All Terrain HD concept has a 6.6L V8 engine that delivers 397hp and 765 lb.ft. of torque. Its suspension has been beefed up, it has 35in tires and is wider and taller than the original Sierra HD.

Hot Rod Magazine met up with pro driver Mike Ryan to see something that was never meant to be done – big rig drifting. We swear we could hear the truck scream in pain as it whirled around.

Somehow, it’s a relief and a comfort to know that on the other side of the world in Shanghai there are feisty and annoyed lady drivers saying no (and perhaps worse) to authority. Hilarity ensues at :26.

Dekotora – an abbreviation of “decoration truck” – are heavily stylized and modified trucks most commonly found in Japan, popularized by a 70s movie about – what else? – a costumed trucker.

The 2011 Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson edition has a 6.2L V8 engine with 411hp and 434 lb-ft of torque, 22-in wheels and a specially tuned exhaust that gives out that “throaty V8 rumble”.

Cummins has creatively crammed a 3500 hp, V18 diesel engine (you know, the kind they put in dump trucks) into an original Mini; it has more than 10,000lb/ft of torque and uses 12 turbochargers.

Put ’em together and whaddya get? This monstrosity, called the forfun2 – a tiny little 2-seater atop giant monster-truck wheels, cranking out a whopping 84bhp. See it in action here.

Clearly not the most practical of personal transportation vehicles, this crazy-looking bike gets its front wheel from a monster truck tire. Other than that, it’s completely normal, right?

Students at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts created this 32 foot-tall, 4-ton Transformer sculpture from the parts of an old truck. Don’t you want one in your front yard?

Hennessey’s VelociRaptor 500 gets ferocious with a Whipple supercharged 5.4L V8, good for 501 hp and 520 lb-ft, shaving its 0-60 from 8.4s to 5.6s; it’ll be limited to 100 kits each year.

QT is anything but cute: the offroad company has three new models, ranging from the street legal 300STR to the 4.0L Jag V8 400DKR, which placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at the Pharaons Rally.

No, it’s not an excuse to tailgate, but Art Lebedev’s Transparentius concept is a simple (although pricey) way of seeing around a truck: a camera up front projects video on the back door.

Because awesome firefighters deserve a awesome ride: the Amatoya Fire Recon Vehicle features dual cannons, a 2200 liter water tank, and aerogel protected windows and bodywork.

The Frictionator claims it’s the only street legal jet truck in the world, and with a 7,000 hp GE J85 jet engine, we ain’t gonna argue; it’s mounted to a Ford F650 and tops out at 200 mph.

It may not be the SI: Swimsuit Edition, but the 2010 Heavy Equipment Calendar is full-on construction porn, with gorgeous HDR images of wheel loaders, dump trucks, and excavators.

Ford’s F-150 SVT Raptor gets a boost over its initial debut with a 6.2L V8 good for 411 hp and 434 lb-ft of torque; it’ll be available 12/1 along with 5.4L and $100k XT models.

Country music duo Brooks & Dunn teams up with Toyota for the Tundra Midnight Rider Tailgater; a slide-out tailgate reveals a BBQ grill, beer tap, ice chest, 42″ TV and Kicker sound system.

AFVTech’s Ford Street-Rod is almost too good to be true: it combines a 600 hp Chevy LS7 7.0L V8, a low-emission compressed natural gas setup, and a head-turning chopped top.

Its large schnoz will inhale a Smart car, but Ford’s 2011 Super Duty means business: it’s an F-450/F-350 hybrid truck with a 33,000 lb. weight rating and a turbo 6.7L V8 diesel.

Built on a Ford F-650 chassis, Dunkel Industries’ Luxury 4×4 is an uber-RV; it’ll haul an entire car in its bed and includes a shower, two flatscreens TVs yet still is able to go off-roading.