2008 Yamaha Raptor 350 Reverse Switch Lever Knob on 2040-parts.com

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor gets turned into 'The Beast'

Looks like we've got ourselves a good ol' fashioned truck horsepower war brewing. Hot on the heels of the debut of the Chevrolet Silverado-based Reaper by Lingelfelter and the Callaway-tuned Chevrolet Silverado, German tuner Geiger has brought out their version of the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor dubbed "The Beast." Apparently, the company felt that the standard Raptor just didn't produce enough power, but their take on the already mental truck is slightly different from Hennessey's approach. Geiger has added a 2.9-liter supercharger to the 6.2-liter V8, bringing the horsepower output up from 411-hp to 572-hp.

Chrysler, Nissan, GM set pace as industry's September volume advances 10 percent

UPDATED--U.S. auto sales--helped by big gains at Chrysler, Nissan and General Motors--overcame widespread economic jitters to rise 10 percent in September, raising hopes the industry's recovery will accelerate in coming months. It was the biggest increase in light vehicle sales since April, when surging gas prices and Japan's earthquake started to put a dent in demand.

BMW's yearlong Mini E trial exposes infrastructure problems

Early next decade, BMW of North America plans to sell an electric "megacity car" as a subbrand of BMW, similar to the brand's M high-performance cars. But further details are skimpy. BMW already is preparing for that launch.