Auto News 5

Once upon a time, someone in the marketing department at Chrysler hatched what seemed to be novel idea: Take the R/T badge, once a sign of an enthusiast-oriented product, and slap it across most -- if not all -- of Dodge's lineup. It was given the green light, and the world was flooded with R/T models that drove no better than their plebian siblings.

It's tough to blend in when you're driving a Molten Orange F-150 riding on 35-inch tires with the widened stance that come with Raptor-ization. Everywhere I took this truck people were pointing, commenting on it, or just staring at it. I bought a new chest freezer from a home improvement warehouse that had dozens and dozens of pickups in the parking lot. Some of them were modified, some were pulling big trailers, but only one of them drew a crowd and it was the SVT Raptor. Most people didn't know the Raptor rolled off the assembly line looking exactly like it did in that parking lot (save the freezer in the bed) but they all knew it was awesome.

Lincoln is lost. Originally designed to be sold under one of Ford's less pricey, less luxurious marques, Lincoln's new cars have abandoned their heritage, their purpose, and their distinction. The iconic luxury brand has been diminished, having gone from contending with Cadillac to merely playing in the same league as Buick.

The Motorsports world hasn't been immune to the trend toward creating more fuel efficient and more environmentally friendly vehicles, and now with the Nissan Leaf Nismo RC set to hit its stand at the 2011 New York auto show, Nissan is showcasing its vision of an EV-only race car.