Performance is a popular catchphrase being used by every car and truck manufacturer, however, there are varying methods of engineering, marketing, and eventually delivering that seat of the pants feel we all desire. No better example of this different ideology is apparent than in the new 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and Dodge Durango R/T. Think of the SRT8 as the All-Pro linebacker with freakish speed and strength, while the Durango R/T is the all-purpose running back that does every task well, but won't be dropping any jaws in the scouting combine. After a week with each SUV, we came away impressed to see the direction and definition of performance from the Chrysler family tree.

Graduating high school is a momentous occasion for most people, but probably not as much as it was for Juan Valdivia of Sullivan, Texas. Quizzy, as he is known in his club, Ground Zero, was the first person in his family to graduate from high school. His parents were so proud of him that they bought him a brand-new 2007 Chevrolet Silverado Classic. Quizzy kept the truck stock early on but after a short while and several issues of Truckin magazine later, the custom bug struck and Quizzy realized his regular cab was in need of some upgrades.

Think back to your childhood. Remember staring at the little Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars in their shiny packaging, and then incessantly begging whomever you thought would give in to your most important need? I do. Now in my son, I see that same gleam in his eye when I bring him home a new truck to play with. Spending time playing with trucks alongside my son helps me feel like a kid again. That same Peter Pan desire to never really grow up fueled the concept and eventual reality of this absolutely stunning Ford Super Duty. Talking around the water cooler one day at Superlift's Research and Development Department, an idea was struck to build a never-before-seen F-350 and showcase the build team's engineering, talent, and desire to still play with toys. Boys will be boys.

It would seem that there isn't much real estate available to bring anything new into the world of custom trucks. Lifted and lowered trucks are not exactly some new phenomena, so how does one stand out in a crowd of very similar appearances? The fastest way to get the proper attention is to find that diamond in the rough; something that was overlooked or considered to be just too darn difficult to accomplish. We believe this F-650 does all of that and then some.

Bobby Mast of North Port, Florida, bought himself a nice '79 Chevy C10 and took it upon himself to build it with just the help of some friends. Working out of his two-car garage, Bobby is about halfway to a badass show truck that he will be able to look at and say to himself, "I built that."

The family that wrenches together, stays together. Just ask Don Rasmussen, owner of this pristine '47 Chevy pickup, as his wife, son, daughter, and friends all had a part in what he says is "my dream truck." With each member of the family having certain responsibilities, it's no wonder everyone has an ear-to-ear smile on their faces when Don pulls up with the big-block rumbling and the radio cranked up loud. Smiles weren't always the cause and effect relationship with this truck, however.

Building show trucks is one of Dave Smithley's passions. The Norco, California, resident owns a shop called 51Fifty Kreationz, where he is constantly modifying vehicles for other people. When it came time to get a new daily driver, Dave wanted it to be a good representation of his company. Right before the build of his truck started, however, Dave wound up breaking his back. That didn't stop him. If anything, it made him want it even more. Building virtually the whole truck with a broken back is dedication unlike any other.

Blonde hair, tight jeans, and high heels. Got the picture? Much like that kink in your neck from the girl wearing the low-cut top, a lifted truck commands a certain presence. Keeping the man code alive and well, a good-looking lifted rig receives the typical head nod of approval, and that little Prius in front of you gets the hint to move over from your bumper in its rearview. Each issue, we’re faced with the dilemma of selecting the best feature trucks for that particular theme or tech focus. This month we have several cool lifted trucks for you to check out, and several tech articles on how to give your own truck a new look via a lift or leveling kit. Digging through the files we found a handful of trucks we didn’t want to keep from you, but we simply didn’t have the room in this issue for each one. Be sure to check out truckinweb.com for a lifted truck gallery dedicated to these big boys. Vote for your favorite online and we’ll feature the winner later on in the year. If you see one you really like, you can even save that image for your desktop screen saver. Lucky.

In the world of great collaborations, we've been blessed with Jimi and the electric guitar, Levi and denim jeans, the burger patty and cheese, and now Red Jacket Firearm's Will Hayden and VWerks' PT Muldoon. Once a conversation was struck between the two passionate men about building a cool, off-road vehicle that Red Jacket Firearms could use for a shop truck, an idea was sparked. Rumors of Jeep bringing back a pickup have lingered for nearly 25 years, and after both men shared fond memories of the old all-purpose Scrambler trucks, a build was commissioned—enter the Red Jacket JK8.

Eloquently expressed by Ricky Bobby, "I wanna go fast," is more than just a saying for Ed Martinez of Edmond, Oklahoma. As the President of PSE Superchargers, Ed knows a thing or two about positive displacement blowers. When it came time to get the word out about his company, the decision was made to build a project highlighting some of PSE's unique supercharger possibilities. Ed and his team began to modify the already-supercharged 2004 Lightning platform, and what started out as a little tweak here and there quickly escalated into a one-of-a-kind engine build like you've never seen before.

Kicking around ideas for focusing our new truck content, we began to debate the best ½-ton truck available on dealer's lots. With no definitive winner determined by our back and forth discussions, a decision was made. Rather than talk a good talk, we'd let the trucks choose their own fates. That led us to this—a ½-ton fullsize truck shootout. We recruited the top light-duty trucks from Chevy, Dodge, Ford, and Nissan (a Tundra was unavailable for our test), and proceeded to drive each one for a week, comparing the strengths and weaknesses in areas that fullsize truck owners genuinely care about. During this weeklong test, we got a feel for how each one stacked up in day-to-day driving, we ran a bevy of performance trials, and looked to see if we were writing a check each month, which truck would be sitting in our driveways. After compiling all of the data, we sorted the marketing hyperbole with cold, hard facts, and some good old-fashioned conviction. Without further ado, we present our 2012 1/2-ton truck shootout.

Jose Pena, owner of Drops 'r' Us, in Houston, wanted to show exactly what he was capable of, and what better way to advertise than by building a badass custom truck. After weighing his options on which truck would provide the best bang for the buck, Jose picked up a new body style, regular cab Silverado that he affectionately dubbed Cheyenne (which is what the Silverado is still called in Mexico). Jose quickly went to work melding the best of the world of custom street trucks with his love of going fast, and in the process, created a head-turning street rocket.

In 1983, Robert Kurhajian bought a 1958 Chevy Stepside pickup with hopes of building a clean, classic cruiser. The Chevy sat for almost 25 years and hadn't been finished. As a surprise, Robert's wife, Dava, secretly sent the truck out to be built for her husband . After three years and three months, the truck was complete and Robert received the surprise of a liftetime when it was unveiled at the 2010 Grand National Roadster Show.

Brian Mitchell is a full-blown custom truck nut. Living in Central California, where the custom car and truck industry is booming, Brian gets plenty of ideas for his numerous builds. Brian picked up the brand-new, bone-stock HD in early 2008. Not one to leave well enough alone, Brian wanted to put bigger tires on the truck since it was a 4x4. He installed a simple 7-inch Full Throttle lift kit, and was content—for a short moment.

We often times forget what other countries are doing, but when we got an email from Marcus Walther, in Denmark, we got a custom truck smack upside the noggin. His '69 GMC C10 proves we need to step outside of our comfortable U.S. bubble and see what the rest of the world has to offer. After finding out he took a perfectly good truck already featured in Truckin back in 2007 and then worked hard to make it his own, we couldn't help but appreciate the end result that much more.

Purchasing the truck from a resident in the United States back in 2008, Marcus wanted to make this truck his own but in order to do so, he needed to change just about everything on the GMC. Marcus, owning a tint shop, was no stranger to custom vehicles, and always liked classic trucks, especially those of the American variety. His dream truck was a '67-'72 C10 and now, with one in hand, all he had to do was transform it.

At first sight, there's no denying Nick Weber's '46 Chevy was built with a different mindset than the typical classic truck project. Pro Street meets Pro Touring meets slick street styling—this Chevy is a trendsetter. Even more intriguing than the unique styling is the fact that it was built in a one-car garage at Nick's house, and Nick is the ripe old age of 25. Not a typo. Now that we have your attention, we'll keep pounding you over the head with over-the-top stats: Merlin III 540ci big-block, 862 hp at 7,000 rpm, and 20x16-inch rear wheels. Incredible—to say the least.

If you've ever dreamed of running flat-out and off-road for miles at a time, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the place to do it. This country on the Persian Gulf, a federation of seven "states" overseen by emirs, has wide open desert spaces like Las Vegas has slot machines. In other words, they spread out in all directions. It's the perfect place to wind it up and see what your truck will do.

This isn't your father's Ford Explorer. New for 2011, the revamped and now smaller SUV is a huge step forward from the previous generations thanks to new technologies, new build materials, and new drivetrains. Depsite receiving flak for moving away from the body-on-chassis design of the previous Explorer, Ford felt the switch was necessary to be competitive in our gas-conscious world. For those who want a traditional SUV, Ford fills that niche with the tried and true Expedition. Coming in a smaller package, the Explorer no longer needs the big 4.0L V-6 or 4.6L V-8. Instead, Ford released the Explorer initially with the 3.5L V-6 that makes 290 hp and 255 lb-ft of torque. Ford now also offers a turbocharged 2.0L Ecoboost I-4 capable of 237 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque at an impressive 1,750 rpm. Mating to the V-6 is a six-speed SelectShift automatic or the optional six-speed automatic, which is the only choice for the 2.0L Ecoboost. Compared to its predecessors, the new Explorer has a sportier feel, making it appeal to a younger and outdoor audience alike. Opening the doors reveals more of a car feel as opposed to the SUVs of the past. With plenty of options, the Ford Explorer ranges in price from $28,000 all the way up to the loaded model, which is more than $47,000.

Hitting the open road conjures up visions of beautiful landscapes blasting by, meeting new people at small towns along the way, and the ever-present control of your own destiny. At horizon's end, a new journey awaits with mystery, intrigue, excitement—the surprises making a road trip such an epic adventure. Needing to tow our 36-foot enclosed trailer from SoCal to Austin, Texas, with Project Novakane safely tucked inside for the 2011 Heatwave show, we reached out to Ford for a suitable dualie. Hearing our towing needs, Ford Public Relations delivered a 2011 F-450 dualie to our office and told us to have fun. Driving 1,373 miles one way while towing 19,500 pounds is a marketing dream come true, and we were about to find out if the F-450 was indeed ready for super-sized duties.

Ever had one of those days when you got so busy doing other things you completely forgot to do the one thing you set out to accomplish? Mike Godat of St. Peters, Missouri, has been guilty of wrenching on other people's custom rides and putting his own pride and joy on the back burner. On and off for eight years, his 2002 Silverado has seen three different front clips bolted on, multiple wheel styles under the fenders, and even several transmissions during the transformation. When his wife, Robin, was asked what the truck should be named, she immediately came back with "Eternity" because in her words, "It seems to have taken that long to build it." Good things come to those who wait, and this Caddy-clipped Chevy is definitely worth waiting for.

After appearing on multiple truck magazine covers with his previous build, Austin O'Krinsky was forced to look himself in the mirror and decide whether or not he'd step up and create another show-worthy prize. As the vice president of Extreme Off-Road in Katy, Texas, Austin's 9-5 is helping people see their custom vision come to fruition, so it came as no surprise that he took a few minutes to dream up his own wild project. Wanting a look that was different from his red Chevy HD, he went to the local Ford dealership and signed the papers for a 2011 Ford F-250. With less than 150 miles on the odometer, the truck was rolled into the back of the shop where a five-month journey was waiting for it.

Scanning over the tech sheet we supply each feature owner with, we couldn't help but notice one reoccurring theme. Roman Garza is very appreciative of his friends' help and his parents allowing him to use the family workshop to build his '03 Silverado. Roman has a lot to be thankful for as his Chevy features a 3-inch body drop, 24-inch Raceline wheels, and a newer 2006 Silverado front clip installed. Best part of those flashy stats is the fact he did nearly all of the work himself. Built in a workshop by this 20-year-old young gun, the under construction ride you see here should be completed by the time you're reading this.

For Martin McGuire of Downers Grove, Illinois, the GMC Syclone was the truck of his dreams. Martin told us, "I fell in love with the Syclone in 1991, and my goal was to build the baddest S-10 ever." To accomplish that goal, Martin had to first acquire the correct vehicle. In August of 2001, he took one step closer to his goal after pulling the trigger on a 1992 GMC Sonoma GT. Being one of only 806 built, this truck was already unique, but Martin wanted to make it a true one-of-a-kind with performance the GM engineers could only dream about.