It’s Christmas season once again and in the midst of this economic rut, we all need some good cheer. That’s what made CAR Magazine ask various designers from several car companies to come up with their own version of the vehicle of the season - Santa’s sleigh. Bentley, Nissan, Ford and Rolls-Royce all pitched in their design ideas for Santa’s sleigh. The results were nothing short of interesting. Check ‘em out:

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The Hummer brand might be in danger of getting axed by General Motors but its newest model managed to grab recognition as Four Wheeler’s Pickup Truck of the Year. The H3T Alpha bested other pickup truck models such as the Dodge Ram, Ford F-150, and the Suzuki Equator to take home the honor.

Four Wheeler Magazine is the oldest and most prestigious four-wheel drive enthusiast magazine in the country today. The competition for pickup truck of the year has been held annually since 1989 and this is the first time that a Hummer won. This year, the four new four-wheel drive pickup trucks underwent tests including a 1,000-mile curriculum on streets, highways, rocky trails, desert sand dunes and steep hills. Elevations ranged from sea level to 6,000 feet. The Hummer H3T won the prestigious Off Highway Performance category and performed strongly in all other scoring categories.

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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute recently released the list of the top 10 most stolen vehicles for 2008. SUVs and trucks figured prominently in the list. However, it is interesting to note that the most stolen vehicles are not necessarily the flashier models on the road.

Car robbers tend to target vehicles that can be sold for parts, easily blend in with traffic or are popular in foreign markets where the cars can be disposed off easily. SUVs and trucks also spend more time parked in driveways or out in the street making them more accessible to thieves. To compile this list, the IIHS looked at insurance-claim reports to determine theft-frequency rates.

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