A pickup truck is a light truck with an open-top rear cargo area. Many pickups have short rigid sides and an opening rear gate, while others have a flat tray back.
Every year, Jeep makes it a point to attend the Easter Safari event in Moab, Utah, to show off some of their outrageous concepts. Last year, we saw a number of them in the Cherokee Overland, the Wrangler Mojave, and the Wrangler Blue Crush, among others.
For this year’s festivities scheduled on March 31, 2012, Jeep is bringing a new line-up of concepts - six in total - headlined by the Mighty FC Concept, the Wrangler Apache, and the J-12.
Details behind all the concepts have not yet been revealed because Jeep is taking the slow and steady tease route to draw up some interest in the concepts leading up to the event at the end of the month.
All in all, Jeep released three teaser sketches of the concepts they’re bringing to Easter Safari. For our money, we think that the red Wrangler is the J-12, the blue Wrangler is the Apache, and the huge pick-up is the Mighty FC Concept.
Be sure to head back here because as soon as all the concepts are unveiled, we’ll be running our takes on all of them individually. For now, though, consume these teaser sketches, and let us know what you think of them.
In 2002, the first Dodge Ram Lone Star edition went on sale exclusively in Texas. You see, Dodge was banking on the idea that this special edition Ram would do well in terms of sales, since the Texas pickup market was so strong. Boy, were they right; the Lone Star model now makes up 30 to 40 percent of all Ram 1500s sold in Texas, and Ram has sold more than 80,000 units since the Lone Star’s debut.
Ram Truck has now unveiled a special 10th Anniversary edition of its Ram 1500 Lone Star. The 2012 Ram 1500 Lone Star 10th Anniversary edition will get an exclusive appearance package, which includes new, Texas-size “Lone Star” badges that will replace the “Ram 1500” badging. The truck is only available in Crew Cab configuration with bucket seats. Inside the 10th anniversary Lone Star, you’ll find Katzkin perforated leather seats with stylized Lone Star logos, as well as a 10th Anniversary Lone Star logos on the glove box and floormats.
The Ram Lone Star comes standard with the 5.7L HEMI V8, which delivers 390HP, 407ft.-lbs of torque, and 20 mpg. The power is transferred to the wheels by a 6-speed automatic transmission. The Lone Star also gets 20-inch aluminum wheels, a 115V auxiliary power outlet, a Class IV receiver hitch, a 10-way adjustable power driver’s seat, halogen quad headlamps, fog lamps, rear 60/40 split folding seats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls. In addition to the many standard features, more than two dozen factory options and hundreds of Mopar accessories are available for buyers who want to make the Ram Lone Star reflect their personalities.
The Lone Star package is $1,500, giving the 2012 Ram 1500 Lone Star 10th Anniversary edition a starting price of $36,440. You will definitely see a lot of these trucks in Texas in 2012, since the Lone Star edition will be exclusively for sale in Texas at the end of second quarter.
The third generation Ford F-Series Super Duty has been unveiled in 2011 and now, for the 2013 model year the pick-up truck gets even more impressive thanks to the addition of SYNC with MyFord Touch, but also with a first-ever Platinum series model.
The Platinum trim will only be available in Super Duty Crew Cab configuration and it will be distinguished by an exterior chrome treatment for the grille, door handles, mirror caps, running boards and exhaust tip. The interior gets high-quality wood grain trim and premium leather seating.
"The F-Series Super Duty Platinum is the latest expression of Built Ford Tough truck luxury," said Brian Rathsburg, F-Series Super Duty Marketing manager. "It has a distinct appearance and a long list of features to deliver a superior experience. Along with that, it has all of the capability F-Series trucks are famous for."
Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 Ford F-Series Super Duty Platinum.
Austrian automaker, Magna Steyr, rarely makes a splash these days, but when they do, you can be sure that people are bound to notice. That shouldn’t be no more evident than in what Magna Steyr has in store for the 2012 Geneva Motor Show: They’re bringing a 3-in-1 vehicle concept called the MILA Coupic.
If the thought of a vehicle taking three guises is confusing enough, then you can be sure of the MILA Coupic’s status as a novelty.
In the simplest of terms, the MILA Coupic is a crossover coupe that comes with an innovative and retractable soft top roof with two sections that can be opened independently from each other. Both of these soft folding roofs have been fitted with a variety of transparent glass elements embedded in the textile material. The front roof system above the front seats can be opened from the front to the rear while the rear roof system above the rear seats and the loading area allows for two opening directions and provides added versatility to the vehicle’s loading area.
The concept’s two-tone paint finish - Clash Green combined with Crystal White - complements the aluminum highlights, thus providing a vehicle that looks about as unconventional as any concept we’ve seen in recent time.
Looking at the overall design of the car, the MILA Coupic offers a fresh take on how exceptional engineering can blend with state-of-the-art technology. The construction of the MILA Coupic was designed in different layers, with the lowest level paying attention to providing overall stability to the concept. The middle layer stands for safety and comfort, whereas the top level invests the vehicle with the typical sportiness and elegance of a coupé. Inside, the concept has a five-seat configuration with the rear seat capable of being folded forward, thus turning the vehicle into a glorified pick-up, further enhancing the concept’s overall quirkiness.
The new Ram Laramie Limited is the kind of gargantuan truck that gets attention wherever it goes. Certainly, it doesn’t hurt that it’s got plenty of new digs to back up its claim as one of the best pick-ups on the market today.
At the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, Ram officially pulled the covers off of the Laramie Limited, giving us a good look at a pick-up that not only offers unmatched performance credentials, but also comes with plenty of plush amenities you rarely see in a pick-up truck like this one.
Should you have any interest in scooping up the Ram Laramie Limited - and really, if you had the purpose for it, why wouldn’t you? - Ram has pegged the pick-up’s arrival in dealerships later this year. The cost of the pick-up is still undetermined, but expect it to catch plenty of interest from a lot of people looking for a comprehensive cocktail of style and power.
UPDATE 03/22/12: Ram has officially announced pricing for the Laramie Limited. Here’s a hint: it’s the most expensive Ram trim yet. Check out the price of the limited edition pick-up after the jump!
Find out more about the Ram Laramie Limited after the jump.
Leave it to Chevrolet to throw the first punch in its long-standing rivalry with Ford.
The Bowtie’s newest Super Bowl commercial takes a stab at its crosstown rival with a commercial that’s set just after the world ended, confirming the Mayan predictions. In the ad, a group of friends, all of which were driving Silverados, miraculously survived the global catastrophe to round up and see how each one was doing.
Everybody was accounted for except for their friend Dave, who lost his life because he, as one of the buddies explained, "drove a Ford." Way to be subtle, Chevy.
The Chevy ad is expected to run during the first quarter of Super Bowl XLVI and just as sure as those Mayan predictions are nothing more than myths and fables, you can expect that this new Chevy Silverado commercial will draw strong reactions from both camps.
So allow us to say, "It’s on, Chevrolet. It is most definitely on."
How can you run away from this police truck without peeing in your pants? The sheer sight of it rumbling towards you from the rear-view mirror is reason enough to just give up and pull over.
The Ram Special Services Police Truck is the latest in Chrysler’s growing portfolio of police vehicles. Following the overwhelmingly positive reaction given to the Dodge Charger Pursuit by law enforcement and municipal administrators, the Special Services Police Truck takes the reins as the big brother police truck that will run down any fleeing criminal.
Based on the Ram 1500, the truck combines durability, reliability, and crime-fighting capabilities in one package.
It’s got pretty much everything that law enforcement agencies would want in a police truck, including a unique wiring harness that was specifically engineered to endure the heavy loads of the radar, computer, lighting, and radio equipment police officers will need when they’re out and about on the road.
Find out more about the Ram Special Services Police Truck after the jump.
Because there aren’t enough things you can do turn your 2012 Ford F-650 into rolling piece of gargantuan menace. Now you can take a good look at the "Hollow Point" by Mobsteel that was in attendance at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show.
The Detroit-based tuning company certainly did a thorough job in modifying this Ford iron, beginning by shortening and notching the frame and dressing it up in their own trademark Mobsteel Black PPG paint. There are also plenty of exterior details done on the truck, including a custom front bumper and grille cut, custom headlights, an F-Series Super Duty bed, custom aluminum tanks courtesy of Aluminum Blanking Company, and a new set of 24" custom Aztec wheels wrapped in Pireli Scorpian tires.
Inside, the Hollow Point F-650 also gets plenty of enhancements, highlighted by a "No Joke" upholstery, 2,600 watts of JL Audio equipment with a pair of 20-inch monitors, and hand-tooled Glock holsters and magazine racks. Apparently, you can’t have enough ammunition with this truck.
Under the hood, Mobsteel and Michigan Caterpillar Diesel took out the F-650’s 6.7-liter engine and replaced it with a new C7 Caterpillar engine and a new Allison six-speed transmission.
At the end of the day, you won’t need to do any double-takes when you see the F-650 "Hollow Point" out on the road. By sheer intimidation alone, it’s already got your attention.
Italy has those Lamborghinis and the UK boasts of Lotus rides. Sure, they can have them. Here in our neck of the woods, law enforcement officials prefer less flash and more size. Something that won’t scare with you speed, but will send you quaking in your boots with pure intimidation.
This is the Ford F-150 DeeZee American Guardian and criminals should be very afraid of it.
Currently on display at SEMA, this gargantuan Ford F-150 comes with all the necessary law enforcement paraphernalia that makes it the moving embodiment of "law enforcement muscle."
The interior flashes a matte silver finish with an All-American logo emblazoned on both sides of the pick-up, fitting right to its unique moniker. It also has the customary police sirens on the roof and the front grille, as well as mammoth bull bars that make for a good ally during those ram-busting chase-downs. Other pertinent items added to the DeeZee American Guardian include a new set of BMF wheels wrapped in Goodyear tires, new AirRaid intake kit, a Magnaflow exhaust, and a HyperTech Max Energy tuning kit. This kit raises the output of the F-150’s 6.2-liter V8 to numbers that are significantly higher than the standard pick-up’s 411 horsepower and 434 lb/ft of torque output.
Finally, the law-enforcement pick-up receives an extensive Rockwell Collins Police Interceptor Kit that will allow a police officers to handle their crime-fighting business with all the gizmos and gadgetry that’s usually only reserved for law-enforcement duties.
Toyota will be unveiling the limited edition 2012 Tacoma TRD T in 2012, but for those that are a bit impatient, Long Beach Racers have unveiled their Tacoma package - a customized vehicle inspired by the Baja Series pick-up.
The Toyota Tacoma received a full makeover from Long Beach Racers with a TIG welded, SCORE approved roll cage with the Long Beach Racers trademark “low profile” rear cage design to keep the rear view clean. This high tech roll cage will be joined by custom Bilstein 60mm race shocks and 35-inch BFGoodrich Project Tires on 16-inch TRD Baja Series wheels. Hella HID lights on custom mounts on the bumper will help lights the way while PCI Race Radio and intercom systems in place of the exterior mirrors will facilitate communication.
The interior of the Tacoma by Long Beach Racers also received a few extras, including Mastercraft race seats, harnesses, and window nets, a Defined Engineering Spring-Under kit, and CMI Carbon Fiber skidplates. Performance gets improved with the use of an MBRP Exhaust system, a 50 gallon fuel cell, a TRD Big Brake kit, and a custom wrap that incorporates the TX Baja Series graphic concept.
The Long Beach Racers Tacoma will be making its race debut at the BAJA 1000 in November 2011.
