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.
In the United States, trucks are a part of our culture. The same can’t be said in the rest of the world, but here, these vehicles are symbols of freedom and hard work. The big three have dominated this segment, but nobody has done it better than Ford with the F-150.
With the new Dodge Ram being as good as it is, Ford had to step up their game with their newest version for 2011. In order to maintain their impressive bit of marketing gold for a 34th straight year, the Dearborn-based automaker is putting four brand-new engines into their best selling truck.
Reworking an icon isn’t easy, just ask the designers of the new Corvette. When it came out, those headlights were either loved or hated. With the new F-150, if something were to be too radical then you might lose buyers. So, did Ford keep things simple with this newest version, yet at the same time upgrade the winning formula?
Sometimes the old ways are just the best and, in terms of truck design, this would be one of those times. This old school Chevrolet truck harks back to the old days when you actually used these machines for work, not for driving the kids to school or heading down to the Home Depot for a few supplies.
What we have here is something special and it really stood out at this year’s SEMA show. We know it’s over now and the past is the past, but this E-Rod pickup is just way too cool to leave for the history books. Although, that green paint scheme probably should have been left in the past.
We have some fresh new photos of the truck to share and some new information on the what’s living underneath the bonnet. Needless to say, it’s a rocket that has been tamed back for the environment.
Toyota brought the Tundra Sportsman to the SEMA Show. This is a unique show truck, inspired by the outdoor tradition of hunting. It’s based on a 2011 Tundra Double Cab 4x4 equipped with the TRD Rock Warrior Package and 5.7-liter V8 with a six-speed automatic transmission.
The exterior is painted in a muted color palette of Grays and Black, semi-gloss paint was used for the body and shell while a flat finish was applied to the trim. Other features include a three-inch suspension lift, a custom air intake and snorkel, and a custom exhaust that was created with pipes routed up through the center of the bed and exiting the roof top deck. Finishing the package is ATX 18-inch Teflon-coated wheels fitted onto 33 x 12.5-inch Nitto Mud Grapplers.
Inside, the truck was designed to be a command center for extended hunting trips as essential field electronics such as a weather station and GPS have been installed. To minimize wear, the TRD Rock Warrior bucket seats were upholstered in waterproof Black and Gray material. The black Rock Warrior carpeting is weather protected by all-weather Browning branded camouflage floor mats. The stock 10 speaker JBL sound system is supplemented by JBL all-weather outdoor speakers that are wired into the bed area to create a simple but comfortable recreation space.
A standard F-150 SVT Raptor pick-up is powered by a 6.2-liter V8 engine that delivers a total of 411 HP and 434 lb.-ft. of torque. We have to admit, this is quite impressive for a pick-up, but everything can be improved nowadays, right? Enter ProCharger with its Intercooled Supercharger System that upgrades the truck’s power to an impressive 600 HP. Sounds better, doesn’t it?
The HO Intercooled System and Tuner Kit are designed to be installed onto a completely stock engine and require absolutely no internal engine modifications or changes to the stock exhaust system. And like all ProCharger supercharger systems and tuner kits, these additions fit under the stock hood. Both the P-1SC-1 and D-1SC superchargers are available with a helical gearset option for reduced supercharger noise levels.
ProCharger is offering the same treatment for the 5.4 liter engine that upgrades the power to 505 HP. The price for the new Intercooled System is $6,496.
Next to a bunch of customized Corvettes and Camaros, Chevrolet will also be bringing a modified Silverado 2500 to the SEMA Show. The 2500HD Extended Cab Z71 is equipped with the new 6.6L Duramax turbo-diesel engine with B20 biodiesel capability and mated to an Allison 1000 six-speed automatic transmission.
For the exterior, the 2500 HD Z71 gets switchblade silver color with satin low-gloss finish, a body-color grille, Chevrolet Accessory 20-inch wheels painted Corvette Competition Gray, six-inch oval assist steps painted Corvette Competition Gray, Amber roof lamps, and custom Z71 graphics.
For the interior ,the truck gets Dark Titanium leather interior, Chevrolet Accessory interior trim plate kit with custom show paint, dual DVD headrests with HD WiFi headphones, navigation radio, and Autonet mobile Wi-Fi.
The list of control features includes trailer sway control, integrated trailer brake control, hill start assist, automatic grade braking, intelligent brake assist and larger brakes.
Racing trucks never really caught on, just as the NASCAR Truck Series, but that hasn’t stopped our friends over at PickupTrucks.com from racing two new Ford F-150 trucks. The two trucks that faced off were both V6 models for 2011.
The website took these two new trucks to the Milan Dragway in Michigan and put them head to head in their Work Truck Shootout. While trucks usually don’t line up and drag race each other, it was interesting to see the power of these two new models.
The first truck, which ran a 15.87 second quarter mile, was the naturally aspirated 3.7-liter V6 with 302 horsepower and 278 pound-feet of torque. The quicker EcoBoost model with 365 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque ran a 14.67 second time at 94.6 miles per hour. Interestingly, both of these two times were quicker than the half-ton V8 models tested by the site in 2008.
Ford will come at this year’s SEMA Show with seven customized versions of Ford F-150 and Super Duty. Themes include a motocross concept, a Pro Football Hall of Fame-dedicated truck and a race car support truck.
Our favorite is the 2011 Ford F-150 by Mickey Thompson. It gets new 35-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Claw TTC Radical tires, Fabtech 6-inch suspension, PIAA auxiliary lighting and Warn Industries winch recovery gear. The interior comes with Katzkin leather and aftermarket audio, video and navigation enhancements.
There is also a F-150 customized by The Custom Shop. This version gets shaved handles, lightweight tonneau cover, lightweight rims and low-rolling-resistance tires help enhance looks and mileage. The green theme carries into the styling, with a custom show paint job with a detailed pinstripe border using a low-VOC-emissions DuPont paint. The interior matches the exterior styling with custom Katzkin tan and black leather.
Toyota will be showing up to the SEMA Show with a very special Tacoma pick-up truck called the X-Runner "Ready to Race" (RTR). This new model is powered by a modified version of Tundra’s mighty 5.7-liter V-8. Thanks to a new supercharger and an intake kit, the engine now delivers an impressive 504 HP and 550 lb-ft of torque.
The Tacoma X-Runner RTR personifies ingenuity to the highest level by the Japanese auto giant. Of all the parts used in the special edition pick-up truck, the only two that don’t belong to Toyota are the traction bars and drive-line shaft.
It’s the ultimate drag strip pick-up truck that not only looks intimidating, but also has the performance capabilities to back up that imposing presence.
Updated 10/19/2010: Toyota has unveiled today the official details on the new Tacoma X-Runner RTR. Also check out the gallery to see new images of the customized pick-up.
Ford has announced today that the F-150 pick-up will receive a new 3.7-liter V6 engine that delivers a fuel economy of 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway in 4x2 configuration. Ford also announced that trucks with the 3.7-liter V6, 5.0-liter V8, and 6.2-liter V8 will arrive in dealer showrooms later this year. Each engine will be mated to a fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmission.
The new 3.7-liter four-valve Ti-VCT V6 delivers a total of 302 HP at 6,500 rpm and a peak torque of 278 lb.-ft. at 4,000 rpm. The engine also comes with E85 flex fuel capability.
"Seventy percent of F-150 customers said better fuel economy is what they’d like improved most in their truck," said Doug Scott, Truck Group marketing manager. "The 2011 Ford F-150 does exactly that with best-in-class fuel economy, best-in-class capability and power, and more powertrain choices to suit their different needs."
Mazda has unveiled the new BT-50 pick-up at the Australian International Auto Show in Sydney. The new pick-up gets refined and expressive styling; a comfortable, high quality interior; a smooth ride with the feel of a passenger car; sporty and responsive driving dynamics that reflect Mazda’s DNA; and outstanding environmental and safety performance.
The BT-50 is characterized by Mazda’s family face with the five-point grille, headlights with bold boomerang shape, stretched taillights. The interior features a dashboard with an asymmetric design, four bold metallic panel strips, and a metallic outline that highlights the two cylindrical meters and connects them via a center strip.
"With the All-New BT-50, we aimed to express this emotion through the design, and we drew a lot of inspiration from various “movements” in the world around us. For example, we had a photograph of a lion. He looked like a magnificent predator with his muscles all bunching up as though he was about to pounce on his prey. His sinews were stretched taut ready to strike, and his mane framed a sharp, masculine countenance that seemed to say, ‘I am the proud king of the beasts!’ In profile, that lion appeared to be both intelligent and powerful."
