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.
We’ve been watching the Bugatti versus SSC battle closely with their back and forth efforts of one-upmanship fueling our need for speed. The record for the fastest vehicle on Earth is a hefty goal to attain, but soybean farmer, Brent Hajek, is working on a different kind of record. You see, Hajek also has a passion for speed and his company, Hajek Motorsports, has taken on the challenge of breaking the land speed record for diesel and biodiesel trucks. Not only did they take on the challenge, but they succeeded wholeheartedly with two land speed records.
Hajek Motorsports has joined the record breakers of the world by achieving these land speed records with a Ford F-250 SuperDuty. First, the F-250 SuperDuty got up to 171.123mph, hitting the new record for B Production Diesel Trucks. Then the F-250, running on bio-diesel fuel, smashed the existing 130.614 unlimited bio-diesel land speed record by getting up to 182mph.
The 2011 Ford F-250 SuperDuty is powered by a 6.7L Powerstroke V8 turbo diesel engine delivering 400 HP and 800 lb-ft of torque. The truck used for the record was mostly stock, but it did get some changes to the high pressure fuel pump, fuel injectors, and turbochargers for more fuel flow. The compression ratio was also modified.
In the rough and tumble world of pick-up trucks, the constant development for the baddest, meanest, and most powerful off-roader is a constant race for automakers determined to build the most imposing of them all and find the one that can be called the kingpin of all-utility vehicles. At the International Motor Show in Buenos Aires, Chevrolet introduced their latest offering to the fold, the Colorado Rally Concept. Next the concept will be making its way to Franfurt for its European premiere.
Based on the Colorado line of pick-ups that are considered one of the most popular in the world, the Colorado Rally Concept is the latest iteration concept that shows the new direction Chevrolet is undertaking for their next-generation off-roaders, particularly those that have rally racing in their future.
"Chevrolet has built trucks right from the start and they are an essential part of our brand. Through its purposeful design, refinement and uncompromising capability, the Colorado Rally Concept creatively reinterprets our proud heritage," said Wayne Brannon, President and Managing Director of Chevrolet Europe.
More details on the Chevrolet Colorado Rally Concept after the jump.
Ford has paired up with Harley Davidson yet again to bring us one of the toughest trucks around: the Ford Harley-Davidson F-150. This collaboration of toughest proportions has been around for many years and each year, both companies’ efforts double to reveal a cooler design and more aggressive performance.
The 2012 Ford-Harley Davidson F-150 was presented in Sturgis, SD with distinctive new design enhancements, snakeskin leather interior accents, and unique body-side graphics. The pick-up also receives a new set of wheels, size 22" with painted accents and unique center cap for 2012. Under the hood, Ford has placed a 6.2-liter V8 gasoline engine, which uses big-bore architecture and delivers a total of 411 horsepower and 434 lb.-ft. of torque.
"This is a great pairing of two icons of the open road: Ford and Harley-Davidson. Both brands appeal to truck owners and motorcycle enthusiasts alike," said Marc Lapine, Ford F-150 marketing manager. "For 2012 we worked with Harley-Davidson to continue to push the styling envelope while still delivering the durability and power that F-150 is known for and that our collective customers expect. It perfectly captures both brands."
Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150.
The boys from Top Gear USA were back this week and they are starting to pick up a little bit of speed in terms of entertainment value. The discussions still tend to be a little too rehearsed, but we didn’t want to turn off the television as soon as they started talking. Well, except for when Adam opened his mouth, but we’re used to that.
The main focus this week was trying to figure out which truck was the best in America. After spending the entire first episode trying to convince us all that pick-up trucks could be convinced by two-door models, this was a welcome change. Other segments included battling it out between the Local Motors’ Rally Fighter and an airboat, and a trip around the Top Gear test track with actor/comedian Bill Engvall.
Hit the jump to check out the full details on Top Gear USA: Season 2 Episode 3.
If we asked you to name the fastest Chevrolet on the planet, many of you would probably answer a high-powered Corvette or Camaro. Those answers would inevitably be incorrect. Actually, we didn’t get it, either; at least until we found out about this replica Chevrolet S10 owned by Neal Darnell of Springfield, Missouri.
The story behind this truck and the kind of power it has under its hood is a picture of human creativity and the lengths people will go to make an impression on history. You see, when Darnell purchased the Chevy truck, it already came with a Pratt & Whitney jet engine that produced a staggering 12,000 horsepower.
Taking from his purchase, Darnell went out and sought some high-level training on how to tame his gargantuan beast while also receiving all the needed requirements - i.e. licenses from the NHRA and the IHRA Drag Racing - in order to have his truck be eligible for competition.
Darnell even named his baby the ’Flash Fire Jet Truck’, which pretty much surmises what kind of monster this truck is. And with a name like that comes eye-popping performance figures that justify its billing: 0-60 mph in just 1.5 seconds, an ’average’ speed of 350 mph, and a top speed of 375 mph.
Lord knows how Neal Darnell can withstand driving a car with this many horses under its hood. But for spectators like us, watching a truck emit insane amounts of flames from its rear end is like watching a rocket blast off into the horizon.
Top Gear USA is back for its second season and, after watching the first two episodes of The Car Show, we were hoping it would start off with a bang. Unfortunately, it was more like a muffled beep.
The only segment in the first episode of the season was a series of challenges trying to convince viewers that pick-up trucks could be replaced by two-door models. The guys ended up choosing a Ford Maverick, a BMW 335E, and a Mazda Miata as their specimens. The challenges were a bit eventful and a little humorous, but overall a bit disappointing.
Maybe Top Gear USA was trying to move away from the mirror image segments from the original Top Gear, but this path was not the right one. We just hope that the next episode adds a bit more oomph because, for the first episode of the season, we thought more could have been done to convince viewers that this was the car show to watch.
Ford has announced that they will be looking to recall over 26,715 models due to faulty components in the brake and tail lights. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), "The multi-function switch was shipped with a sub-component (slider) that may experience deformation. A multi-function switch with a deformed slider may malfunction causing the turn signal, tail lights, hazard warning signal flashers and/or brake lights not to activate."
This is not the first time Ford pickups have undergone a serious recall. In 2010, 23,688 4-cylinder models were recalled due to a potential fire hazard. That recall centered on potential chafing of fuel lines. The Ranger was also subject to a recall in 2010 when over 2,300 manual transmission vehicles were recalled due to a faulty parking brake hydraulic actuator causing "..unintended movement which may cause a crash."
Past history aside, Ford’s newest recall is affecting a variety of vehicle including the 2002-2005 Excursion, the 2002-2007 F-250-F-550, and the 2011 Ford Ranger.
If you just so happen to own one of the vehicles on the list, head on over to your local Ford dealer where the part will be replaced with a more robust unit. The recall is expected to begin on August 15th, 2011.
The monster truck phenomenon began sometime in the 70s when modified pickup trucks were becoming the rage and rampant testosterone was causing men to fight the "Who’s bigger" battle. It wasn’t until about 1981 that these same trucks were used to crush the smaller, weaker vehicles, and the culture took off from there. Now, monster truck events are everywhere and the battle for the bigger, badder truck still rages on.
In order to reign supreme in an event that has about as much drama as a pro-wrestling smackdown, owners of these massive modified trucks have to pay to play. A full monster truck build can run up to $250,000 with about $150,000 per year for spare parts. Since these 12,000lb trucks make a name for themselves by smashing the competition, an additional $250,000 is needed per year for repairs and maintenance.
Cost isn’t the only issue either. A full eight man crew spends 18-20 hours spanned out in three days constructing the track for the trucks to race on. Then the weaker vehicles, such as cars, vans, buses, ambulances, and even airplanes, are hunted down to serve as prey for the massive trucks. About 3,000 vehicles per year are found in local junkyards and returned after each event.
With such painstaking lengths taken to ensure a successful and entertaining experience, it’s no wonder that Monster Truck Jams run rampant in so parts of the country.
Check out the rest of the infographic to get a more detailed breakdown of a Monster truck’s numbers and remember to check back with us for the next installment in our Car Infographics series.
The Chrysler PT Cruiser is – or should we say, was – a car that you would never mistake for being a powerhouse. Retro-looking, sure. Snorting horsepower? Hardly.
The only way you could give the PT Cruiser some street rep is to take out its four-cylinder mechanical guts and place something akin to a Dodge Viper’s powerhouse V10 in it, which, fortunately, is exactly what someone did to their beloved, little hatch. The result is a vehicle that epitomizes substance over style. On the outside, the first thing you’ll notice is the fact that this PT Cruiser was turned into a pick-up, which is weird enough on its own considering the retro hatch’s unmistakable profile. So without the rear doors and a hatch that has since been replaced with a pick-up bed, the PT Cruiser’s new profile lends itself a curious look.
That is until you pop open the hood.
Where a 2.4-liter four-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine that produces 150 horsepower and 165 lb-ft of torque once resided is now an old 8.0-liter V10 engine that produces 500 horsepower to go with the Viper’s six-speed transmission, rear suspension, and steering rack. The car is said to have been built some years back, but given it’s uniqueness and downright peculiarity – not to mention the insane power under its hood – it’s still something that will catch your attention.
Now is it enough to warrant a bid on eBay for more than the $13,100 price tag currently on display? We say absolutely only because something this weird with that much horsepower is bound to make anyone stand out in a crowd.
Hennessey isn’t just about creating uber-sexy vehicles like the Venom GT. In fact, a lot of their projects entail tuning up existing models and then slapping on an HPE title coupled with the appropriate horsepower number. The latest vehicle to be blessed with the alphanumeric title is the 2009-2011 Dodge Ram and its new HPE500 designation.
The Ram HPE500 is powered by a 5.7L Hemi that has been geeked up with a TVS2300 Supercharger System and an HPE Air Induction System to help cool the beast down. This setup can produce 505 HP at 5,400rpm when fueled with 93 Octane. Broken down, it gives the driver 422 HP at the rear wheels with a 20% boost providing the 505 HP at the engine. For comparison’s sake, the Ram SRT10 powered by the Viper’s V10 engine gets 410 HP at the rear wheels and 505 HP at the engine. The deep rumble of the truck’s new inner workings can be heard flowing out of the new stainless steel cat-back exhaust system.
If the engine upgrade isn’t enough to convince anyone of Hennessey’s involvement then the company’s badges found on the exterior of the car, as well as the floormats and the embroidered headrests will give onlookers the confirmation they need that this monster was tuned by the killer team at Hennessey.
Pricing for the installed kit is $12,950, but for those do-it-yourselfers out there, you can get the kit mailed to you for $10,950. A less involved HPE425 kit is also available for $6,950 (installed) and $4,950 (mailed kit).
Hit the jump for the full list of specifications for the Ram HPE500 and HPE 425 by Hennessey.
