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.
The Ram Long Hauler Concept Truck is a definite eye-catcher in every sense of the word, mostly because it seems to stretch longer than standard-sized pick-up trucks. Incredibly, all this is by design.
Chrysler’s Ram brand has officially unveiled their latest concept creation, a 24-foot long quad-cab pick-up truck that’s so big it can actually carry up to 170 gallons of fuel in one go while trucking non-stop at a distance of over 1,600 miles before it needs to be fed again.
The truck is based on the Class 5 Ram 5500 Chassis Cab, except that the whole thing has been extended to ridiculous lengths. Nothing about this pick-up truck screams ordinary. Even if it’s a concept, Chrysler is presenting it as an ideal ’work horse’ for people who might need to tow heavy trailers for long distances. Judging by the look of this mastadon of a pick-up truck, we already figured as much.
Check out more details of the Long Hauler Concept, together with exhibit dates, after the jump.
The truck business isn’t exactly a glamorous segment for aftermarket companies. Not because there’s a shortage of companies willing to fine-tune a monster of a truck, but more so because the appeal these days can be found in other automotive segments.
That being said, let’s not sleep on these heavy-duty bad boys just yet, especially when you have a tuning company like Callaway in the mix. Noted for their work on sports cars and muscle cars, the aftermarket tuning specialists went the way of trucks for their latest program: a modification kit for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
Available for both the 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter versions of the Silverado, Callaway’s “C19” engine kit allows the hulking Chevy SUV to produce as much as 540 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 522 lb/ft of torque at 3,800 rpm for the 6.2-liter version of the Silverado. Meanwhile, the 5.3-liter version gets 450 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 450 lb/ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. Another important detail to consider is that even if you don’t have a Silverado 1500, Callaway’s engine kit can also be used on other GM trucks that share the same engine with the Silverado, from the Tahoe all the way up to the Suburban.
Other items that are a part of the package include a liquid-to-air intercooler, carbon fiber injection covers, a low-restriction exhaust, and a three-year, 36,000-mile Callaway powertrain warranty with an extra option to upgrade to five years and 100,000 miles if you so choose. And just in case we forget who made the project in the first place, the Silverado has been plastered with plenty of Callaway badging to go around.
The price of the whole upgrade hits $15,995. It might be a pretty hefty sum for a performance tune-up, but given the need for beastly trucks like these to have as much power as it can get, it’s probably an investment worth making.
Any Australians anxiously awaiting the return of the Thunder can now breathe a tremendous sigh of relief; it seems that Holden will be bringing back the special edition Thunder nameplate to the VE Series II Ute line-up. The special edition has been launched as a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the original 1951 Ute and will be based on the popular SV6 and SS Ute models. The SV6 will be powered by a 3.6l SIDI V6 and the SS Ute will come with the standard V8. Both models will come standard with a six-speed manual transmission and optional six-speed automatic.
The special edition Holden Thunder Ute will be available in 10 exterior colors and will be distinguished by unique 19-inch five spoke charcoal alloy wheels. Thunder badges will also be visible on the side and rear of the exterior, while the interior gets sports seats with leather bolsters and Touch-screen Holden-iQ system with Satellite Navigation.
"Over 60 years of production, the Holden ute has evolved from typical tradesman’s transport to two-door sports machine with a practical edge - that’s epitomized by the Thunder range," Holden Executive Director of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales John Elsworth said. "It is a really bold, tough looking ute which we think will appeal to many of our traditional sports ute buyers. We’re expecting it to be an absolute winner in our showrooms."
Jeep Wrangler is no doubt a very cool car, for those of you who enjoy these kind of cars. But what do you think about a Wrangler pick-up? Sounds even better, don’t you agree? Called JK-8 Independence this specil Wrangler takes its inspiration from the 1980’s, Mopar and features a 50 inches long bed, while the width between wheel wells is 44 inches.
In order to create the pick-up style bed for the outside cargo, the Wrangler has been transformed into a two-seater model, with all the interior parts behind the front seats being removed. The JK-8 Independence has been equipped with a Mopar/Dynatrac ProRock 44 front axle and stock Dana 44 rear axle, a 4.5-inch long-arm suspension kit and 37-inch BF Goodrich Mud Terrain KM2 tires.
The car is painted in yellow and its design is further distinguished by off-road bumpers for the front and rear, a new fuel door and slush mats. The JK-8 kit also includes bed floor, inner/outer body panels, half hard top (works with Freedom Top panels), and a new bulkhead.
UPDATE 07/14/2011: Jeep has announced prices for the 2011 Mopar JK-8 Kit that enables owners to transform their Jeep Wrangler Unlimited into a pickup. With only $5,499, the company will dissemble and reassemble your Jeep. Major components of the Mopar JK-8 kit include a steel bed, inner and outer bedsides, sport bar extensions, Freedom panel assemblies, fiberglass hardtop, and bulkhead.
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is a car with almost no competition on the market. But things are about to change now that Mopar has announced the Ram Runner Stage II for the annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari which takes place April 16-24. The Ram Runner Stage II kit will be available for any 2009-2011 Ram 1500 models starting next month. Prices will be as follow: pre-runner stage II lift kit - $13,270; off-road front bumper - $1,250; off-road rear tire carrier $1,010; off-road front fenders $1,020; off-road rear fenders - $1,350.
The Ram Runner Stage II features a HEMI 5.7-liter V-8 engine; larger tires, additional ground clearance and a sophisticated suspension system capable of withstanding tremendous impact. Inspired by trophy trucks, steel front fenders and rear bed-sides are replaced with fiberglass layered in the Liquid Metal Mopar racing scheme. The high-clearance wheel wells allow tremendous suspension articulation with zero tire-to-body interference.
Well speaking of jokesters and pranks, so far the best April Fool’s joke comes from BMW with their new M3 - the world’s fastest pickup. A prototype was "caught testing" recently and BMW couldn’t even hold out until April 1st before they confirmed that it was indeed just a prank. But staying true to their powers of pranking, the German automaker still released full details on their new M3 pick-up.
The M3 Pick-up is powered by a V8 engine and features a generously sized load area in the back and a removable Targa roof. The pick-up, which is only 110 lbs heavier than the convertible M3, offers a maximum load capacity of 992 lbs. The best part? The M3 pickup can hit a top speed of 186 mph (as a reminder, all of the other M3 models are limited to 155 mph).
The official BMW statement states: "the BMW M3 Pickup will not be heading for the golf course or series development, but will retain its status as an exclusive one-off. It is earmarked for use as a workshop transport vehicle for BMW M GmbH. With this in mind, the current BMW M3 Pickup – unlike a similar predecessor built back in the 1980s – has gone through the requisite procedures to earn its road certification. Which makes it officially a truck – but one that puts a whole new spin on the meaning of the word."
The idea behind this is absolutely fascinating and just the sheer curiosity of it all would have made this the best April Fool’s joke ever, had BMW lasted long enough to make it to April 1st.
Away from the bright lights of the Geneva Motor Show comes the introduction of the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado at the Bangkok International Auto Show. Bet you didn’t know that, did you?
Weird as it looks to have an American mid-size pick-up have its debut at an unheralded Asian auto show, it’s worth noting that Thailand just happens to be the world’s largest market for mid-size pick-up trucks. Bet you didn’t know that either.
Featuring Chevrolet’s new design language, the new Colorado certainly looks the part of a heavy-hitter in a mid-size pick-up’s body. But the bigger question surrounding this pick-up doesn’t have anything to do with its aesthetic or performance specs, but rather on the possibility of the Colorado being sold in the US. Chevrolet has given no indication on that matter yet, but since the Silverado is the only pick-up on Chevrolet’s roster, it might make sense for the US market to be given a choice on which Chevy pick-up they might prefer.
Skyjacker Suspensions displayed on the floors of SEMA Show a pretty impressive upgrade package for the Ford F-350 Super Duty. According to the tuner this is a vehicle made to appeal to the active lifestyle of the Super Duty owner. A Skyjacker-developed 8.5-inch suspension offers a bold lift for work and play, and will let the owner go deeper into the field.
The package includes a 8.5 Inch system that replaces the OEM radius arm design with High-Impact Heavy Wall DOM Tubular 4-Link Arms with adjustable rod ends. The rod end is press fitted with a steel encased vulcanized rubber bushing that can support the torque of the Diesel engine and still provide years of trouble free service.
Next to this update, the package also includes: High-Impact Heavy Wall DOM Tubular 4-Link Arms, Heavy-duty front and rear Fab Fours bumpers, a Warn Industries winch and lights to round out the tough look, Preset and Formed Softride® Coil Springs, front extended sway bar end links, brake line extensions and forged adjustable rod ends with OEM Style Bushings.
Dodge has just added a new entry-level model to their Ram line-up. Typically, automakers try to outshine each other with plenty of gizmos and gadgets to warrant a heftier price tag and a power struggle between them. However, Dodge has taken an entirely different route with this new model, whose name has yet to be decided upon. For now, Dodge is choosing to call the new and affordable Ram by its code name "Adventurer." This new model was produced and targeted for the first time truck buyer who doesn’t want to settle for mediocrity. Dodge figures the Tradesman is sure to be a success so why not offer another low budget truck for the masses to swallow up whole.
"We know we have the formula right," said Ram Truck President and CEO Fred Diaz. "Now we just need a great name that promotes pride of ownership. This new Ram model will be an attractive alternative for a younger or first-time buyer looking for performance at an affordable price. Case in point, it will have more horsepower and a lower base price than our competitors’ entry-level performance cars with the added benefit of versatility and capability."
In terms of power, Dodge has promised that the new "Adventurer" will borrow the same formula from the highly acclaimed 2011 Ram Tradesman recently revealed at the Chicago Show. This means we should expect to see a 5.7-liter V8 engine with an output of 390 horsepower and 407 lb.-ft. of torque tucked neatly underneath the truck’s massive hood.
The Dodge Ram 1500 "Code Name: Adventurer" will go on sale in the second quarter of 2011 at a bargain price of $23,830.
Hit the jump to read more about the Dodge Ram 1500 "Code Name: Adventurer".
For every pencil pusher and paper shuffler sitting in a cubicle is a sweat-producing, muscle-flexing worker with plenty of equipment to tote around to their various projects. These blue-collar workers have places to go and Dodge has created a new entry-level model to make the commute that much easier. The new Dodge Ram Tradesman is an affordable option with a starting price of $22,780 with sales beginning in the second quarter of 2011.
Available in either regular cab short-bed (6 ft., 4 in.) and long-bed (8 ft.) models, the Tradesman comes with a choice of 4x2 or 4x4 powertrains, a bright chrome grille, 17" painted wheels, and numerous interior and exterior updates.
"The Ram Tradesman is named for — and aimed at — the heart of our business," said Fred Diaz, President and CEO, Ram Truck Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. "This is a hard-working truck for hard-working people. Durability, reliability and value for the money are the top three considerations for our customers. Their truck is the most important tool they own and one they’ll use every day. The Ram Tradesman is a truck they can depend on."
Hit the jump to read more about the Dodge Ram Tradesman.
