4x4 - Diesel - Mega Cab - Rambox - Nav - Leather on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Chrysler banks $507 million in Q2, trims 2013 earnings forecast

Chrysler has some good news and some bad news. First, profits were up 16 percent over the second quarter of 2012, bringing the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based manufacturer $507 million on the back of strong demand for trucks and SUVs (a recurring theme this quarter, particularly in the US). Q2 revenue was up as well, from $16.8 billion in 2012 to $18 billion in 2013. The bad news is that the Pentastar's overall earnings forecast for net income in 2013 has been trimmed from $2.2 billion to between $1.7 and $2.2 billion, according to Automotive News.
In addition to the adjusted net income forecast, Chrysler tweaked its operating profit from $3.8 billion to between $3.3 and $3.8 billion. This has gone largely unexplained by Chrysler, perhaps hoping the news of a three-percent increase in its transaction prices for Q2 will allow it to sweep this adjustment under the rug.
The star of the show for Chrysler has been its US sales, which saw a 10-percent jump, both bettering the industry average of eight percent and improving over the same stretch of 2012. As with the increase in transaction prices, Chrysler has the new Ram pickup and Jeep Grand Cherokee to thank. Perhaps most worrying from this report, though, is that every brand in the automaker's stable saw an increase in sales... except for the Chrysler brand itself.

Ram's newest Power Wagon looks even more outlandish for 2014 [w/video]

The newest Ram Power Wagon is arguably the most imposing vehicle to be shown at the 2014 New York Auto Show, boasting a number of new aesthetic features, as well as a new graphics package.
Ram added a 6.4-liter V8 as an optional engine for 2014, but in the Power Wagon, it's the sole powerplant, boasting 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. An equally robust six-speed automatic backs up the brawny engine, while 4.10 gearing, an 11.5-inch rear axle and electronically locking front and rear diffs come standard.
A new five-link coil rear suspension and Bilstein monotube shocks should deliver a pretty comfortable ride, while the Power Wagon's off-road ability is complemented by the new Articulink system on the front suspension, which offers electronic sway-bar disconnect. 33-inch Goodyear rubber comes standard.

Ram readying radical two-way split tailgate?

Ram may be preparing a new sort of tailgate that could rethink the way we access the bed of the company's pickup trucks. Rather than the typical fold-down tailgate that we know so well, patent drawings show a tailgate that combines the functionality of a traditional fold-down design with a 50/50 split that can, individually, be opened like a barn-door design or dropped flat like a standard tailgate.
Now, Ram is far from the first to toy around with something like this. The most obvious example is the Honda Ridgeline, which features a single-piece tailgate that is double-hinged so that it can open traditionally or be swung out to the side. The big news here is the split and the fact that each half can be used independently of the other. Unlike the Honda, the individual halves would be operated via touchpads.
The implications of this new design aren't entirely clear right now. It seems possible that the rendering could just be for a concept vehicle, but production is certainly possible as well - Ram has shown a real willingness to innovate in the pickup segment as of late, with features like coil-spring rear suspensions, light-duty diesels and the Ram Box bedside storage system.