2011 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 Sport on 2040-cars

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Chrysler and Hyundai join Pepsi and Coke as top Super Bowl spenders [w/ video]

Super Bowl XLVIII is barely a week away, and some of the early ads are already leaking out. It's timely then that The Street has released rankings of the top five Super Bowl advertisers since 2009, showing Chrysler and Hyundai/Kia taking two of the spots with $131.7 million in cumulative spending.
Since 2010, the cost to air a 30-second Super Bowl ad has risen from $3 million in 2009 to about $4 million in 2014, and about a fifth of advertisers opt for a one-minute ad, which doubles costs. Last year, the ads brought in $292 million, and they have brought in roughly $2 billion since 2010.
Chrysler has spent $64.3 million since 2009 to make it the fourth highest spending company in the last five years. In that time, the company has rebranded itself as it emerged from bankruptcy with the Imported from Detroit ad campaign that premiered in 2011 and last year's God Made a Farmer Ram Trucks ad. Its 2012 Halftime in America sparked national debate about whether it was also a reference to the upcoming presidential election.

NHTSA investigating power modules on Chrysler Group SUVs and minivans

The Center for Auto Safety is officially petitioning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to begin scrutinizing alleged problems with the totally integrated power module (TIPM) on about 24 Chrysler Group SUVs and minivans. The advocacy group claims that the part's failure can cause affected vehicles to stall or not start at all. NHTSA is still looking into the accusations and deciding whether a full investigation is actually warranted.
The CAS petition claims at least 70 TIPM failures, but according to NHTSA, six of the complaints are for models that don't have the modules. In 34 of the reported cases, the vehicles refused to start, and in 17 of them the engine stalled. There were also two allegations of smoke and one of a fire. However, none of these affected airbag deployment or resulted in a crash.
This petition isn't the first TIPM-related problem for Chrysler Group. A recent report in the New York Times alleged that it found 240 complaints potentially related to the issue on NHTSA's website alone. In September, the automaker also recalled 230,760 examples worldwide (188,723 in the US) of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango replace the fuel pump relay circuit inside of the TIPM-7 with one external to the unit. The original part could allegedly cause the models to stall without warning. Even earlier, the company also recalled about 80,000 examples of the Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Nitro in 2007 to have the module reprogrammed.

Apocalypse Warlord 6x6 Ram 1500 TRX wears its name well

Florida-based Apocalypse specializes in building trucks that look like they're ready for, well, the apocalypse. One of its wildest and most powerful builds is a six-wheel-drive, Ram 1500 TRX-based monster called Warlord, and Barrett-Jackson is selling one of the few units built. Ram's hot-rodded TRX already stands out as one of the most impressive pickup trucks on the market; it's powered by the vaunted 6.2-liter, supercharged Hellcat V8 tuned to 702 horsepower and it features nearly a foot of ground clearance. Apocalypse builds on these solid foundations by adding a second set of driven rear wheels, 37-inch tires on all three axles, and a 750-horsepower evolution of the Hellcat V8. Enthusiast website Muscle Car & Trucks reports that there's also a custom-designed suspension system built with Bilstein components. The end result is a behemoth that's 294 inches long, 94 inches tall, and capable of towing 12,000 pounds. Visual modifications include 20-inch wheels, KC lights above the cab, and "WAR" lettering on both ends, where you'd expect to see "RAM." Inside, there's black and red leather and suede upholstery plus a long list of tech features shared with the standard, four-wheeled TRX. What's not included is a stepladder, which you may need in order to hop inside the cab, though power-operated side steps help reduce the size of the jump. If you want one, you're in luck: there is a Warlord looking for a new home at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale 2022 sale, which runs between January 22 and 30. The truck is scheduled to cross the auction block on the 29th at 6 p.m. mountain time. It's offered with no reserve, so the highest bidder will take it home, but don't expect to score a bargain. Apocalypse charges $250,000 before options are factored in. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.