2014 Ram 1500 on 2040-cars

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FCA announces the winners of its Design Sketch Battle contest

Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) designers Ralph Gilles and Mark Trostle announced the winner of the first Design Sketch Battle on their respective Instagram accounts. The 24-hour contest invited designers and enthusiasts from all over the world to submit their "wickedest and most outrageous designs for a Ram truck." Participants flooded the company's various social media accounts with creative submissions that did not disappoint. Ralph Gilles, FCA's head of design, selected submissions sent by Paul Piliste, Rezo Lomaia, Michael Stanfel, Morten Rabiee, and Joshua Reese. The sketches he selected all put a decidedly futuristic spin on Ram's design language, and one is a tribute to the original Power Wagon introduced in 1946. They embrace the company's rugged side with oversized wheels and ground clearance measured in feet, not inches. Don't look for street-oriented, low-to-the-ground performance -— like Gilles' own Tomahawk GTR sketch from 1995 — here. We've embedded his winners below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Mark Trostle, the head of design for Ram and Mopar, published his top picks an hour after Gilles. He selected work by Bryan Johnson, Robin Mathew, Ricky Ryan Goimarac, Jon Sibal, and Sean Smith. His attention gravitated towards futuristic designs, too, but he channeled his inner hot-rodder by choosing what looks like a slammed quad-cab Ram with a front fascia and fender flares from a wide-body Challenger. His fifth pick is one we'd love to see in showrooms: it blends retro-inspired and modern styling cues in a street-oriented high-performance package. His winners are embedded below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. In the world of Lego, designers can compete for the chance to add their one-off creation to the company's catalog of current and classic cars. We don't know if FCA will give the Design Sketch Battle winners the same distinction. In the meantime, Gilles and Trostle both said they'd post more stand-out designs on Instagram over the weekend. Spoiler alert: Someone Photoshopped a Ram 1500 Rebel grille onto a Tesla Cybertruck. You've been warned. Related Video:

The biggest gas-guzzlers of 2024: 'The Meanest List' is the opposite of greenest cars

In some circles — especially some automotive circles — bigger is better. This explains the Hummer, for example. In its so-called “Meanest List” of a dozen models, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) makes no apologies for berating “the worst-performing mass market automobiles” sold in 2024 in the U.S. The most diminutive car on the list is a Chevy Corvette Z06. At the top of this particular heap is the Mercedes-Benz AMG G63, a gas-powered SUV that the environmental agency says was “the worst-performing vehicle of the more than 1,200 models assessed by Greener Cars and has an annual fuel cost over $4,000.” Not to mention its MSRP of around $184,000. Rank Make & Model Powertrain Green Score MSRP Estimated Annual Fuel Cost* 1 Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 Gas 20 $184,000 $4,242 2 Ram 1500 TRX 4x4 Gas 22 $98,335 $3,819 3 Ford F150 Raptor R Gas 24 $79,975 $3,777 4 Cadillac Escalade V Gas 26 $152,295 $3,388 5 Dodge Durango SRT Gas 26 $74,995 $3,332 6 Jeep Wrangler 4dr 4X4 Gas 27 $35,895 $3,260 7 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 4x4 Gas 28 $91,945 $3,058 8 Mercedes-Benz G550 Gas 28 $143,000 $3,186 9 GMC Hummer EV SUV EV 29 $98,845 $1,746 10 GMC Sierra Gas 29 $37,700 $3,069 11 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Gas 30 $114,395 $3,169 12 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S680 Gas 30 $234,300 $3,031 *ACEEE analysis using EIA data of the annual cost of driving 15,000 miles In terms of numbers, the dirty dozen of the meanest includes seven SUVs and three trucks. Lonely at the middle of the list is the sole electric, the GMC Hummer EV, which weighs in at 9,000 pounds. The council notes that “though EVs have lower emissions than similarly sized gasoline models, the Hummer demonstrates that size and efficiency, not just fuel source, are important factors in a carÂ’s environmental impact.” ItÂ’s also worth reminding prospective buyers that the average fuel cost of a vehicle on the “Greenest List” eats up only a fifth of the fuel cost of a vehicle on the Meanest List, “showing that greener options can also be more affordable.” The ACEEE also put out a "Greener List" of efficient gasoline and hybrid cars that don't require plugging in.  By the Numbers Green Cadillac Chevrolet Dodge Ford GMC Hummer Jeep Maybach Mercedes-Benz RAM Emissions Fuel Efficiency Green Automakers Truck SUV Electric Hybrid

Ram Multifunction Tailgate swings into the pickup truck tailgate fray

Let the tailgate wars escalate, says Ram. Today, the Ram 1500 responds to GMC's Multi-Pro tailgate with its own fancy way to get stuff in and out of the bed. Named the "Multifunction Tailgate," (very creative, we know) Ram decided to give the tailgate a 60/40 split. Before we get into functionality, just take a peek at how it looks closed. On the red Ram Rebel chosen to show it off, you're greeted with a sizable black line running down the entire height of the tailgate in an odd spot. The off-center nature of the split makes for a strange look no matter the angle. We have a feeling that a black truck would solve any kind of visual weirdness going on here. On to the important part: How does it work? For starters, you can use it just like a normal truck tailgate. Drop it down with a release button on the handle, or use the remote release. Ram says it doesn't give up anything in capability or toughness in this down position — it has a 2,000-pound load rating. What makes this tailgate unique is its swinging functionality, though. The tailgate is capable of swinging both sides open like doors. Think Honda Ridgeline, but there are two elements to swing out instead of just one. This allows for closer access to the truck bed. The benefits are obvious: easier loading and unloading, easier washout, and you can even use a forklift to load it up now, too. Both of the barn doors swing out to 88 degrees. It's possible to have just the right or just the left door open, or both at once. Ram Multifunction Tailgate View 10 Photos Ford started this tailgate war with its now simple-looking bed step, but now it finds itself the most back-to-basics offering in the group. GMC officially has the most complicated piece of tech with the various foldouts and all-out size, but Ram is somewhere in the middle with this one. We were fans of the swing-out tailgate on our long-term Honda Ridgeline, so let's hope this one proves just as useful. Ram will be at the Chicago Auto Show with this tailgate, so we'll be sure to give it a thorough shakedown on the show floor. Any 2019 Ram 1500 can be equipped with the tailgate as an option for $995. The center step can be tacked on separately for $295. We're told to expect Rams equipped thusly to roll into dealerships during the second quarter of 2019. Related video: