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2019 Ram 1500 pickup is keepin' it steel — well, mostly

The 2019 Ram 1500 pickup was ready for its close-up — an extreme close-up — from one of our spy photographers, who recently was able to walk around the entire truck, testing each body panel with a magnet. The result? He determined that the pickup will remain almost entirely steel, except for an aluminum hood and tailgate. This breaks from Ford's weight-saving move to aluminum on the F-150, and now in the coming Expedition, which has been the fodder of Chevy ads. Other details of the Ram 1500 facelift we already think we knew: The truck will get new front and rear facias. Coil springs with optional air suspension are likely to continue. It will get a larger cab. And a hybrid and turbocharged four-cylinder are possibilities. Predictably, a more powerful V8 and a Raptor fighter are rumored. Demon Ram, anyone? Meanwhile, here's a look at some Ram packages being offered for 2018. The 2019 Ram 1500 could debut as soon as January's Detroit Auto Show. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Ram 1500 spy shots aluminum hood Related Gallery 2019 Ram 1500 Dealer Leak Spy Shots Image Credit: Brian Williams Spy Photos RAM Truck aluminum weight reduction

Ram shows off its 2019 Heavy Duty trucks in Laramie Longhorn trim

It may not be everyone's bag (baby), but Ram's high-end Laramie Longhorn trim level has proven quite successful for the truck maker. The Southwestern-themed kit has won the Luxury Pickup Truck of Texas award three years in a row, and you know how popular fullsize pickups are in the the great state of Texas. No surprise, then, that the truck is making its debut today at the Houston Auto Show just a week after other trim levels of Ram's 2019 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty pickup truck line were displayed in Detroit. Like other 2019 Ram HDs, the Laramie Longhorn comes standard with a 6.4-liter gasoline-fueled Hemi V8 sending 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque through an 8-speed automatic. Two diesel engines are optional, both sourced from Cummins, both displacing 6.7 liters, and both mated up with 6-speed automatic transmissions. The first step up the diesel ladder nets the buyer 370 hp and 850 lb-ft. But the big dog is the High Output inline-six-cylinder diesel with 400 horsepower and a superlative-defying 1,000 lb-ft of torque at just 1,800 rpm. What sets the Laramie Longhorn apart from lesser models are its interior furnishings. It's heavy on full-grain leather, but now boasts a new alligator skin-embossed surface over the center console, instrument panel, seats and door-panel inserts. Warm-hued satin chrome and brushed nickel trim are unique to the Longhorn, as are barn-wood accent pieces. The interior color offerings include a two-tone brown and a black and tan package. Outside, the Laramie Longhorn offers optional RV Match Walnut Brown bumpers and flares for those who want a unified towing experience. Wheels measuring 20 inches in diameter are offered in various finishes, and the badges are inspired by large belt buckles. See for yourself in the image gallery up above. If you find the style appealing, prefer to travel with your vacation home in tow, and don't mind a starting price that's sure to approach $60,000 with the base V8, Ram promises its Heavy Duty haulers will ride better than their Ford or Chevy equivalents due to their five-link coil and air-bag supported suspension systems. Plus, with a max tow rating of 35,100 pounds courtesy of the the Cummins H.O. powertrain, Ram has bragging rights as the baddest truck in town... for now. Related Video:

Some Ram truck buyer is about to get the 3 millionth Cummins diesel engine

Dodge made a Cummins-built turbodiesel engine available in one of its trucks for the first time during the 1989 model year. Over three decades and a name change later, the company announced it ordered the 3 millionth engine from Cummins, and it's about to drop it in a truck. The 3 millionth engine is patiently waiting on a pallet until it's needed on the assembly line. Ram noted the oil-burning six will be installed in a 2019 3500 Longhorn Crew Cab Dually, a model built for both towing and cruising. While the firm knows who ordered the truck, it chose not to release the owner's name to maintain an element of surprise. The dealership that sold it is planning to host a celebration, so the buyer will only find out that he or she purchased a piece of Ram and Cummins history when arriving to pick it up. The Longhorn isn't the kind of truck you're likely to see on a construction site. Priced in the vicinity of $60,000, it's an upmarket variant of Ram's tow-it-all Heavy Duty pickup decked out with leather upholstery, an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat, two rows of heated seats, and an 8.4-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system. The high-output Cummins 6.7-liter six adds $11,795 to its base price, meaning the truck receiving the 3 millionth engine costs around $75,000.  Cummins has made several different engines for Dodge- and Ram-branded trucks since 1988. It crossed the 200-horsepower mark for the first time in 1996, and built its first engine with over 500 pound-feet of torque in 2001. The current Cummins, the variant going into the milestone truck, is a mighty, 6.7-liter straight-six that serves 400 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque.