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FCA Drive for Design Ram truck contest winners chosen

Last month, Fiat Chrysler held a 24-hour sketch battle open to anyone in the world willing to design the "wickedest and most outrageous" version of a Ram truck. That flash contest was a sideshow to the main event, FCA's annual Drive for Design competition open to high schoolers in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades who were this year asked to design a Ram pickup for the future. The automaker's design team judged the entries, led by Ram Truck and Mopar Exterior Design boss Mark Trostle, with outside input from Detroit sculptor Josh Welton. The contest closed on May 1, and the winners have been decided: Job Skandera, a 12th grader from Santa Clara, California took first place with his Ram Magma; Vincent Piaskowski, an 11th grader from Birmingham, Michigan (home of Autoblog's headquarters) earned second place with an electric Ram; third place went to the Ram 1500 Series A by 11th grader Alex David Kirschmann from Auburn Hills, Michigan. Kirschmann clearly has a knack for this since he earned second place in last year's Drive for Design competition. The Ram Magma's name is suggested by the translucent polycarbonate windows that forego traditional tinting for a crystalline red privacy sheen "inspired by volcanic igneous rock." The Magma also showcases multiple light bars stretched across the roof, a UV water purifier system between the cab and bed, and a stove embedded into the tailgate. Thankfully, the feature set includes an adjustable suspension that lowers the cab to mortal levels of ingress. The electric Ram protects its extremities with a lightweight graphene hardcoat, offers side storage outside the bed, more storage under the bed floor, a heavy duty power station tucked into the bed wall, and the sandwiched tailgate can form a two-tier shelf system for organization on the job site. That tailgate gives us some real ideas. The 1500 Series A is Judge Dredd's truck when he leaves his Lawmaster motorcycle at the office. The RamBox storage compartments and retractable tonneau cover would represent sentimental historical touches when he's running errands — and moving everyone out of his way — in Mega-City One. Due to social distancing, the traditional awards ceremony and visit to FCA design HQ to talk with team members had to be canceled.

Chrysler recalling 382k Ram HD diesel pickups, 184k SUVs

Between GM's ignition switches and Takata's airbags, it's been a big year for recalls, but they keep rolling in. The latest comes from Chrysler, which has announced a pair of recalls for certain heavy-duty pickups and SUVs.
The first issue revolves around the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine available in the 2010-2014 Ram HD trucks, including 2500 and 3500 series pickups as well as 4500 and 5500 series chassis cabs. In the affected units, "a terminal connector near the fuel heater may be subject to friction-induced corrosion," according to the first of the two announcements from Chrysler below.
The problem could result in overheating and fuel leakage. Chrysler launched its investigation following cases of overheating, none of which actually started a fire, much less an injury or accident. As a precautionary measure, however, Chrysler is instructing service technicians to replace the terminals on an estimated 381,876 Ram units around the world - the vast majority of those (314,704) registered in the US, another 59,432 in Canada, 1,803 in Mexico and 5,937 abroad.

Ram shows off Ignition Orange and Black Sport with standard Hemi engine

If a buyer is even considering a pickup, Ram wants to make sure that it has a variant of the venerable 1500 ready. From the outdoorsy Rebel to the plush Laramie Limited, there seems to be something for even the smallest niche, but apparently that isn't the case. The truck maker adds two more versions later this year with the brash Ignition Orange Sport and subdued Black Sport, and they're limited to 1,000 units each. The Ignition Orange gets eye-grabbing paint over most of the truck, including the trim, except for a few black accents like the hood stripes. The same color gets carried inside for the seat inserts, stitching and logos, too. Alternatively, the Black Sport makes everything dark, including the exterior and 20-inch wheels. Even the interior is clad in black leather with some chrome accents providing some relief. Beyond the special trim, both trucks are based on the Ram 1500 Sport Crew Cab and add $1,595 to the price of one. They come with a 395-horsepower V8, eight-speed automatic and 3.92 gearing. Inside, there's an 8.4-inch Uconnect system with navigation and rearview camera. There's also a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive. Feel free to read more, below. Ram 1500 Offers Two New Buzz Models in Sport Trim Ram 1500 Ignition Orange Sport features unique interior colors, body-colored accents and limited edition bright orange paint, appreciated up close and at 10,000 feet Ram 1500 Black Sport takes design cues from popular Black Express package, offering customers a customized appearance including black 20" wheels and a sport hood New Ram 1500 Sport buzz models are limited production of 1,000 trucks each March 12, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The Ram Truck brand announced today that it will add two new Ram 1500 buzz models in Sport trim - the Ram 1500 Ignition Orange Sport and the Ram 1500 Black Sport. "With a standard HEMI® V-8, the Sport model offers unique features for the customer who likes aggressive styling and great performance but still needs a truck," said Bob Hegbloom – President and CEO, Ram Truck Brand. "Adding limited edition Ignition Orange and Black Sport models will give our buyers a custom appearance on an already eye-catching truck with all the capability our customers expect." The limited-edition trucks are available in Crew Cab 4x2 and 4x4.