2022 Ram Promaster High Roof on 2040-cars

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The Ram Macho Power Wagon concept is totally in your face with its cool rack system

The Ram brand isn't being very subtle with this year's SEMA concept. It's called the Macho Power Wagon, and it's painted in Macho Mango. Yeah, it's for dudes. We apologize if you start hearing a Village People song in the back of your head. This bigger, badder Ram is a throwback to the Macho Power Wagon of the late 1970s. Along those lines, it bears the retro, vertical Power Wagon graphics that line the C-pillar, and it also has vintage-style eight-spoke beadlock wheels inspired by its '70s namesake. Those wheels are shod in huge 37-inch tires, which fit thanks to a four-inch suspension lift, and custom, conceptual fender flares. View 20 Photos The truck is powered by the normal Power Wagon's 6.4-liter V8, rather than the crazy TRX concept's supercharged Hemi, and it has the stock front winch. This Ram also sports quite a few concept parts besides the wheels and fender flares. Starting at the front and moving rearward, the Macho Wagon gets custom bumpers with skid plates and tow hooks, a new hood with big heat extractors, an LED light bar, a roof rack, single-piece running-boards, and five-inch exhaust tips. There's one more custom piece in back. Immediately behind the C-pillar is a sport hoop, under which hides another hoop that can slide along tracks on the bed. These hoops together are called the Ramrack, and when the second hoop is moved back along the bed, it works together with the cab's roof rack to create a long utility rack. It's a thoroughly clever way of adding practicality without sacrificing appearances. We would love to see something like this reach production, since it could be very handy on quad cab pickups with short beds, allowing them to carry long objects without having to drop the tailgate to get them to fit. Because there's nothing macho about that. Related Video:

Ram thinks EcoDiesel will lure small-pickup buyers into fullsize 1500

One of the more curious developments at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week was the return of the Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck. General Motors ended production of the Colorado and its cousin, the GMC Canyon, early last year. At the time, the decision seemed to be the final curtain for small and midsize domestic pickups, as it followed Ford's decision to kill the Ranger and Chrysler's decision to end production of the Dodge Dakota.
Bigland argues the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is essentially competing for the same buyers as the Colorado.
Does Chevy's revival of the Colorado mean a new dawn for the segment overall? Yes and no. The Colorado's reinvention essentially provides a peek at how automakers tackle the same problem in two different ways. GM's approach is to create a new midsize pickup. Chrysler's approach, on the other hand, would seem to focus more on the prospective buyer than the product itself.

2019 Ram 1500 Warlock is priced right and revives a retro name

Few car companies have a history as rich and fun as Mopar, and few companies take advantage of it like Fiat Chrysler. Bringing back fantastic colors such as Sublime, or exciting models such as Power Wagon, FCA is an ace at retro vehicles. Well, it is most of the time. Then there are things like the 2019 Ram 1500 Warlock. But before we dig into the new one, we need to talk about the original, which was a trim introduced in 1976 on Dodge's old full-size truck. It was part of a line of pre-customized Dodges called "Adult Toys" ( we're not making that up). The Macho Power Wagon was one of them, and the modern Power Wagon's stripes come from that truck. The Warlock was likewise a pre-customized truck that came with gold pinstripes, wheels and upholstery, bucket seats and oak bed rails. It was also available with a six- or eight-cylinder engine and two- or four-wheel drive. The new Warlock does fit some of the original's spirit, since it's customized from the factory. It has a one-inch lift over the stock truck, powder-coated bumpers, fender flares, 20-inch wheels and decals aplenty. It's even available with six or eight cylinders and rear- or four-wheel drive. But our two main problems are that this doesn't look any different than other special Ram models, and nothing about it references the old Warlock. As for the first problem, we've seen all the parts and most of the stickers on this truck before, especially on the Rebel that has the same lights, grille, bumpers and fender flares. And for the second, this was a big missed opportunity to try out some cool retro touches, such as the gold wheels and pinstripes. A custom interior would have been especially nice. The new Warlock has just the plain "Diesel Gray" interior found on most basic Rams. And this is all without something unique like the original's wood bed rails. There is an upside to all of this, though, and it's that the Warlock offers truck buyers a way to get a new Rebel-style Ram for a lot less than the real thing. The Rebel trim no longer exists on the Ram 1500 Classic (what the Warlock is based on), and it starts at $46,635. The Warlock starts at just $37,040 with two-wheel drive and the standard V6. Buyers can also add a V8 and four-wheel drive as options. So the Warlock isn't a great Warlock, but it's a solid budget Rebel. Related Video: