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EarthCruiser adds a bigger camper option to its heavy duty pickup line

EarthCruiser is a camper and expedition vehicle company based out of Oregon that we've previously covered for its huge commercial truck-based machines. But they offer more than that, from drop-in campers for smaller pickups to heavy duty pickup conversions. The company's latest product is one of the latter, offering a larger camping area than the current EXD model. This new camper conversion is called the Terranova. The big differentiator between it and the EXD is the camper section, which extends over the truck cab on the Terranova. This means that bed space can be moved to above the truck cab, instead of having to use a convertible dinette. So less reconfiguring, and generally more usable space. One other major difference is that the EXD is only available for the Ram 3500 and Ford F-350. The Terranova is being designed for both of those trucks as well as the Chevy Silverado 3500. The EarthCruiser Terranova is otherwise very similar to other EarthCruiser models. The camper section is made of fiberglass and plastic, and the pop-up roof is insulated with foam. The curtains are triple-layered. The company says it can house four people. It comes with a freshwater tank and pump to help supply the kitchen sink, drinking water tap, bathroom sink and indoor and outdoor showers. There's also a cassette toilet. The kitchen features an induction stove top and small refrigerator and freezer. A fan system is standard, and air conditioning is optional. Power comes from a 400-aH lithium-ion battery. The Terranova isn't yet available. EarthCruiser is finishing up design and engineering, and it plans to have finished examples early next year. The company is taking reservations now, though. Pricing hasn't been announced, but an EXD runs between $220,000 and $265,000, and we would expect the Terranova to cost even more. Related Video: Featured Gallery EarthCruiser Terranova Expedition Camper renderings Chevrolet Ford RAM Truck Off-Road Vehicles Special and Limited Editions RVs/Campers

Fernando Alonso fails to qualify as Pagenaud takes Indy pole

Former Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso narrowly failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday as France's Simon Pagenaud took pole position for the May 26 race. Kyle Kaiser beat out Alonso for the final spot in the 33-car field when he finished third, one spot ahead of the Spaniard, in a six-car shootout that determined the Indy 500's last row. The 23-year-old Kaiser, the last driver to take the track, averaged 227.372 mph for his four laps, a mere 0.019 mph ahead of Alonso's 227.353 mph average in the McLaren-prepared Chevrolet. "We never surrendered. We kept trying," Alonso, 37, told reporters after a tough week at the famed speedway. The Spaniard crashed his Chevrolet in practice on Wednesday and missed nearly two full days of practice while a back-up car was prepared. Then he tried five times on Saturday to qualify, puncturing a tire on the first attempt. Alonso had a completely new set up for Sunday's shootout but could not get the speed he needed to qualify. "I think the car felt better today than what we had yesterday. (So I am) happy with things we tried," he told reporters before learning he had not qualified. Pagenaud had a four-lap average speed of 229.992 mph to become the first Frenchman to take the pole since Rene Thomas in 1919. "It's just amazing," Pagenaud, who last week won the IndyCar Grand Prix on the track's road course, told NBC Sports. "Obviously last week was amazing, but this is even more special." He will be joined by Ed Carpenter (229.889) and Spencer Pigot (229.826) on the front row. But the Cinderella story belonged to Kaiser, the 33rd qualifier. "I don't think I can wrap my mind around what we just did," he said after bumping Alonso from the field. "This is all the credit to the team. They've been working non-stop trying to get this car ready for us and they did everything that we needed to get into this field." (Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by Ken Ferris)Related Video: Motorsports Chevrolet McLaren Racing Vehicles F1 IndyCar

2016 Chevrolet Camaro: Everything we know so far [UPDATE]

UPDATE: We fully expect the floodgates to open as facts and photos leak throughout the day. Watch this space for more information as it breaks, including these leaked photos, and some new powertrain speculation. Chevrolet has made a grand production of teasing the all-new, sixth-generation Camaro. That slow trickle will become a deluge this weekend, when the 2016 model hits the stage on Detroit's Belle Isle as part of an all-day Camaro-palooza. Considering you're likely to hear plenty about the next-gen muscle car in the next couple days, we figured now is the perfect time to sort out all the facts and rumors we've heard about the next-generation coupe that's coming this weekend. Here's everything we know about Camaro Six. What Will It Look Like? Arguably the easiest Camaro question to answer after all the teasers and spy shots, General Motors' design team favored evolving the current car's retro design language while retaining the same basic shape. The long hood will carry on, joined by an even shorter, wing-topped rear deck, giving the 2016 an almost fastback-like look. The greenhouse is still slim, but lateral visibility may improve slightly owing to the larger quarter windows. We can only hope. The rear end looks to have been rounded, while Chevy's own teaser shows off larger, more prominent taillight housings than the simple rectangular lights on today's car. Expect quad-tipped exhausts to be offered on at least one version of the Camaro. Judging by the single teaser of the car's profile, the rear haunches will be larger and more chiseled. The muscular aluminum hood and its accompanying power bulge are more heavily styled than on today's car, although it looks largely similar in terms of size. It sits atop an even slimmer upper grille that's barely big enough for Chevy's Bowtie logo, with most of the visual mass moving to the gaping lower grille. One of the more tantalizing rumors surrounding the new Camaro focuses on its roof. As evidenced in a rather bizarre round of spy photos, it almost looks like Chevy is considering a removable panel, a la Corvette Stingray. T-tops are also a distinct (and more probable, we hope) possibility. The new shape will result in a more aerodynamic car, and Chevy claims the 2016 Camaro spent 350 hours in the wind tunnel. Overall lift has apparently been cut by 30 percent, thanks partially to a new, smooth underbody panel. Chevrolet has been far less forthcoming with information on the new Camaro's cabin.