2012 Ram 1500 Express on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ram 1500 Stinger Yellow is yellow, not quite a Rumble Bee

Ram introduced the Rumble Bee Concept, a black-and-yellow version of the standard single-cab 1500, at the 2013 Woodward Dream Cruise and it was barely a month before rumors started popping up that the visually loud pickup would see production. But in the nearly three years since that debut at 13 Mile and Woodward, there's been nothing to match the Rumble Bee's look. But the new 1500 Stinger Yellow tries. This is best thought of as a spiritual successor to the Rumble Bee, in that it sports a similar black-on-yellow theme inside and out. It's also strikingly similar to the Ignition Orange special-edition 1500 offered last year. Based on the lone image, Stinger Yellow looks to be a more traditional paint than the Drone Yellow matte finish of the Rumble Bee. Instead of black sport stripes, this Ram 1500 wears a pair of black decals on the twin hood scoops that look more than a little something like what you'd see on an early Dodge Challenger SRT8. 001-ram-rumble-bee-concept View 6 Photos The silver-painted alloys are also a departure from the Rumble Bee. The standard five-spoke 22s (20s four-wheel-drive models get 20s) are fine, but they'd carry a bigger visual impact if they matched the hood decals. The same wheels are offered in black on the 1500 Black Sport package. Ram hasn't released any interior shots, but we're told the cabin's color scheme is the inverse of the exterior, with black materials interspersed with "light black chrome" and yellow accents. While Ram doesn't outright say it, a bright yellow pickup truck can't get by with a naturally aspirated V6 engine. The only powertrain available on the 1500 Stinger Yellow Sport is FCA's charming 5.7-liter, 395-horsepower Hemi V8 with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Oh, and you'd better like four doors, because unlike the single-cab Rumble Bee, a Crew Cab body is the only way to fly with the Stinger. We'll cop to being a little disappointed here. Yellow trucks are cool because they represent an unabashed embrace of the Bro Truck lifestyle – say what you will about Bro Trucks, but we respect commitment to car culture no matter what. But this 1500 Stinger Yellow feels just a little half-hearted. We aren't asking for the Rumble Bee.

AEV Ram Concept is an aftermarket Power Wagon

American Expedition Vehicles showed off its simply named Ram Concept at this year's SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Starting with a 2014 Ram 2500 Crew Cab and a 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel, the Michigan-based team at AEV, which has made a name for itself building ultra-capable Jeeps, promises that this Ram is a "complete vehicle package."
As part of that "complete vehicle package," the AEV Ram has been lifted three inches in front and two in the back, in order to give it a level ride. The suspension tweaks don't end there, though, as the geometry has been changed and custom shocks fitted, while AEV modified the truck's steering to make it more precise.
It rides on massive BF Goodrich rubber and 17-inch AEV wheels. The front bumper is from stamped steel and can accommodate a winch and auxiliary lights, as needed. Other body mods include flared fenders that can handle the larger rubber.

Who sold the most heavy-duty pickups in 2012? PickupTrucks.com investigates

Domestic manufacturers enjoyed a good year for heavy-duty pickup sales in 2012. PickupTrucks.com has taken a close look at exactly how those sales broke down between each manufacturer and between three-quarter and one-ton pickups. Ford sold some 67,786 F-250 Super Duty models last year with the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD falling just behind at 56,359 units. The Ram 2500 HD came in third at 41,918, while the GMC Sierra 2500 HD earned itself fourth place with 27,616 deliveries. While Ford held onto the top spot in the one-ton market, Ram easily nailed down second place by selling more 3500 HD models last year than General Motors sold Silverado 3500 HD and Sierra 3500 HD trucks combined.
So, did GM manage to sell more trucks than Ford with its two brands? Very nearly. Ford sold a total of 119,338 heavy-duty pickups to GM's 111,555. Ram, meanwhile, moved a distant 77,583. But perhaps more interesting is the diesel take rate in this segment. PickupTrucks.com says 80 percent of all domestic one-ton trucks roll from the dealer lot with a turbo-diesel under the hood. Head over to the site for a closer look at the breakdown.