2014 Ram 1500 Slt on 2040-cars

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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.

CEO Sergio Marchionne curses FCA spokesman for emissions cheating denial

WASHINGTON — Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne reprimanded the company's top U.S. spokesman for issuing press releases about Fiat's vehicle emissions practices days after Volkswagen's disclosure in September 2015 that the German automaker had used illegal software to evade emissions tests, documents released Monday show. Lawyers suing Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in a securities case filed excerpts of an email from Marchionne to Gualberto Ranieri, then the company's U.S. spokesman, in a filing in federal court in New York criticizing him for saying that the company does not use defeat devices. "Are you out of your goddam mind?" Marchionne wrote in an email on Sept. 22, 2015, adding that Ranieri should be fired and calling his actions "utterly stupid and unconscionable." The company said in a statement on Monday it was "understandable that our CEO would have a forceful response to any employee who would opine on such a significant and complex matter, without the matter having been fully reviewed through its appropriate channels." The statement added that Ranieri's comments came just days after VW's emissions issue became public "and before a comprehensive internal review and discussions with component suppliers was possible." Fiat Chrysler was sued in 2015 along with Marchionne and other executives over claims it defrauded shareholders by overstating its ability to comply with vehicle safety laws. An amended version of the complaint filed in 2017 added claims about its compliance with emissions laws. The shareholders accused the defendants of inflating Fiat Chrysler's share price by hundreds of millions of dollars from October 2014 to October 2015 by downplaying safety concerns. They said the shortcomings materialized in 2015 when the automaker was fined $175 million by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and took a roughly $670 million charge for recalls. Plaintiffs filed the excerpts seeking approval to take up to 40 additional depositions, including Marchionne's. The U.S. Justice Department sued Fiat Chrysler in May 2017, accusing it of illegally using software to bypass emission controls in 104,000 diesel vehicles sold since 2014. Fiat Chrysler has held numerous rounds of settlement talks with the Justice Department and California Air Resources Board to settle the civil suit, including talks as recently as earlier this month. It faces a separate criminal probe into the matter.

Italian coachbuilder transforms the Ram 1500 into an ostentatious limousine

Motorists who were smitten by the Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury concept and disappointed by the brand's decision not to build it now have a consolation prize. Created by an Italian coachbuilder named Aznom, the Palladium is a sedan-like four-seater limousine built on a platform borrowed from the Ram 1500 pickup. The Palladium exists at the intersection of sedans and SUVs, both in terms of design and in terms of construction, and it's marketed as a hyper-limousine. Surprisingly, company founder Marcello Meregalli explained he began looking into building a truck-based sedan after seeing the Cadillac-badged presidential limousine unveiled in 2008. "That particular Cadillac gave the final push" to the idea, he reminisced in a statement. Beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder, so all we'll say about the Palladium's sheet metal is that it isn't subtle. Its front end is dominated by a grille with vertical LED inserts, thick pieces of chrome trim, and headlights that look 1500-esque if you squint. Viewed from the side, it's evident there was little stylists could do to mask the 1500's extra-long wheelbase, and the four doors are straight off the truck. And, the entire rear fascia rolls out like a giant drawer to give customers access to the trunk. It's a feature that's odd and innovative at the same time. The basset-like proportions likely make the Palladium a nightmare to parallel park, especially in its home country of Italy, but they also allowed stylists to carve out an unusually spacious interior designed primarily for rear-seat comfort. Passengers riding in the back travel on a bench that Aznom describes as a throne, and they benefit from creature comforts like a separate air conditioning system, a Harman-Kardon sound system, two Microsoft tables, plus an on-board fridge. Of course, there's space to store crystal glasses; how could there not be? Power for the Palladium comes from a twin-turbocharged version of Ram's 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine. It's tuned to develop 710 horsepower and 701 pound-feet of torque, and it's bolted to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Aznom quotes a 4.5-second sprint from zero to 62 mph, which is on par with the Hellcat-powered 1500 TRX's time and impressive for a beast that tips the scale at 5,842 pounds. Part-time four-wheel drive comes standard. Ten cars will be manufactured, and each one will be unique because clients will be invited to participate in the design process.