2014 Ram 1500 Slt on 2040-cars

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2022 GMC Hummer EV No. 001 at Barrett-Jackson brings $2.5 million

This year's Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., played host to a bunch of the first examples of hot new cars: VIN No. 001 of the 2022 GMC Hummer EV, 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and CT4-V Blackwing, 2021 Ford Bronco, 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 and 2021 Ram 1500 TRX. Every single one of them sold for more than six figures, with all the proceeds of nearly $5 million going to charities, but the big winner was absolutely the Hummer with a hammer price of $2.5 million. The Bronco did nicely, too, with a selling price of $1,075,000. You can see the list of the sale prices from highest to lowest of these first examples below. GMC Hummer EV: $2,500,000 Ford Bronco: $1,075,000 Ford Mustang Mach 1: $500,000 Ram 1500 TRX Launch Edition: $410,000 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing: $265,000 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing: $165,000 Despite the Hummer going for $2.5 million, it wasn't the most expensive car to cross the block. That honor goes to a 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake that was once owned by Carroll Shelby himself. It sold for $5.5 million, the same price it sold for back in 2007. Nearly as pricey as the Hummer was a restored, numbers-matching 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 that went for $2,475,000. Related video:

Mopar announces retractable bed step for Ram's 1500 and Heavy Duty pickups

As trucks get taller, hopping into the cargo box without performing contortionist-like moves becomes increasingly difficult. Mopar solved this problem by developing a retractable bed step that's compatible with Ram's pickups. When it's not needed, like when the truck is moving, the step is tucked under the cargo box. Where it's mounted depends on the model. It can be bolted on the left side of the hitch (if equipped) on 1500 trucks equipped with the 60/40-split MultiFunction tailgate, or directly below the driver-side corner of the bumper in Classic and Heavy Duty models. Either way, users can extend it with their foot, so they can step into the box even if their hands are full. Mopar noted it makes the step with high-strength aluminum, and it applies either a black e-coat or a powder-coated finish for better durability. There's no word on whether users can install it on their own, or if it needs to be added by a technician, but we can't imagine it requires cutting or welding. Odds are it's held by sturdy bolts. Mopar cargo box step for Ram 1500 View 4 Photos On sale now in the United States and Canada, the retractable bed step developed for trucks with a split tailgate wears part number 82216265AB, and it's priced at $395. It can hold up to 350 pounds. If your 1500 has a one-piece tailgate, the step you need also offers a 350-pound capacity but it carries part number 82215289AG and it costs $365. Heavy Duty owners need to ask for part number 82215842AE and set aside $365. Mopar didn't forget about motorists who own an older truck. Part number 82214245AD corresponds to a step that fits the last-generation 1500, which is still available new as the 1500 Classic, and it can hold 300 pounds. It was developed to fit single- or dual-exhaust models, according to Ram, and it's the cheapest of the bunch at $304. Numerous aftermarket manufacturers offer extendable bed steps, it's an accessory that has been around for years, but Mopar's stands out because it's covered by a warranty that's valid for two years regardless of mileage, or for the remainder of the truck's three-year, 36,000-mile warranty. If you're looking at the competition, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra twins are available with steps integrated into the cargo box and the rear bumper, so they don't extend, but the latter's MultiPro tailgate can be configured as one wide step. Chevrolet might soon offer it, too. Related Video:

Chrysler 3.0L EcoDiesel V6: Autoblog Technology of the Year finalist

Offering a diesel engine in an American pickup is anything but new - Ford, General Motors and Chrysler all offer excellent and almost impossibly powerful oil-burning engines in their various fullsize trucks. What is new and novel about the 3.0L EcoDiesel, though, is its size, and the variety of vehicles that use it. It's the smallest engine, as far as displacement is concerned, currently offered in a large truck in the US, and, for 2014 and 2015, it is available in the Ram 1500 and the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Though it may be small, it's got muscle. While 240 horsepower isn't particularly impressive these days, the engine's 420 pound-feet of torque more than makes up for that. The torque rating is even greater force than even the big 5.7-liter Hemi can muster. Chrysler's well-regarded eight-speed automatic transmission makes the most of all that bull-headed pulling power in both the Ram and Grand Cherokee. Chrysler claims the Ram EcoDiesel 1500 can tow as much as 9,200 pounds when properly equipped, which makes it "90-percent of the Hemi with a night and day difference in fuel economy."
Make no mistake; it's that promise of a sizable fuel economy improvement that many long-haul truckers will be most interested in. In the Ram 1500 that we tested for our Tech of the Year competition, the diesel engine costs $2,850 more than the gas-fed V8, and Ram estimates that EcoDiesel buyers will pay off their investment when compared to the Hemi engine in less than three years, which is considerably less time than the 4.5 or so years the average buyer will keep his or her fullsize pickup. The more you drive, the more you'll save, and the math proves equally as effective in the Jeep Grand Cherokee.