2012 Ram 2500 4wd Crew Cab Laramie Limited on 2040-cars

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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.

2022 Ram 1500 gets reworked options to maintain production

Ram was in the mood to giveth at this year's Chicago Auto Show, unveiling three new special edition trucks for the 2022 model year. Mopar Insiders reports Ram is lately in the mood to taketh away, removing or reworking options and features on nearly every trim with the aim of keeping pickup truck production lines running. The biggest blow to the bank account comes from Ram eliminating the Quad Cab on all but the two base trims, Tradesman and Big Horn (called the "Lone Star" in Texas). Seems most buyers on the Laramie and above go with the larger Crew Cab and aren't worried about spending a couple thousand dollars more; the Crew Cab on the Laramie, for instance, is $2,150 more than the Quad Cab. Truck shoppers watching pennies can forget about saving money up front in order to add certain luxuries, too. Come 2022, the smaller cab style can't be ordered with any kind of sunroof, air suspension, Technology Group, or Power Running Boards. When it comes to trims, starting at the bottom, the 2022 Tradesman won't offer an air suspension with any cab style, nor Ram Box storage, nor the multifunction Tailgate. If there's an EcoDiesel under the hood it will only be the HFE version, the standard EcoDiesel nixed on the Tradesman. The HFE variant makes one more mile per gallon in the city and on the highway than the standard EcoDiesel. The Big Horn/Lone Star loses its multifunction tailgate, and the colors Mountain Brown and Frost Beige. To get the rear underseat storage requires ordering either the Level 1 or Level 2 Equipment Groups, the storage can't be had an a standalone option. One step up, the Ram Rebel drops the luxury Rebel 12A package that added a 12-inch Uconnect screen with navigation, nine-speaker audio, and leather-trimmed bucket seats. The trimmed buckets seats will migrate to the Rebel Night Edition package that now costs $525, but can be expected to increase. And the cloth and vinyl bucket seats that now come in black with either red or silver accent stitching will come only in black and red. The Laramie, Limited Longhorn and Limited all shed the Protection Group that added underbody skid plates on the 4x4 models. The Laramie and Limited Longhorn will go almost entirely without any two-tone paint option, the exception being Ivory White and Walnut Brown solely for the Limited Longhorn. On the Laramie, as on the Tradesman, the rear underseat storage goes from being an individual option to part of a group, in this case the Level 1 Equipment Group.

Say goodbye to the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne outlined an update to the company's five-year business plan Wednesday, and among the changes, the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 sedans will soon be phased out. The company's presentation to investors states that the "market shift from cars to trucks and UVs [utility vehicles is] now seen as permanent shift in demand," and FCA wants to respond as quickly as possible. Killing the 200 and Dart will allow FCA to build more Jeep and Ram models at the Sterling Heights, MI, and Belvidere, IL, plants where the sedans were produced. We already knew FCA was planning to shift 200 and Dart production to Mexico, to free up the Sterling Heights facility for Ram 1500 production, and the Belivdere site for Jeep Cherokee output. The Cherokee will move from its current home in Toledo, OH, to allow for increased Wrangler production. It's no shock that FCA wants to shift its focus to crossovers and trucks. In December 2015, for example, combined sales of the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 were 15,310. The Jeep Cherokee, which uses the same platform as the Dart and 200, outsold both models combined, with 24,049 sales. Both the Dart and 200 had troubles from the beginning. Marchionne recently blamed designers for the 200 not receiving a Consumer Reports 'recommended' rating, and the Dart was one of the lowest-scoring cars in a CR reliability study. Featured Gallery 2013 Dodge Dart: Review View 27 Photos Related Gallery 2015 Chrysler 200 View 43 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / AOL Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM FCA confirmed