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2015 Ram 1500 Rebel priced from $43,985

Ram has announced the prices for the two newest members of its 1500 family, with the new Rebel starting at $43,985 and the Laramie Limited kicking off at $51,870. Those prices include the $1,195 destination charge. The Rebel's starting price is only for the two-wheel-drive variant. Adding four-wheel drive elevates the price to $45,915 and includes the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. If you fancy four-wheel drive and FCA's 5.7-liter Hemi V8, you'll need to write a check for $47,565. The luxurious Laramie Limited comes in a few more varieties, and can be had with either two- or four-wheel drive, and gas or diesel power. The base model uses the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 and rear-wheel drive, for a total price of $51,870. Plan on an extra $3,120 to replace the Hemi with the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6. Adding four-wheel-drive adds $3,505 regardless of engine. Scroll down for the official pricing release from Ram, and then hop over to our original coverage of the Laramie Limited and Rebel for even more details on the new trucks. Related Video: Ram Truck Announces Pricing for 2015 Ram 1500 Rebel and Ram 1500 Laramie Limited • Ram 1500 Rebel makes a statement with increased ride height, standard 33-inch tires, skid plates, tow hooks and unique interior starting at $42,790 • Chrome accents, prominent badges, Argento wood and premium leather are key ingredients of new Ram 1500 Laramie Limited with a starting price of $50,675 The Ram 1500 continues to move forward with two mid-year 2015 offerings that carry into the 2016 model year – the Ram 1500 Rebel and Ram 1500 Laramie Limited. The Ram 1500 Rebel brings a one-of-a-kind off-road design to the full-size truck segment. The Rebel drops right into a core segment of the truck market with unique design cues and mechanical innovation backed by Ram Truck engineering. Rebel features an all-new grille with a prominent billet silver "RAM" letter badge. Departing from the brand's iconic "crosshair" designs, the blacked-out Rebel grille tops a completely new black off-road front bumper design with a durable powder-coated surface. It also incorporates a powder coated, billet silver skid plate, front tow hooks, 33-inch Toyo tires and an all-new 17-inch aluminum wheel. Inside, Rebel is every bit as brawny and rugged as it is outside. The truck features industry-exclusive seating elements finished in Radar Red and black with fabric inserts embossed with the Toyo tire tread pattern, matching the Rebel's actual footprint.

Is Ram working on an HD Hellcat pickup truck?

Ram already offers an off-road-oriented Power Wagon pickup truck based on its heavy-duty 2500 chassis, and that's no slouch with a 410-horsepower, 6.4-liter Hemi V8. But add a 707-hp Hellcat to the mix and our interest goes through the roof. But is that what we're actually looking at in the spy photos above? Even a cursory glance at the shots proves these aren't ordinary Ram 2500 trucks. The most obvious visual hint is the big ram-air hood, but we also see a definite lift kit and heavy-duty suspension components underneath. The removal of the front and rear bumpers indicates that these trucks have good approach and departure angles, but it could also mean that whatever is underhood needs major airflow. Notice, too, that the two trucks seen here aren't traditional Crew Cab models, which is how the Power Wagon comes standard. Instead, there's a single cab and a massive Mega Cab sitting side by side. Is Ram going to unleash two new Power Wagon variants? Seems possible. It's really not possible to talk about a potential Ram HD Hellcat pickup truck without mentioning the Ford Raptor. The Blue Oval's SVT division has created one heck of a factory off-road monster, and it's set to get even better for the 2017 model year with an EcoBoost engine and four full-size doors. How could Ram, one of Ford's biggest truck competitors, answer Ford's latest assault? How about a Hellcat! Based on FCA's desire to put a Hellcat engine into anything that can hold it, it wouldn't be shocking to see an overpowered Ram model. And if that does happen, the Power Wagon platform is a great place to start. We don't know if that's what we're looking at, or if these trucks are test beds for future parts for the Mopar catalog, but either way we like what we see. Related Video: Featured Gallery Ram Hellcat: Spy Shots Design/Style Spy Photos RAM Truck Off-Road Vehicles ram power wagon

Here's why automakers roll out those Texas-themed pickup trucks

Every year, automakers with a full-size truck link make a big show of the Texas State Fair, usually involving a reveal of a new model. Sometimes they show a whole new truck, and other times a special edition centered on the Lone Star state. While some people might write this off as a quirk of the industry, others might be wondering, "What's the big deal with Texas?" As it turns out, part of the big deal with Texas is big truck sales. According to Dave Sullivan, product analysis manager at AutoPacific, Texas buys more trucks than any other state in the country. It's not a small margin either. Edmunds.com, one in five trucks sold in the US are sold in Texas. The state also accounts for 15 percent of the country's large truck sales, which is more than twice that of California, the second largest truck market in America. Even when you break down sales only in Texas, trucks are a huge piece of the pie - Sullivan says that a quarter of new vehicle sales in Texas are trucks. One in five trucks sold in the US are sold in Texas. But it's not just sales that make truck builders give attention to Texas. As Sullivan explained, "Pickups are life in Texas." Both he and Hugh Milne, marketing and advertising manager for the Chevy Silverado line, said that trucks are key fixtures in Texas society, as both work trucks and luxury vehicles (or Texas Cadillacs as Milne called them). Milne said Texas is so important in the truck market that if you want to be successful in the rest of the country, "you've got to be successful in Texas." As for the State Fair, it has become a prime location for reveals in part because of the importance of the Texas market and because of how big the fair is. Milne also revealed that the State Fair also hosts its own auto show, so it's an ideal venue for a vehicle introduction. So there you have it. Why do truck builders obsess over Texas? It's because Texas obsesses over trucks. When you have one market that loves your product that much, you give it the attention it deserves. Related Video: Image Credit: Donovan Reese via Getty Images Auto News Marketing/Advertising Chevrolet Ford RAM Truck f-150 texas state fair