2014 Ram 2500 Slt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ram considering Rumble Bee concept for production

Yellow truck enthusiasts, take note - Ram is considering production for its Rumble Bee Concept, a very, very extroverted pickup that debuted at the 2013 Woodward Dream Cruise. Drawing inspiration from the last Ram Rumble Bee, which in turn borrowed heavily from the Dodge Super Bee muscle cars of the 1960s, the Rumble Bee sports a few things that set it apart from the standard 1500 lineup.
The most obvious change is its retina-scorching, matte yellow paint. Teamed up with a two-inch suspension drop and monster 24-inch black wheels wrapped in low-profile tires, the Rumble Bee cuts an imposing figure. Matching that aggressive exterior is a 5.7-liter Hemi V8, complete with 395 horsepower and an exhaust system that can go from raucous and muscle-car-like to the full-on NASCAR at the push of a button.
According to Edmunds, after a positive reception at the Dream Cruise, the Auburn Hills automaker is now presenting the truck to dealers in a bid to gauge interest. "We try to listen to the dealers. They know their marketplace," Ram's Dave Sowers tells Edmunds, adding that Ram could produce the new truck.

Ram granted patent for in-bed ramp system

Most of the patent filings we report on these days are of a pretty high-tech nature: everything from "humanized" navigation systems to 11-speed transmissions. But cool innovations can be lower-tech and clever, too. At least that's our feeling after seeing some proposed plans from Ram. FCA has filed a patent for a system of built-in ramps recessed inside of a truck bed. While stowable ramps aren't new – Ford offers a similar system for the F-150 ­– the level of integration shown in these diagrams seems to be. Drawings show ramps that run on channels in the bed and tailgate, hinged at the end of the extended gate for a gentle upslope into the cargo area. What's more, the system seems changeable, with two ramps set wide or narrow, or just one centrally mounted. Just the thing for switching from motorcycle-loading season to snowmobile-loading season. A granted patent doesn't always lead to a product brought to market, of course. Issues with cost, durability, and demand all have a lot to say about what makes it from design to showroom. Still, we think the proposed RamRamp (feel free to use that, FCA) shows a ton of promise. Speak up truck owners, is a factory-installed ramp system like the one you see here something you'd pay for on your next vehicle? Get into Comments, below, and let us know. Related Video: Featured Gallery Ram in-bed ramps patent drawings News Source: USPTO via Allpar RAM Truck patent

Only in Japan: Dodge van one-make racing series is a thing

Japan seems willing to embrace a level of automotive insanity that many other places lack. Whether it's 1,200-horsepower Nissan GT-Rs blasting through tight, tree-lined mountain roads or advertisements with dances for the Toyota Prius Plug-in, the country definitely has a unique way of expressing a love for autos. The D-Van Grand Prix might be one of our favorite examples yet of crazy Japanese car culture, because the annual, one-make race at the Ebisu Circuit is exclusively for heavily customized Dodge vans. Like many great things, this wonderfully crazy idea came from a little rule breaking. D-Van Grand Prix organizer Takuro Abe was at a track event for a motorcycle racing school, and vans were used to haul the bikes around. During lunch someone came up with the idea for a race. Ignoring that the big machines weren't actually allowed on the circuit, the drivers headed out. The popularity has just grown since then. These days, the racing vans absolutely aren't the stock machines from the event's inspiration. In addition to stripped interiors and track rubber that you might expect, the list of mods for them is a mile long. For every possible advantage, the racers fit them with things like Brembo brakes, cross-drilled rotors, heavy-duty transmissions, and much more. Seeing vans lumbering around the track is very weird at first, but the racers take the competition very seriously. These folks even employ all sorts of little tricks to coax the most from the machines. This is a fascinating motorsports story, but be sure to turn on the subtitles to understand the interviews with the competitors.