Dodge may be feeling a little left out right about now. It, too, has a new diesel engine for '07, but it's not making headlines like Ford and GM since there isn't an all-new Ram to stick it in. But here's the skinny: The new 6.7L Cummins turbodiesel I-6, available for the Ram 2500 and 3500 in January, produces 350 hp (up from 320 in the previous 5.9 Cummins) and 650 lb-ft of torque (up from 610) at a low, low 1,500 rpm. It's B5 biodiesel compatible and has a diesel particulate filter in the exhaust system to clean its emissions. New engine mounts, an intake silencer, and an engine-block shield help make this Cummins 50 percent quieter than its predecessors, says Dodge. And here's something that'll set the Cummins apart from the field: It's available with an optional, from-the-factory exhaust brake.
As diesel engines get cleaner, just about every truckmaker, foreign and domestic, is eyeing new opportunities for the "alt-fuel" engine. According to Automotive News, Ford may be the first to put a diesel in a light-duty truck if it moves ahead with plans to offer a diesel F-150 in '08 or '09. A retired Ford exec told the trade magazine that the F-150 will receive a version of the 3.6L, twin-turbocharged V-8 diesel offered in the Euro-spec Range Rover. In the Rover, the diesel makes 267 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque.
According to AN, GM will have a small diesel V-8 after 2010, while Dodge will get new V-6 and V-8 diesels from Cummins at about the same time.
The magazine also reports that Toyota may be going out-of-house for a diesel to put in its new, bigger Tundra. While it can lean on its Hino commercial-truck division for a diesel powerplant, a Toyota exec didn't rule out the possibility of sourcing the engine from an established diesel manufacturer, such as Caterpillar or John Deere.
Better late than never? Chrysler finally has an SUV to sell, the Durango-based Aspen. It's a "premium" SUV, says the company, with distinctive Chrysler-300-like styling and amenities that include optional 20-inch wheels, powered rear lift gate, full-screen nav/radio, heated front- and second-row seats, and a rear-seat DVD system. With three rows of seats, the Aspen can hold eight passengers. The Aspen's standard engine is the 235hp, 4.7L Magnum V-8, but the 5.7L, 335hp Hemi (with the cylinder deactivating Multi-displacement system) is optional. Two 4WD systems are available, including one with a two-speed transfer case that gives the Aspen an AWD mode plus high and low ranges.
It was bound to happen: Higher gas prices have taken their toll on sales of vehicles with big engines. As a result, Chrysler has cut back on Hemi engine production. According to WardsAuto.com, the daily build rate for Hemis dropped by about 25 percent between August and September, and Chrysler is considering cutting production shifts at its Mexican assembly plant from two to one.
What would you do to win a free '07 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited? Go mud diving? That's exactly what Homero Perez did. At the recent State Fair of Texas, Jeep set up a "Stick in the Mud" competition, where 120 contestants dug through some 14,000 gallons of goo looking for hidden sticks. Perez found the most sticks during three rounds of competition, and he was awarded the new "4x4x4."
More fun from the State Fair of Texas: As part of its launch of the new Silverado, Chevrolet put on the Silverado Drive for Farm Aid, a 2,800-mile cruise from Texas to New Jersey that featured Chevy pickups new and old. Along the way, participants enjoyed four free concerts, including Farm Aid 2006 in Camden, New Jersey. At the final concert, members of the Drive presented a donation check to the organization, which assists farming families.
As of this writing we're still a couple months away from the launch of Toyota's new Tundra pickup, but Toyota is already revamping its dealerships to accommodate the bigger truck. According to a story in Automotive News, Toyota has spent about $1 billion in various dealership renovations, which include making room for the pickup. Representatives brought a Ford F-250 (!) to every store to make sure service bays, lifts, jacks, and other tools could handle the Tundra.
Here are a few pictures of my son in his pedal-powered monster truck that I scratch built for him. As you can see, he enjoys them very much and gets good exercise at the same time. I also built a snowplow and a double axle trailer. He spends countless hours playing with these. Wish I could have had one of these when I was young. The trucks are 50 inches long, 32 inches wide, 31 inches tall, with 15x6.600-size tires. They weigh about 65 pounds.
Paul Gaudet