Super Extreme A Dodge Viper V-10 to toast the musclecar era. Need we say more? Well, we're gonna. The V-10 hurls out 450 ponies at 5,200 rpm and 490 lb-ft of torque at 3,700 rpm, and the Viper powertrain doesn't end there. There's stainless-steel exhaust mani-folds and a six-speed tranny. Not to upstage these changes, the rest of the Dakota has only mild alterations, including musclecar styling, Krager rims, Dunlop Sport rubber, a rear roll pan, and custom mirrors.
One more little thing might be harder to believable than all that power. A sound system in the bed automatically turns on when the lid rises.
Brembo four-wheel disc brakes, suspension tuned by Hotchkis, and a safety-harness system from Simpson let you know you should not use a cell phone while driving the Extreme.
Discoverer Fun and function for the working family was the theme for this truck. It has a tonneau that converts into a tent box, and a Bedrug from Wise Industries makes for easy sleeping. There's also a color-matched roof rack, American Racing wheels, Toyo tires, Rancho RS 9000 shocks, and a Manik brushguard. The 4.7L V-8 is pumped up by a Paxton Novi 2000 supercharger, performance-tuned exhaust, and a K&N filter.
Fire Rescue Command Vehicle It's a multi-use rescue Dakota developed by Borla and designed not only for the fire department but for lifeguards and park rangers too. It has a GPS system, an onboard computer with e-mail and Internet access, and a hands-free cell phone. There are Scosche high-performance wires and cables for the electrical components, as well as a carbon-fiber dash kit, a custom audio system, and a CargoPro Cargo Drawer able to hold up to 750 pounds. Oxygen tanks, first-aid kits, ropes, lights, axes, ladders, and a stretcher are also on hand.
Other names and products you'll recognize are the Line-X spray-on bedliner, 31-inch Mickey Thompson tires, Go Rhino! axle trusses, front-mounted 3,500-pound Warn trailer winches, PIAA lights, Manik body bolt-ons, and a G.T. Styling vented hood. And of course there are headers, a PowerSet Cat-Back exhaust system, and a performance air-filter kit from Borla.
Heavy-Duty Chevy and GMC
They're here! The long-awaited '01 Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD have arrived. The newbies have 31/44- and 1-ton underpinnings and a standard Vortec 6000 engine, with the option of a Duramax diesel 6600 or a Vortec 8100 V-8. There are new trannies to boot: The Duramax and big-block Vortec 8100 can be hooked up to a Series 1000 Allison five-speed automatic, while the diesel opens the options to a ZF six-speed manual.
The trucks are available in regular cab, four-door extended cab, Crew Cab, and chassis cab models and feature a torsion-bar front suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, and a factory-installed weight-distributing hitch with a rating of 12,000 pounds. The HDs also have a new look. They're tall and have a slightly different front end to set them apart from the regular Silverado and Sierra.
New GM Engines We like it when new trucks mean we get new engines. The unveiling of the Heavy-Dutys meant we got to learn more about the turbo direct-injection diesel, better known as the Duramax 6600 V-8. It's replacing the 6.5L V-8. We also learned of a few other all-new powerplants. There's the 383 Vortec crate engine from GM Performance Parts and the L4, L5, and L6 inline engines for light trucks and SUVs. Also, an all-new 8.1L Vortec will replace the 7.4L engines for heavy-duty use