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tiger champ
concept cars
Five Ugliest Concept Trucks
The suddenly plural folks at PickupTrucks.com have singled out five concept trucks that made great strides in awfulness and, thankfully, never saw the light of day as production vehicles. Given how enthusiastic they are for concept trucks over there, you can be assured that these haulers, mainly from the 2000-01 "cheap gas, secure borders" period, are gleefully hideous. Though we actually like the Nissan XIX concept truck, which is basically a stretched, Camino'ed Sentra. What's your favorite "ugly" conceptual mother-trucker? [PickupTrucks.com]
industry news
Bob Lutz Talks Future GM Vehicles, Powertrains
Following GM's morning expectations-management conference, product czar "Maximum" Bob Lutz answered questions about how the future of GM vehicles would be impacted by the announcements. In particular, we were wondering how the General planned to respond to Ford's Eco-Boost turbo four (and in what form that response might arrive), and when we would see the return of a GM diesel sedan. Lutz's responses — and non-responses — after the jump. More »
crash test dummies
Federal Crash Test Ratings To Be Updated: We All Drive Death Traps Again
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NAMBLA) is updating their star ranking system for vehicle safety for the first time since it was introduced in 1994. After 14 years of manufacturers designing for the ratings, along with advancements in active and passive safety systems, the scores had become meaningless — nearly every vehicle scored a four- or five-star ranking in 2007 (with a few notable exceptions). What's changing and when after the jump. More »
2010 ford f-150 raptor
2010 Ford F-150 Raptor Spotted Not Going Off-Road
Ford's "Raptor", the road-ready yet also apparently ready-for-Baja racer version of the 2009 Ford F-150 has been spotted not utilizing its big ol' suspension and tires. Some are suggesting the truck's future may be in jeopardy, what with above-four-dollar gas and all. But it would be something of a shame if this never saw production, because with 35-inch BF Goodrich all-terrain tires, a reported four inches of extra suspension travel, and perhaps even a supercharged V8 good for over 400 HP, the Raptor would be perhaps the most capable off-the-shelf off-road truck Ford has ever built. More »
9:40 AM on Tue Jul 8 2008
By Mark Arnold
2,966 views,
13 comments
Latest by thatguy01: @my favorite car is a motorcycle: Eh, it's a promotional exercise anyway, like the Viper and the new hyper Corvette. The development money already is spent. The question is how many other Fords it moves, and whether the dealers can more »
industry news
Automobile Gets The Skinny On Truck Planning At Dodge
Given the current sales climate, it was probably about time somebody sat down with an automaker and asked them what the heck their plan was for trucks. Automobile's Phil Floraday interrogated the Chrysler folks about where the Dodge brand is going now that we're in the middle of the gaspocalypse. They spouted off something about making the Dodge Ram HD a bit more fuel efficient, and even reducing horsepower a bit. Then they wandered into smaller trucks. More »
gadgets
Turn Your Chrysler Into A Wi-Fi Hotspot This August
Chrysler announced earlier in the year their intention to offer in-vehicle WiFi capability, and we'll be damned if they didn't actually go and do it. Beginning in August, customers will be able to get in-vehicle wireless Internet connectivity across nearly the entire Chrysler product line — even if it's not an Avis rental car. The technology will be bundled under the UConnect name, and is intended to compete with the Ford/Microsoft Sync system. Before you cancel your DSL, note that the router module will cost $449, plus another $50 for installation (which should really be free if you're offering to take a Sebring off their hands), and then add $29 per month for Web access. Add a coffeemaker and the office just got one step closer to irrelevance. More »
novelties
Truck Antlers Provide Outlet For Censored Truck Nutz Owners
Listen up, hunters. You no longer have to wait for Easter or Christmas to dress up your ride: There are finally stupid accessories for you, too! Meet Trunk Antlers. As the slogan goes, "They turn your truck ... into a buck." You stupid fu...oh, wait, that was it. More »
industry news
Americans Want Hybrids As Long As They Don't Cost Nuthin'
It turns out that a majority of Americans surveyed in a recent J.D. Power & Associates study are very enthusiastic about hybrid technology...until they find out that they have to pay for it. Continuing a long history of having cake and eating it too, 72% of consumers said they were interested in hybrid technology independent of cost. When a $5,000 cost was included in the equation, the number of respondents who were interested dropped to 46%. When consumers discovered that hybrids weren't available at Wal-Mart, interest plummeted into the single digits. More »
industry news
Used Truck Dealers Reporting Pickup Prices Plunging 25% Over Past Three Months
Not surprisingly, the implosion of the new pickup/SUV market now means that your '06 Silverado doubles in value every time you fill the tank. Large retail groups such as CarMax are reporting wholesale prices for big pickups have plunged 25% in the last three months alone. With trade-in values making up a significant factor in many new car transactions, dealers are finding themselves squeezed by more truck owners "upside-down" in their loans. With dealers unable to finance new purchases, they've resorted to desperate tactics — like leaving truck owners sitting their with their manhood replacements hanging out, unable to trade it in. More »
industry news
Honda Ridgeline The GM Truck Of The Future?
After disclosing yesterday that the GMT900 full-size truck/SUV platform will likely last beyond its original 2012 expiration date, a new report says that future trucks may appear on the Lambda platform. Using Lambda, the foundation for current GM SUVs such as the GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave, would mark a shift away from body-on-frame pickup construction, since Lambda uses a lighter-weight unit-body chassis — think Honda Ridgeline. Except attractive, hopefully. More »
official car pundit drinking game
Official Car Pundit Drinking Game: 2012! 2012! 2012!
With news that GM may be halting new truck development, our good friends at the Fox Business Network just had to have us back, which means another episode of the official car pundit drinking game. We get more name love (drink) from Stuart Varney and even argue a bit with the lovely Tracy Byrnes. Though she doesn't want the Civic, it was the best selling car in May. Just saying. And to Buckster, I took your advice and gave "1984 Tom Cruise" his hair back.
offbeat news
Robbing A Bank While On A Test Drive Is A Great Idea!
If you're worried about a getaway vehicle during a bank heist, the obvious solution is to use something with no legal connection to you, right? One solution might be to take a dealership test drive, but perhaps leave the salesman behind. In this real-life example, the suspect, Marcel Perrot, took a used truck and salesman to a bank under the guise of withdrawing cash to pay for the vehicle. He slipped the teller a note demanding the money, then returned to the truck and told the salesman he wanted to show the vehicle to a friend before buying. After stopping at a gas station, the salesman took the keys and called 911. Perrot then fled on foot and is still on the loose, likely preying on poor, innocent used car dealerships and unsuspecting banks. More »
industry news
This Is Our Country, This Is Our Truck...And It Will Be For Quite Some Time
General Motors is planning to extend the current product cycle on its full-size trucks and SUVs, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. New designs had been expected to come in time for the 2012 model year. However GM spokesperson Tom Wilkinson told the Journal that GM was "looking at the whole product portfolio" in an effort to bring more fuel-efficient vehicles to the U.S. market. While the change in product planning should free up much-needed R&D funds, there's little doubt the lukewarm launch of the latest Toyota Tundra and the gas prices-induced slow-motion 2009 Dodge Ram and 2009 Ford F-150 launch train-wrecks influenced top brass at the Ren Cen. More »
nascrash
Junior Varsity Nationwide Series. Yes, whether you call 'em wrecks, bang-ups, or fender-benders, we can all enjoy a good, clean racing accident at the expense of someone else. [via The SPEED Report]
Introducing: Monday Morning NASCrash!
We know despite our own usual disinterest with America's favorite racing series, there's at least a few of you NASCAR fans out there. Even for those of us who aren't fans of the always-turning-one-way-action there's one thing we can all come together on for entertainment value: the crashes. It may be the dirty little secret of NASCAR fans, which is why we're so ready to pounce on this idea with such reckless abandon. Thanks to the folks at SpeedTV, we've been able to create a mashup of all of the fantastic crashes from the past weekend of circular racing action — we're calling it "Monday Morning NASCrash". It'll be all the big bang-ups from all three NASCAR series of the past weekend: Sprint Cup, Craftsman Trucks, and the
baja 500
Once Upon A Time In Mexico: PUTC Hoons A Hummer H2 SUT In The Baja 500
While the General may be trying to sell off the Hummer brand, that didn't stop a few of the Humvee-wannabes from being deployed down to Mexico to wage war in the Baja 500. Proving — or at least attempting to prove — the H2, H2 SUT and H3 aren't just suburban soft-roading sissy-mobiles. Jalopnik superfriend, Mike Levine of Pickuptrucks.com, was embedded with Team Hummer, documenting every step along the way. Starting with a stock H2 SUT, the crew painstakingly prepared the truck to compete in the, err... Stock Full-Size Truck Class. OK, so that's actually more work than it may sound. "Stock" may have been bastardized as a term by Nascar, but on the craggy Baja trails it actually still means something. Mike got to ride along for the race, and as you can see above, we've got some footage of the beast in action to prove it. And by beast, we meant the H2 SUT. Check out the crazy Mexican adventure in it's entirety over at Pickuptrucks.com.
industry news
