Truckblog News

Ford F-150 To Get Ecoboost V6 Sometime This Year

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 06:29:41 -0600

A tipster over at PUT has reported that the F-150 will get Ford's V6 3'5 liter Ecoboost V6 in the near future' The twin turbo gasoline direct injection engine delivers "the performance of a V8 with the fuel efficiency of a V6" and is said to be the same engine found in the Mustang, which achieves a 30 mile per gallon fuel efficiency rating' We'll see what Ford does as the F-150 is their bread and butter vehicle'

Friday Beerblog: Chrysler Goes Full Retard With Ram Display

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 06:40:10 -0600

Last month at the North American International Auto Show, Chrysler tried gaining attention in a different way by hanging a Dodge Ram 2500 HD truck upside down on the ceiling of their display' Something tells me if Chrysler spent more time actually building quality vehicles and less time coming up with creative crap at NAIAS, the company would actually increase sales and not have to file for bankruptcy''' just a thought' [Image: PUT ]

Honda Recalls Ridgeline For Connector Issue

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 06:19:58 -0600

Toyota is not the only manufacturer with recalls going on, this time Honda has issued a recall for the 2006 to 2007 Ridgeline pickup truck ' The problem affects 76,000 vehicles and is in regard to a wire harness connector issue where the air conditioning unit can overheat and increase the risk of fire' Owners are urged to contact Honda asap at 1-800-999-1009'

Toyota Temporarily Suspends Production of Tundra and Sequoia

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 06:35:39 -0600

Toyota Motor Sales today announced that it is instructing Toyota dealers to temporarily suspend sales of eight models involved in the recall for sticking accelerator pedal, announced on January 21, 2010' “Helping ensure the safety of our customers and restoring confidence in Toyota are very important to our company,” said Group Vice President and Toyota Division General Manager Bob Carter' “This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized' We’re making every effort to address this situation for our customers as quickly as possible'”

Ford To Produce 2011 Explorer In Chicago, Lands 1,200 Jobs

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 06:38:33 -0600

Ford Motor Company today announced it will produce the next-generation Ford Explorer SUV at the company’s Chicago Assembly Plant beginning in the fourth quarter of this year' Ford is investing nearly $400 million in its Chicago manufacturing facilities to launch production of the new, fuel-efficient Ford Explorer' The company also will add 1,200 new jobs to staff a second production shift at Chicago Assembly Plant and increase production at the nearby Chicago Stamping Plant'

Ford Engineers Using Virtual Reality To Build Next Pickups

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 06:46:29 -0600

Engineers at United Space Alliance (USA) and Ford Motor Company are sharing their animation software experiences to create virtual reality simulations that benefit both astronauts and drivers' Ford is applying virtual reality animation software that is used by movie animators and video game creators to improve real-life driving situations before the first prototype is even built' In an immersive Virtual Evaluation lab (iVE), Ford engineers create virtual vehicles complete with exterior views'

Joe Bacal Survives First-Corner Hit to Win Laughlin Desert Challenge

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:42:09 -0600

In a heart-stopping beginning to his second year in off-road racing, Joe Bacal put his Lexus LX 570 ahead of his closest class rival as they raced flat out to the first corner at the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge 2010 season opener on Saturday, only to feel the full force of competition slam into him as he headed for the apex' Rival competitor Justin Matney left a major wound in Bacal’s Lexus as he pushed his way through, but the adrenaline-fired Bacal re-passed Matney shortly after and was never headed again en route to another Stock Full-class victory this past weekend'

Banks Releases iQ Tuner for Diesel Trucks

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:35:48 -0600

Unveiled to the public only two short months ago at the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the new Banks iQ has already become the single fastest-selling product ever in the 50-plus year history of Banks Power' This revolutionary personal device has swept the industry with its broad range of functions and applications which literally make it the world's first true "Dashboard PC'"

Firestone Industrial Products Work-Rite Available for Ram, Ford, Titan

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 06:31:15 -0600

Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC's Work-Rite suspension solution is now available for a comprehensive list of Chevrolet, GMC, Dodge, Ford and Nissan pickup trucks, commercial vehicles and vans, including the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500, Ford F-Series and Nissan Titan'

Chevrolet Revealing 2011 Silverado HD Trucks Next Month

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 06:24:29 -0600

Chevrolet has announced they will reveal the new 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 heavy duty trucks next month at the Chicago Auto Show' Fans can expect a new 6'6 liter Duramax V8 diesel motor, chassis upgrades, exterior changes, and more' [ PUT ]

Chrysler Brake Booster Recall For Dodge Ram, Jeep Brand and Others

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:15:08 -0600

The NHTSA has issued a recall for nearly 25,000 Chrysler vehicles including the 2010 Sebring, Dodge Avenger, Dodge Nitro, Dodge Ram (light and heavy duty), Jeep Commander, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Jeep Liberty' Apparently there is a problem with the vehicle brake booster input rod where it could fail without warning, resulting in a crash' Owners are urged to contact Chrysler directly at 800-853-1403'

Ram Truck Brand Continues to Refine the Boldest, Most Powerful and Capable Lineup on the Planet

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 06:21:09 -0600

With a work-hard, play-hard attitude, Ram Truck offers the boldest, most powerful and capable pickup truck lineup in the business' “Ram Trucks continue to break the rules with big-rig styling, improved quality, durability and capability,” said Fred Diaz, President and Chief Executive Officer—Ram Truck Brand, Chrysler Group LLC'

Jeep Brand Broadens Vehicle Lineup with Three New Models

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 06:16:53 -0600

The Jeep brand is broadening its vehicle lineup with the introduction of three new rugged, versatile and innovative vehicles that deliver classic Jeep design and capability' The new 2010 Jeep Liberty Renegade boasts a new premium, rugged appearance with standard class-leading capability features, while the Jeep Wrangler lineup is expanded with unique limited-edition models – Jeep Wrangler Islander and Jeep Wrangler Mountain – that deliver high-impact visual appeal with outdoor fun-and-freedom themes'

Ford Launching New Truck Engines and Transmissions For 2010

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:11:36 -0600

Ford Motor Company will introduce nine new or upgraded engines and six new transmissions in North America in 2010 as part of a five-year effort to overhaul its entire global powertrain portfolio' The push began in 2008 and continues through 2013 and includes 60 new or significantly upgraded engines, transmissions and transaxles globally over the five year period'

Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle Demonstration Program Expands

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:08:56 -0600

Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc' (TMS) announced today that more than 100 Toyota Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle – Advanced (FCHV-adv) vehicles will be placed in a nationwide demonstration program over the next three years' TMS and Toyota Motor Manufacturing and Engineering North America, Inc' will place vehicles with universities, private companies and government agencies in both California and New York'

Four Wheeler Magazine Editors Name Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Best 4x4 Vehicle of the Decade

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:05:48 -0600

Four Wheeler magazine editors have named the Jeep� Wrangler Rubicon and Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon the Best 4x4 Vehicle of the Decade, while calling out the four-door Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon as the decade’s most significant 4x4 vehicle'

Ford Powered Amatoya Warthog Concept Is Cool

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 06:38:52 -0600

Currently the role of site reconnaissance is predominantly carried out by light tankers or QAVs (Quick Attack Vehicles), typically these are modified single cabin commercial utility vehicles such as the Toyota Landcruiser' While the off road performance and maneuverability of such a vehicle is sufficient, its ability to actively suppress a fire threat is severely limited by the considerably small water supply (500lt) and distinct lack of survival engineering, fundamentally making it inadequate for its role'

2010 Hummer H3T Test Drive

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 06:32:03 -0600

Ever wonder what it's like to test drive a 2010 Hummer H3T in the snow, ice, and other crazy driving conditions? Well the crew at Pickuptrucks did just that last month, test driving the new pickup at GM's headquarters in Michigan' Judging by the photos in the article, it looks like they had fun' Click here to check out their test drive'

MOTORZ TV iPhone App Now Available

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:08:41 -0600

Now you can take your favorite automotive DIY TV show with you wherever you go with the new MOTORZ App for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch! It not only features updates from the MOTORZ blog, Twitter, photos, videos, and forums, but it also includes automotive industry news which includes Truckblog! Download it now'''

Tri SUV Battle by the crew at Top Gear

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:27:46 -0600

@digg@ Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear is one lucky man' In a recent episode that was uploaded to YouTube, the Top Gear crew places the BMW X5 M against an Audi Q7 TDI and the Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged in a head to head battle, including mud! I wish I could play around like this for a living' [ Autoblog ]

Techart Porsche Cayenne Turbo Hits 200 MPH

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 06:23:53 -0600

TECHART Automobil design really set the sparks flying at this year`s trial of strength at the High Speed Event in Nardo/Italy' Test driver Sandro Reuter reached a top speed of 321,2 km/h, respectively 200 mph, with the TECHART refined Porsche Cayenne Turbo' TECHART thus secured a new speed record for Fullsize-SUVs' The circular 12'4 kilometer track is still considered to be the world�s fastest motor racing circuit, even ahead of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the United States'

Dacia Reveals Duster 4x4 SUV for Europe

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:12:57 -0600

The Duster project was born out of the simple premise that a real need existed in the world for an affordable, comfortable and rugged 4x4, a class which is currently not well served' Aware of this gap, the Renault group decided to develop an all-terrain vehicle aimed initially at emerging markets' The needs of European customers were also taken into account from the project outset'

Friday Beerblog: Louis Vuitton Emblazoned Jeep Grand Cherokee, REALLY?

Fri, 8 Jan 2010 06:17:47 -0600

Where do I even start with this? According to the listing the "Louis Vuitton Jeep" has "Dub Rims that matches the paint job, custom interior, TVs in both sun visors, 4 TVs in the headrests, talking alarm, flip-out TVs, and much more' This truck is loaded with too many items to list them all' There is close to $100,000 worth of work put in the truck"' Really? [ Jalopnik ]

Mahindra Planning On Spring Launch Of TR20 and TR40 Pickups

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 06:05:55 -0600

Here in the states, enthusiasts have cut back on purchasing imported trucks which include the Nissan Titan, Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra, and the sad Honda Ridgeline (which lacks a frame)' Indian company, Mahindra still have plans to release their TR20 and TR40 pickup trucks this spring, but if I had to guess- I'd say sales for Mahindra will suck' What do you think? [ Pickuptrucks ]

General Motors To Break Deals With Isuzu Over Duramax Diesel Engine Production

Wed, 6 Jan 2010 06:43:18 -0600

Reports across the net are pointing at a possible dealbreaker for General Motors and Isuzu Motors for manufacturing their Duramax diesel engines for heavy duty pickups because GM is producing the engines themselves instead' Comments from Isuzu prsident, Susumu Hosoi are " talks with GM to review the companies' joint venture DMAX, Ltd' factory, where Duramax engines are produced in Morraine, Ohio, and that ending joint production 'may be an option'"' Hosoi was also concerned with the levels of production for diesel powered trucks, which have decreased in recent years' GM spokesman Tom Read also commented stating "The new Duramax 6'6-liter turbodiesel (LML) is being fully engineered within GM" and that"GM has an very capable diesel engineering team, with extensive resources and capability both in the U'S and globally, to handle the engineering task'" [ Pickuptrucks ]

Pickup Truck Sales Figures Are In For 2009

Tue, 5 Jan 2010 06:28:13 -0600

According to Pickuptrucks , although General Motors went into the shitter for 2009 and filed for bankruptcy along with Chrysler, it appears people are still buying their trucks as sales topped over 441,000 units sold through November' However, Ford was not far behind with 416,000 units sold' Chrysler stands at 3rd with 175,000 units sold and Toyota is behind with only 172,000 units sold'

Ford Adds iTunes Tagging With HD Radio Option To Vehicles

Mon, 4 Jan 2010 06:42:20 -0600

iTunes Tagging and crystal-clear radio sound through HD Radio technology are the latest features on Ford’s growing list of factory-installed customer conveniences and technologies that will be newly available in 2010' HD Radio receivers pull in digital radio signals and play them with dramatically improved sound' FM stations, for example, have near-CD quality, making it convenient for customers to select songs they want to download and purchase'

Corsa Performance Introduces dB Exhaust System for GM Trucks

Fri, 1 Jan 2010 06:35:33 -0600

DB Performance Exhausts by CORSA has expanded its popular line of high-performance truck exhausts to cover 2002-2010 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, all cab and box configurations' The cat-back dB Performance Exhaust features 409L Stainless Steel construction and a straight-through design for maximum performance' All dB exhausts are single side exit systems with 12-inch polished, 304L stainless steel tips'

Win Free Hellwig Sway Bars!

Fri, 1 Jan 2010 02:18:56 -0600

The guys over at the MOTORZ TV website are giving away a pair of adjustable sway bars from Hellwig Products this month (January 2010)' Check it out! Enter to win'''

Firestone Industrial Products Introduces 2009 Dodge Ram Level-Rite

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:32:53 -0600

Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC introduces its Level-Rite(tm) air spring over damper suspension for the 2009 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500, both 2WD and 4WD (part #1004)' The new Level-Rite system helps level the front end of vehicles that carry additional weight on the front such as a winches, snow plows, slide-in campers and Texas Style bumpers' Featuring a fully protected air spring paired with a high-performance Bilstein(r)* monotube shock absorber, Firestone's Level-Rite kits are designed to improve vehicle control and stability, reduce bottoming and suspension fatigue, and allow for control of front ground clearance'