The 2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty is ready to put some pressure on Ford and Chevrolet with new sheet metal and added capability, as well as lead the way as the first product under the new Ram brand banner. But the Ram team isn't content to compete on product alone, as Chrysler's horned division is also revealing some very competitive pricing today. The Dodge Ram's bread and butter work truck, the 2500 4X2 ST Regular Cab with the eight foot box, starts at $28,165 including $950 destination, which is $1,970 cheaper than the 2009 model. Dodge is also offering a Crew Cab configuration for the first time. Choose the 2500 crew cab SLT 4x4 and you pay $39,430 or $40 less than the 2009 Quad Cab.
If a three-quarter ton pickup isn't manly enough for you, the new 3500 can be had for a few more greenbacks. The 3500 4x2 Reg Cab ST with the eight-foot box retails for $35,630, but if you like to do your trucking in the lap of luxury you can also opt for the 3500 4x4 Crew Cab Laramie for (gulp) $51,095. The Ram brand has also seen fit to resurrect ye old Power Wagon moniker as an available trim level. Available only as a 2500 4x4 Crew Cab model with a 6-foot-4-inch box, the Power Wagon starts at $45,780 and features electric-locking front and rear differentials, an electronic disconnecting sway bar, Bilstein shocks, 32-inch BFGoodrich off-road tires, underbody skid plate protection, a 4.56 axle ratio for hill climbing and a custom-built Warn 12,000-pound winch. Aesthetically, the Power Wagon gets unique graphics and a lower two-tone paint scheme.
After several years of selling small volumes of its Altima sedan using Toyota's hybrid drive system, Nissan is finally ready to roll out its first gas-electric model using technology developed in-house. The first model to be so equipped will be the new Fuga sedan, a car sold in North America as the Infiniti M.
Unlike the electronic CVT systems used by Toyota, Ford and General Motors, Nissan has opted to configure its system using a conventional automatic transmission – in this case, a seven-speed unit. The electric drive is provided by a single motor sandwiched between the engine and the transmission. A pair of electronically controlled clutches sit on either side of the motor allowing the engine or the enginemotor combination to be completely de-coupled from the transmission.
According to Nissan, the motor has an output of 50 kW (67 horsepower) and 270 Nm (200 pound-feet) of torque, and the system is able to propel the FugaM electrically at speeds of up 62 mph. The engine is a 3.5-liter version of Nissan's renowned VQ V6 modified to run with an Atkinson cycle for greater efficiency.
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We've always thought that Infiniti's current M35M45 sedan deserved greater consideration from American consumers than it has typically received. With a strong VQ-series powerplant and entertaining rear-wheel drive handling, there has always been a lot to like from behind the wheel, but its restrained styling has seemingly always failed to convey the sort of emotion delivered by the driving experience. Thankfully, judging by its just-introduced Nissan Fuga twin here at the Tokyo Motor Show, anonymous styling figures to be less of an Achilles heel going forward.
Powered in the Japanese market by a pair of VQ-series V6 engines displacing 2.5-liters and 3.7-liters respectively (power figures have not been disclosed), the real emphasis for the next-gen model appears to be on advanced safety and creature comfort technology. We're hoping this focus doesn't result in compromised dynamics, but we are very curious to sample such bits of electronic wizardry as Nissan's "Forest AC" that includes a breeze setting and an aroma atomizer, to say nothing of "Intelligent Pedal," a new system that can actually make braking decisions based on data from the sat-nav unit. In our experience, bearing in mind how often the map data has been wrong in a given vehicle's GPS system, we hope that the system doesn't randomly lock up the binders for a phantom hairpin – especially with someone following a bit too closely behind.
Either way, when the Fuga comes to North America next year, we expect it to once again be powered by either the larger of the two VQ-series V6s or a V8 engine. A hybrid model will hit Japan next autumn, and we hear it's also coming Stateside.
Wedging BMW's V10 into an M3 is nothing new, but what if you want the convenience of a wagon? Manhart Racing has the answer. The German tuner has converted an E91 to look like the M3, then stuffed M5's V10 into the engine bay complete with its seven-speed SMG. To quote Manhart Racing..."Attention all sporty, family men!"
The transformation from a standard E91 3-Series Estate to super wagon begins with the exterior, where the car gets the front fascia, front fenders, side skirts, and the powerdome hood from the M3. Manhart Racing then adds their own rear wheel arches and rear fascia that makes room for a stainless steel exhaust system sporting quad exhaust tips. Next, the 5.0-liter V10 gets stuffed into the engine bay along with the the gearbox, and a limited slip differential is mounted out back.
Manhart claims a 0-100 kmh time of 4.3 seconds and a top speed of just over 200 mph. You can buy your own turnkey version for a mere €120,000 or Manhart will gladly upgrade your current E91.
Looks like Infiniti is getting more serious about taking on Lexus. Back in August we saw the M get "virtually revealed" at Pebble Beach. We've also been following the tale of the upcoming JDM-only new Nissan Fuga, a car which is virtually identical to Infiniti's M. Then of course Inside Line dropped the M-bomb when they published pics of both the M56 and M37x after their secret pre-production test drive. Meaning we know there's going to be a 400+ hp 5.6-liter V8 M56, a VQ engined M37 (with around 330 hp -- as much or more than the V8 in the outgoing M45 makes) and M37x (x = AWD). There's also a diesel M aimed at Europe. But today we learn there is another.
Specifically, there will be a M35 Hybrid. This will be the first hybrid Infiniti and it's aimed squarely at slow selling Lexus GS400h. Infiniti claims that the hybrid parts will "add to" and not "take away from" the driving experience. As such, there's a Nissan-developed single motor and a twin clutch hooked up to the same output shaft as the engine. This should result in an uninterrupted power flow to the transmission no matter which mode the hybrid system is in. There's also a "laminated" lithium-ion battery that not only stores twice as much power as nickel-metal hydride units, but cools more quickly because of the "lamination." Look for the M35 Hybrid to hit dealers around this time next year as a 2012 model, and a full reveal of the car later this month at the Tokyo Motor Show. And now, where's the new Q?
If you distill Monterey's week-long extravaganza into a single word, it's "luxury." Sybaritic pleasures are the order du jour in and around Pebble, so Infiniti's decision to reveal the 2011 M on the Monterey Peninsula is a clear indication of the brand's interminable pursuit of recognition and respect in the world of up-market automobiles. Infiniti is well aware that becoming a major player in the segment doesn't begin and end with creating a dynamically engaging and aesthetically pleasing entry-level luxury sedan and coupe. It's got to go big – or at least bigger – filling a niche that falls somewhere between the BMW 5 Series/Mercedes-Benz E-Class and 7 Series/S-Class. Taking all the right cues from the Essence concept, the all-new M successfully distills the organic shapes and angular creases of its conceptual forbearer into a traditional sports sedan shape. The front fascia's engorged maw blends well with the aggressive headlamps and curvaceous lower valence, and while things are somewhat subdued in profile, the real action starts with the shapely swage line beginning in the middle of the rear door and sweeping back into the Jaguar-esque tail lamps and pinched rump. The exterior's sinuous lines carry over to the inside, with a duo of convex interior compartments accentuated by a smattering of wood and aluminum. There's also some new technology, including a unique take on the blind spot intervention system that actually helps the driver back into his original lane if another car is detected alongside.
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The BMW 3 Series is one of the most fun cars to drive for under $50,000, and if you live near Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, you may be eligible to try out the entire lineup at no cost to you. BMW is inviting select Canadian registrants to drive all flavors of the 3 Series for two hours and compare them to the competition from Lexus, Audi and Mercedes. The fun won't be relegated to yourself, either, as BMW encourages you to bring a friend along, as well. The goal, obviously, is to sell more BMWs, so the German automaker will pick only registrants that are found worthy (or able to afford) a fine piece of German engineering. In other words, if you're 19 and currently driving a Dodge Neon, don't wait by the mailbox. The BMW train stops in Vancouver from April 17-19, in Montreal from May 8-10, and in Toronto from May 29-31 and June 5-7. More information, including registration information, can be found on the BMW Canada website.
The traditional definition of a Q-ship is a vessel that appears harmless, yet harbors deadly weaponry. Infiniti's M-series fits that description rather well. Around since 2006, the M35 isn't new to the scene, but for 2009, the M has emerged from dry-dock with a series of upgrades to help lure buyers away from its Germanic competition. Previous battles have proven that The New doesn't always emerge victorious when undertaking sneak attacks, and the M35 ambushed us straightaway.
When it comes to consumer loyalty, you'd be hard pressed to find a more dedicated group of fans outside the heavy-duty pickup segment. Recognizing this, Dodge has brought a slew of full-size trucks to the Chicago Auto Show in the form of the 2010 Dodge Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 HD Chassis Cabs.
Dodge started the heavy-duty retrofit with the highly-competent 1500 model introduced last year, then proceeded to create a crew cab variant that's claimed to be packing the most room in its class. Both regular and Mega Cab variants will be offered, along with two bed sizes (six-foot, four-inch or eight-foot) and five trim levels: ST, SLT, TRX, Laramie and Power Wagon.
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Despite losing Audi for the 2009 season, the American Le Mans Series still has a lot to celebrate. For one, as we told you yesterday, Acura is on hand this week at the Winter Test event for the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with its new LMP1 racer. The good news is that midway through the second day of on-track testing, one of the two Acura racers has the fastest lap time so far of 1:44:814 (126.723 mph) around Sebring's 3.7-mile circuit. Despite the good first showing of these ARX-02a prototype LMP1 race cars, the ARX-01b cars that raced last year in the LMP2 class were still turning in lap times that were often just as fast as their bigger brothers.
Also of worthy of celebration during the first two days of winter testing is the emergence of the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team and its M3 GT2 car. This is the first track outing for the M3 GT2 since it was announced less than a year ago at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show. The 12 Hours of Sebring, which also kicks off the 2009 ALMS season, will be its first contest against the likes of Porsche, Ferrari, Viper, Aston Martin, Panoz and even a Ford GT in the GT2 class. The 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring takes place March 18-21 and, along with the above new competitors, will be the only time that Audi races on North American soil this year with its brand new R15 TDI.
