duty Archives | AutoDepot

2014 Ram ProMaster configurator reporting for heavy duty

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Work, Ram

Ram has brought the configurator online for all sizes of its new ProMaster van, known to the rest of the world as the Fiat Ducato. Destined to take on the new Ford Transit and Nissan NV, the ProMaster is available in three sizes – 1500, 2500, and 3500.

Once a size has been chosen, the world is your oyster. We could (probably) spend the rest of our day with this configurator and not repeat a build once. Each truck can be had in different styles ranging from windowed van to cargo hauler to cutaway truck, while buyers can also choose from a number of wheelbases and roof heights.

Add to that an options sheet that’s almost Porsche-like in length, and you get a van that can be completely customized to the needs of your business. Check out all three configurators at the following links: 1500, 2500 and 3500.

2014 Ram ProMaster configurator reporting for heavy duty originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “2014 Ram ProMaster configurator reporting for heavy duty”

Spy Shots: BMW 3 Series GT caught taking a break from bell-tower duty

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Hatchback, BMW

spy shots bmw 3 series gt

Spy Shots: BMW 3 Series GT caught hitching a ride – Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW hinted that a 3 Series GT was in the works. Like its larger BMW 5 Series GT sibling, the 3 Series Gran Turismo would feature a two-tier rear hatch, raised seating position and a boosted ride height. And rumor has it that a non-swirly-camo version will be heading to the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The BMW 3 Series GT will slot in the lineup to combat Audi’s upcoming Q3 crossover. It’s also enough of segment jumper that the A4 Avant could wind up in its crosshairs. Take a gander at the gallery below, and try to look past the swirls to decipher the hunchback body hiding underneath.

Gallery: Spy Shots: BMW 3 Series GT

Spy Shots: BMW 3 Series GT

[Source: Brenda Priddy & Company]

Spy Shots: BMW 3 Series GT caught taking a break from bell-tower duty originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Spy Shots: BMW 3 Series GT caught taking a break from bell-tower duty”

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG called into duty for New York Fashion Week

Filed under: Sedan, Mercedes-Benz, Police/Emergency, Design/Style, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Force CLS 63 AMG

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Force CLS 63 AMG – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve seen all manner of vehicles being equipped and commissioned for police duty around the world. But this is no ordinary police car. This 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG is the ride of choice for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Force.

The fashion enforcers are out in full force this week in New York as part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Fortunately for “the rest of us” Benz’s fashion cops aren’t looking for people wearing outfits that clash; instead, they’re identifying trendsetters on the street and offering them free rides to their next destinations in this specially-prepared CLS 63 AMG, which may well be the best car for the job. See for yourselves in the high-resolution image gallery below and the press release after the jump.

Gallery: Mercedes Benz CLS 63 AMG Fashion Force

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG called into duty for New York Fashion Week

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG called into duty for New York Fashion Week originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 15:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG called into duty for New York Fashion Week”

GM adding 750 jobs to build more heavy-duty pickups

Filed under: Truck, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, Work, Chevrolet

Chevrolet Silverado HD at Flint Assembly

General Motors has announced that it will add another shift at its Flint Assembly plant to produce more Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups. The third shift is expected to add a full 750 new jobs, and the first wave of employees will begin arriving at the facility during the second quarter of this year. Production will ramp up in the third quarter. Right now, Flint Assembly employs 2,100 workers, and last year, the factory churned out 115,000 vehicles. GM says that the first wave of positions will be filled by workers who were laid off at other facilities. The majority of those workers are expected to originate from Lansing.

The remainder of the positions will be taken by employees who were laid off at other plants, including Orion, Willow Run and Warren. GM won’t be hiring any new employees for the third shift. Hit the jump for the full press release.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM adding 750 jobs to build more heavy-duty pickups

GM adding 750 jobs to build more heavy-duty pickups originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “GM adding 750 jobs to build more heavy-duty pickups”

PickupTrucks.com pits 2011 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty Diesel against Delta IV Heavy rocket

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Work, Dodge

Ram HD vs. Rocket

Talk about odd hauling. The team over at PickupTrucks.com put together a rather interesting comparision: 2011 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty diesel vs. Delta IV Heavy rocket. One is capable of crusing down the highway with a gross combined weight rating (vehicle, passengers and trailer) of 25,400 pounds. The other is easily capable of lifting that entire load into geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above our planet.

Rocket While the guys didn’t send the truck into space, they did use the Ram at the launch site (Vandenberg AFB along the California coast) as a camera platform. Autoblog tagged along for a ride (in the Ram, not the rocket) and took a handful of pics at the successful launch.

Oh, the comparison? Long story short, the truck is quicker to 60 mph but the rocket has a much higher top speed. The truck has dual-zone air conditioning, while the rocket chills with supercooled liquid fuel (483,500 gallons all kept below -297 degrees Fahrenheit). And, of course, the truck offers Satellite Radio while the big rocket simply becomes a satellite.

Gallery: Delta IV vs. Ram HD Pickup

Delta IV rocket vs. Ram 3500 HD pickup

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

PickupTrucks.com pits 2011 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty Diesel against Delta IV Heavy rocket originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 20:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “PickupTrucks.com pits 2011 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty Diesel against Delta IV Heavy rocket”

Detroit 2011: Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: Black Ops Edition set for major pwnage

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, SUV, Jeep, Off-Road

Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty Black Ops Edition

Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: Black Ops Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery

During the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, Chrysler silently displayed its latest hardcore version of the Wrangler, the Call of Duty: Black Ops Edition. The stealthy Wrangler, now shown in two-door trim, looks fantastic with its mineral gray wheels, 32-inch off-road tires and host of Mopar goodies. On top of that, all Wranglers are recieving a brand-new interior and other small improvements for the 2011 model year, so the Black Ops edition is clearly ready to comfortably get you through any sort of war zone.

We’ve captured a brace of high-res images of the Call of Duty Wrangler live from Cobo Hall, so scroll through our gallery below to see them for yourself.

Gallery: Detroit 2011: Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty Black Ops Edition

Detroit 2011: Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: Black Ops Edition set for major pwnage originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Detroit 2011: Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: Black Ops Edition set for major pwnage”

EPA issues first-ever fuel efficiency and emissions standard proposal for heavy-duty vehicles

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Work, Specialty, Diesel

semi truck

As expected, the EPA has released its first-ever proposal for greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty vehicles. The proposal, and that’s all it is at this point, would create three new categories for heavy trucks: combination tractors, heavy-duty pickups and vans, and vocational vehicles. The rules will cover on-road vehicles with a gross vehicle weight at or above 8,500 pounds, unless these vehicles are already covered under CAFE. All of these proposals would start with the 2014 model year and make some big improvements relatively soon. The EPA is working with the DOT and NHTSA on the joint standards, which will have two types of metrics.

For pick-ups and vans, the metric will be gram per mile (and gallon per 100-miles) based on payload.
For vocational vehicles and combination tractors, the standards are gram per ton-mile (and gallon per 1,000 ton-mile).

Each of the three categories has different targets.

Combination tractors (commonly known as semi trucks) would get new engine and vehicle standards and, according to the EPA, “achieve up to a 20 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and fuel consumption by 2018 model year,” compared to a 2010 baseline.
Heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans would fall under emissions rules that are similar to the rules that govern light-duty trucks and passenger cars. There would be separate gasoline and diesel standards that would, “achieve up to a 10 percent reduction for gasoline vehicles and 15 percent reduction for diesel vehicles by 2018 model year (12 and 17 percent respectively if accounting for air conditioning leakage).”
For vocational vehicles, the proposed standards would reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions up to 10 percent by 2018 model year.

(This post continues after the jump.)

Continue reading EPA issues first-ever fuel efficiency and emissions standard proposal for heavy-duty vehicles

EPA issues first-ever fuel efficiency and emissions standard proposal for heavy-duty vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “EPA issues first-ever fuel efficiency and emissions standard proposal for heavy-duty vehicles”

Report: EPA poised to outline medium- and heavy-duty truck emissions standards

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Technology, Diesel

18-wheeler on the move

The EPA appears to be close to releasing its proposal for medium and heavy-duty truck fuel economy standards. As you may remember, the Obama Administration called for the first-ever standards for large work vehicles earlier this year. According to The New York Times, a spokesperson with the EPA has said that the initial proposal will be out soon. Analysts had expected the numbers to show up this week, but that’s looking less and less likely by the hour.

Surprisingly enough, heavy truck manufacturers don’t seem to be up in arms over the thought of new fuel economy standards. The New York Times says that the EPA has a history of working closely with big truck makers to reduce emissions, and that this is the next logical step. The EPA and truckmakers say agree that today’s diesel rigs crank out 60 times less particulate matter than similar equipment did in 1988. That’s thanks in no small part to the EPA’s clean trucks program, which is geared toward promoting clean-diesel technology.

The new fuel economy standards are expected to show up in a climate bill that already regulates fuel consumption for passenger cars, light-duty trucks and stationary devices like generators.

[Source: The New York Times | Image: Ethan Miller/Getty]

Report: EPA poised to outline medium- and heavy-duty truck emissions standards originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: EPA poised to outline medium- and heavy-duty truck emissions standards”

2011 Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: Black Ops Edition ready to frag n00bs

Filed under: SUV, Jeep, Toys/Games, Off-Road

2011 Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty Black Ops Edition

2011 Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: Black Ops Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery

Fans of the Call of Duty video game franchise know that the latest edition, Call of Duty: Black Ops, will be released on November 9th. What you might not know, however, is that Activision Publishing, Inc. – the folks responsible for distributing Call of Duty – have partnered with Jeep, not only to have the Wrangler featured in the latest addition of the CoD series, but to create a special Call of Duty edition of Jeep’s most popular vehicle.

The 2011 Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: Black Ops Edition hits dealerships next month, priced from $30,625 for the two-door model and $33,500 for the four-door Unlimited (a base two-door Rubican normally starts at $28,775). Based on the Wrangler’s Rubicon trim, the Black Ops Edition features mineral gray alloy wheels wrapped in 32-inch off-road tires, Mopar taillamp guards, a Mopar fuel door, Call of Duty: Black Ops logos, an entirely blacked-out exterior and… that’s it. Unless, of course, you count all of the Wrangler’s upgrades for 2011, not the least of which is a redesigned interior. Read the full details for yourself in Jeep’s press release, after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Jeep Wrangler Call Of Duty Black Ops Edition

2011 Jeep Wrangler Call Of Duty Black Ops Edition

[Source: Jeep]

Continue reading 2011 Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: Black Ops Edition ready to frag n00bs

2011 Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: Black Ops Edition ready to frag n00bs originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “2011 Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: Black Ops Edition ready to frag n00bs”

Call of Duty-themed Jeep Wrangler coming from Chrysler

Filed under: SUV, Marketing/Advertising, Jeep, Toys/Games, Off-Road

Jeep Wrangler to receive Call of Duty special edition

If you are a fan of both video games and limited-edition theme vehicles, then today is your lucky day. Chrysler has announced that they will be building a Call of Duty-themed Jeep Wrangler to coincide with the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops game. The video game is set to be released on November 9th, 2010 and the CoD Wrangler will be offered for sale around that time as well. According to our friends at Joystiq, the Wrangler will make numerous appearances throughout the game so you can drive your Jeep on screen for hours then hop into the real thing to give your thumbs a break.

Pricing is yet to be announced, but a base 2011 Jeep Wrangler will set you back $22,045. If you’re interested in the Call of Duty: Black Ops Jeep Wrangler then you better start saving your quarters now. Thanks for the tip, Vitor!

Gallery: 2011 Jeep Wrangler

2011 Jeep Wrangler 2011 Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2011 Jeep Wrangler interior

[Source: Joystiq]

Call of Duty-themed Jeep Wrangler coming from Chrysler originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Call of Duty-themed Jeep Wrangler coming from Chrysler”