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.

RocketWhile 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

Photos copyright (C)2011 Michael Harley / AOL

[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.

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How Jeremy Clarkson could rocket into UK politics – in spite of himself

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, UK, Celebrities

Jeremy Clarkson croppedCould Jeremy Clarkson find himself in a position of real power? Not of the MOAR variety, but rather of a political nature. If the British public gets its way, then anything is possible.

His strongest supporters have always wanted to push Clarkson into the political arena. Only now they may be able to, because the public is getting a larger say in what gets presented in Parliament. According to the UK’s Telegraph, certain petitions will be turned into bills and presented to MPs if they receive enough votes.

According to the Telegraph, a previous online petition system mandated an official government response via email to anyone who signed a petition that tallied over 500 signatures. Interestingly enough, the campaign that garnered the most support was auto-related – it called for the nixing of a planned vehicle tracking and pricing scheme and received some 1.8 million signatures. A previous people’s petition looking to appoint Jeremy Clarkson also garnered around 70,000 signers.

Said another way, Jezza in politics probably isn’t as unlikely as it might seem. if there is enough of a groundswell movement behind putting putting the Top Gear star in office, then Clarkson could find himself in a heretofore unlikely position – even if he didn’t sign the petition himself.

[Source: Telegraph]

How Jeremy Clarkson could rocket into UK politics – in spite of himself originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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