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Video: GM produces HD pickup truck comparison tests

Filed under: Truck, Videos, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Diesel

HD truck shootout

Chevy Silverado HD Truck Shootout – Click above to watch the video after the break

Back in the fall, our friends over at Pickuptrucks.com pitted the diesel-equipped Chevrolet Silverado HD against the oil-burning Ford Super Duty in a battle of high-altitude acceleration. Even though the Ford behemoth holds a slight edge in horsepower and torque, the Chevrolet beat the Blue Oval machine handily in the steep-grade acceleration challenge. We’d think General Motors would be satisfied with the results, but apparently The General needed to go a step further.

GM hired independent testers from AMCI to once again put up the Silverado HD against the Ford Super Duty, and this time the Ram HD was also invited along. Naturally, GM recorded the whole thing. The three trucks battled it out with a pair of 0-60 competitions, including one with a 1,500-pound payload, and again on a seven-percent grade with a 3,000-pound payload. That’s only the beginning, as the three trucks duked it out for supremacy in trailer sag, frame rigidity, passing power and braking. Since GM is broadcasting all seven competitions with a glut of Youtube videos, you can probably guess which truck reigns supreme. Still, the videos are entertaining and they’re hosted by the one and only Howie Long.

Hit the jump to watch all seven videos, followed by the GM press release. You’ll have to sacrifice about 30 minutes of your life to watch all seven, so if you want to pick and choose, we’ll go ahead and tell you that the two 0-60 tests are our favorites.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Video: GM produces HD pickup truck comparison tests

Video: GM produces HD pickup truck comparison tests originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Watch Son-uva Digger monster truck perform huge backflip

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos

Sonuvadigger backflip

Son-uva Digger backflip – Click above to watch video after the jump

Ryan Anderson is the son of monster truck legend and Grave Digger owner/driver Dennis Anderson, which makes him monster truck royalty. Despite his privileged place among the elites in the high court of methanol and fairgrounds, the young Anderson doesn’t spend much time riding his father’s coattails.

While Ryan may have used his father’s success as a launch pad, the Grave Digger heir apparent is eager to prove himself worthy of the crown. Anderson showed this at Monster Jam 2011 in Las Vegas, executing an awesome monster truck backflip. This may not be the first time a monster truck has ever flipped end over end, but it’s certainly the biggest one yet. Hit the jump to check it out.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Watch Son-uva Digger monster truck perform huge backflip

Video: Watch Son-uva Digger monster truck perform huge backflip originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Recreating Ken Block’s Gymkhana… in a Gulf-livery semi truck

Filed under: Motorsports, Truck, Videos, Work, Racing

Mike Ryan drifting semi

Mike Ryan’s drifting Freightliner – Click above to view watch the video after the jump

Mike Ryan has won a dozen Pikes Peak Hill Climbs in his Gulf-liveried Freightliner Cascadia, so it’s no joke when we say this man has some serious talent. To raise his and the truck’s profile a little bit, Ryan has decided to show off what he does when he’s not storming mountains to stay sharp.

Aping Ken Block’s Gymkhana series, Ryan haunts abandoned airstrips, looking for cones, old hangars and dirt roads on which to slide his truck around. In fact, Ryan has gone so far as to shoot this video at El Toro, the same Marine air base where Block filmed the first installment of his epic videos. Ryan’s Freightliner packs 1,950 horsepower and more than 3,400 pound-feet of torque, so roasting the truck’s handmade custom Michelin tires isn’t a problem, even in a 10,000-pound Big Daddy Freightliner. Check out all the action in HD splendor after the jump. Top tip, Jason!

Gallery: Mike Ryan’s Freightliner Cascadia Pikes Peak Special

Mike Ryan's Freightliner Cascadia Pikes Peak Special

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Recreating Ken Block’s Gymkhana… in a Gulf-livery semi truck

Video: Recreating Ken Block’s Gymkhana… in a Gulf-livery semi truck originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet the 203-foot truck on its way to save Fukushima’s No. 4 reactor

Filed under: Truck, China, Etc., Japan, Safety, Technology, Work

Sany pumper truck

Sany 203-foot concrete pumper truck – Click above for image gallery

Japan has turned to its neighbor across the water for help in cooling the number four reactor at the Tokyo Electric Company’s nuclear power plant in Fukushima. So far, scientists and engineers have used everything from helicopters to fire trucks to get sea water to the reactor’s fuel rods in order to prevent a meltdown, but according to China Realtime Report, a Wall Street Journal blog, a new solution is in the works. A 203-foot long concrete pumper truck has been called up from Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer Sany.

Instead of directing a stream of concrete up a sky scraper, this $1 million truck that was originally on its way to a Saudi client will now be used to pump sea water over the 141-foot reactor group in order to keep everything cool. Even at that height, the truck will still be able to remain 14 meters, or about 46 feet, away. Sany says that the truck left port in China on March 20 and has safely reached Japan, though there’s no word on whether or not it has begun operations at Fukushima.

Tokyo Electric Company originally offered to purchase the truck, but Sany is donating it and a full support team free of charge, and this isn’t the first time that the construction equipment manufacturer has lent a hand in international disaster efforts. The company also donated a giant crane to assist in the evacuation of the Chilean miners who were trapped in a mine last year.

Unfortunately, the very latest update from Japan is that Fukushima’s No. 3 reactor is leaking water with 10,000 times the normal level of radiation, which may indicate a breach of the reactor’s core. If that’s the case, there’s no telling how the Sany pump truck will be used when it arrives on site, or if it will be needed at all.

Gallery: Sana Group Co.’s 62-meter truck with contract pump

[Sources: Sany, China Realtime Report, China News]

Continue reading Meet the 203-foot truck on its way to save Fukushima’s No. 4 reactor

Meet the 203-foot truck on its way to save Fukushima’s No. 4 reactor originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is this tiny Nash Metropolitan the smallest fire truck ever?

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Etc., Police/Emergency

Nash Metropolitan Fire Truck

Nash Metropolitan Fire Truck – Click above for high-res image gallery

While keeping a fire extinguisher in your house or garage is never a bad idea, what do you do if things get a little too hot for your consumer-spec extinguisher to handle? Perhaps you might consider keeping this little gem in the garage as a backup. You’re looking at a 1960 Nash Metropolitan that has been converted into a fire truck.

Well, sort of. This machine was never actually meant to battle flames. Instead, the car was converted into an amusement park attraction by Overland Amusements of Lexington, Massachusetts. According to Hemmings, the company was responsible for all sorts of similar conversions in the ’50s and ’60s, though it tended to favor Crosley models for its fire trucks.

So, maybe you want to hang onto that kitchen fire extinguisher after all. There’s no indication that this Nash would be any help in an inferno, but it’s cool enough that we’re willing to give it a pass in the functionality department. If you like what you see, the seller is asking $29,500 for the pleasure of ownership. Head over to Hemmings to check out the listing.

Gallery: 1960 Nash Metropolitan Fire Truck

[Source: Hemmings]

Is this tiny Nash Metropolitan the smallest fire truck ever? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pickup truck becomes third vehicle to land in AZ family’s pool [w/video]

Filed under: Truck, Videos, Ford

Truck upside-down in swimming pool

Ford F-150 crashes into James Feely’s pool – Click above to watch the video after the break

A 32-year-old drunk driver missed a turn in Phoenix, Arizona in the wee hours of the morning and ended up crashing his Ford F-150 through a cinder block wall into James Feely’s back yard, landing upside down in Mr. Feely’s swimming pool. Feely and his wife were awakened by a shower of broken glass and bricks to discover the truck in their pool.

Feely went outside to see if he could help, sure the driver had perished. “My reaction was, ‘Nobody lived through that.’ About three-quarters of the cab of the truck was under water.” The driver did survive, however, only to be charged with drunk driving by Phoenix police. Turns out the drunk driving charge was the least of his worries, as police discovered he was wanted in Scottsdale on a domestic violence/arson charge.

Luckily both the Feelys got through the ordeal without injury.

The kicker? This isn’t something new for the Feelys. Last night’s accident marks the second time someone in a pickup truck has crashed through their wall and into the pool. In another incident, a motorcyclist was killed when he hit the Feelys’ wall. Check out the video after the jump.

[Source: azfamily.com]

Continue reading Pickup truck becomes third vehicle to land in AZ family’s pool [w/video]

Pickup truck becomes third vehicle to land in AZ family’s pool [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Semi Truck + Overpass = Snowpocalypse on the Interstate

Filed under: Safety, Videos

truck overpass snow explosion

Click above to watch the video after the jump

Anybody who’s seen the security cam footage of the Minneapolis Metrodome roof collapse knows how powerful snow can be. It was amazing footage, something that rarely gets captured on camera. But in the age of the mobile phone camera, amazing videos are becoming less rare, as this video clearly illustrates.

The driver-turned amateur videographer was cruising down the road when a semi truck saddled with several cubic yards of snow atop the cargo box caught his or her eye. In spite of the inherent danger of driving while videotaping, the motorist couldn’t resist snagging some footage of the oddly tall snow snack. Lucky for us that moment was precisely when an overpass morphed a bad idea (distracted driving sucks) into some amazing footage. As you can see from the screen cap above, the overpass won the battle, but the exploding snow makes the video worth watching. Hit the jump to see for yourself.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Semi Truck + Overpass = Snowpocalypse on the Interstate

Video: Semi Truck + Overpass = Snowpocalypse on the Interstate originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feast your eyes on Truck Norris. But don’t stare. He doesn’t like that.

Filed under: Truck, Jeep, Humor

Truck Norris

You know all the lines by now, like “Chuck Norris doesn’t have a chin – under his beard is another fist,” or “There’s no such thing as thunder – only Chuck Norris’ laughter.” Well, like most jokes, they got old and died. (Unlike Chuck Norris, of course, who is immortal.) But now they’re back, in truck form.

Say hello to Truck Norris. (But don’t say hello too loud, lest you invoke the wrath of – you guessed it – Truck Norris.) Born before the dawn of time, but so named by its ~~owner~~ caretaker – Jeep enthusiast and IFSJA forum member Derf – when he noticed the falling snow avoiding his truck with trepidation, Truck Norris is an ’86 Jeep J10 pickup that has spawned a thread of frankly hilarious anecdotes. A few notable examples:

Truck Norris is as close as he wants to be to the objects that appear in his side view mirrors.
Truck Norris doesn’t come equipped with 4-Wheel Drive. 4-Wheel Drive comes equipped with Truck Norris.
Truck Norris doesn’t need oil. It just drives back in time and eats dinosaurs.

There’s plenty more laughs, if you’re so inclined, to be found in the forum thread, so head on over to check it out for yourself.

[Source: International Full Size Jeep Association via Hemmings]

Feast your eyes on Truck Norris. But don’t stare. He doesn’t like that. originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Chinese fire truck uses jet-powered water cannon

Filed under: Safety, Technology

Chinese fire truck with jet cannon

Chinese fire truck with jet water cannon – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Fire trucks are cool. With that established, Luoyang City, China’s new $456,000 super-soaker may as well be named Arthur Fonzarelli. This unique fire truck features a jet-powered water cannon with enough grunt to spray four tons of water per minute at distances up to 400 feet. Our friends at Engadget tell us that the water reaches the fire so quickly that it sucks the oxygen out of the area, suffocating the flame. You know what that is? Exactly: cool.

Hit the jump to watch a demonstration of the jet-powered water cannon. It’s not a real fire-fighting scenario, but it’s worth a look nonetheless.

[Source: Engadget]

Continue reading Video: Chinese fire truck uses jet-powered water cannon

Video: Chinese fire truck uses jet-powered water cannon originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan NV commercial truck production gets underway

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Truck, Plants/Manufacturing, Work, Nissan

2012 Nissan NV

Nissan NV work trucks – Click above for high-res image gallery

Nissan has kicked off production of its all-new 2012 NV commercial truck. Scheduled to go on sale this spring, the NV will be available in three variants; NV1500, NV2500 HD and NV3500 HD. Two different configurations will also be offered: a standard roof or high roof that offers more interior work and/or cargo space.

Power comes from a choice of familiar six or eight-cylinder engines. The 4.0-liter V6 produces 261 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque while the 5.6-liter V8 delivers 317 hp and 385 lb-ft of torque. Both engines drive the rear wheels via a five-speed automatic transmission.

Body-on-frame construction should help the NV go a long way in the rugged work truck category. Inside, a few trick features will help further set it apart from competitors like the Ford Transit Connect. The passenger seat folds flat to offer up its backside as a workspace. The large, lockable center console offers plenty of storage and 120V outlets are installed front and rear.

The 2012 Nissan NV starts at an MSRP of $24,950. Once the NV configurator comes online, we (and tradesmen in need of a new ride) should be able to elevate that sticker price significantly.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan NV

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Nissan NV commercial truck production gets underway

Nissan NV commercial truck production gets underway originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Jan 2011 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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