RideLust

The Mahindra TR-40.

Remember Mahindra pickups? The compact, diesel engined trucks that were going to take the U.S. by storm? First there was the lawsuit against Mahindra by importer Global Vehicles, who alleged that the Indian manufacturer was dragging their heels on EPA and DOT certification. Mahindra followed up by revoking Global Vehicle’s distributor status; that particular soap opera is ongoing, so Mahindra currently lacks a U.S. distributor. It turns out that’s a good thing, since the EPA just slapped a fuel economy rating of 19 mpg city and 21 mpg highway on the Mahindra TR40 Crew Cab pickup. That’s a far cry from Mahindra’s claims of 30 mpg highway, and it’s about on par with a base model Ford F-150 with a 3.7 liter V6 gasoline engine (which gets 17 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway). So much for diesels being more fuel efficient than their gasoline counterparts. Read More…

There have been no shortages of customized factory Ram trucks over the years. Trucks like Dodge’s SRT-10 Ram, the Rumble Bee or the Daytona truck all have somewhat of a following amongst Ram truck lovers. There is now a new kid on the block, but this time it’s being customized not by a team at Chrysler, but by the legendary boys at Hurst Performance Vehicles. Autoblog is reporting that Hurst will be starting with a 2011 Regular Cab Sport R/T RAM 1500 and then fitting it with a bunch of cosmetic and performance go fast goodies to create a limited edition truck that is sure to get Ram fans all hot and bothered. Performance enhancements include a supercharger for the Ram R/T’s already stout 390 hp HEMI, as well as a performance exhaust to help it breathe a little better.

Exterior enhancements include a barrage of Hurst graphics on the front fenders, bed, doors, grill and tailgate with the factory 22″ wheels receiving the Hurst treatment with custom spokes and new paint. The cabin of the new truck should also be as enticing as the exterior with red top-stitching on the seating surfaces, embroidered Hurst logos in the headrests and a Hurst Pistol-Grip shifter replacing the standard shift knob. As of right now there is no word on power or price, but expect both to be up there. Hurst is said to be making only 50 Hemi Hauler’s per year, which is just enough to make it a really nice collectible truck.

Toyota's A-BAT concept truck. Image: Toyota Motors

In my mind, the Toyota Prius and pickup trucks go together like gravy and ice cream, or like Rosie O’Donnell and thong bikinis. First, hybrid fans are usually not pickup truck fans and vice-versa; Prius owners tend to be focused on how many miles they can squeeze from a gallon of gas, while truck owners are usually more concerned with how much they can carry or tow. Building a single vehicle that would attract both camps is like promoting a “Turkey Gravy Ice Cream Sundae”: you’re certainly not going to make everyone happy, and chances are better than average that the final product will be an acquired taste. The compact pickup truck market in the U.S. is in decline, which is why Ford pulled the plug on selling the new Ranger here. Only Toyota seems to be doing reasonably well with their Tacoma, so any new truck would have to be unique enough to not pirate sales away from the Tacoma. Would U.S. buyers really be interested in snapping up a subcompact pickup, along the lines of the old Chevy Luv or Ford Courrier, but with futuristic style? Read More…

It’s not damn likely that a Toyota Tacoma pickup (the Toyota Hilux, to the rest of the world) is a sufficiently impressive vehicle to get you laid unless the zombie apocalypse is upon us. On the other hand, if you’re a bull and you happen to steal one, filled with hay, to visit some cows in the next pasture, chances are better than average that you’ll be propagating the species. It’s all about mastering technology: having a Zippo lighter would have been enough to ensure that you never sleep alone in Neanderthal times. That is, of course, if sleeping with Neanderthal women counts as a good thing.

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It’s not too often that I am in awe of home built vehicles. This one however, called the “Pismo Beast Buggy” is just too cool though. The Beast Buggy started life as A FL120 Diesel truck that was transformed over time into a Mad Max-esque beach crawler the likes of which I have never seen before. A massive diesel engine powers its two monster truck size rear wheels, and with passenger accommodations for 8 people, this sucker can go just about anywhere. I think the best part though are the massive twin stacks that belch out black smoke every time the accelerator is hit. Hell, I’m intimidated just watching it on video for God’s sake. I have to say that this is truly one of the coolest home built off-road monsters that I have ever witnessed.

Source: Youtube.com

Trailblaser SS does wheel stand

I’ve seen a lot of cars loft their front ends at launch, but this is the first time I’ve seen a Chevy Trailblazer SS do it. That’s a whole lot of truck to keep in a straight line, especially when you have no steering. That’s also a whole lot of weight to bring down on front suspension components, and I can’t imaging the dragstrip likes that much metal slamming into the pavement. Still, mad props to the guy who built and drives this beast (someone else named Kurt, who apparently lives in the Dallas area). From what I can gather, he’s running a twin turbo LSX motor, which is capable of up to 2,500 horsepower. His Trailblazer SS currently runs low 9s, and he’s shooting for the high 8s. Godspeed, you crazy bastard.

Mike Ryan knows a thing or two about going fast in semi trucks: he is, after all, the nine time Pike’s Peak class winner in his custom built Freghtliner race truck. Despite the fact that the truck weighs in at 5 tons, it’ll still turn a 13.2 quarter mile, thanks to the 14.7 liter, compound-turbo Detroit Diesel engine that puts out some 1,950 horsepower. In its current gearing, the truck will top out around 108 miles per hour, but you get the feeling it’s capable of much more with shorter gears. Not bad for an oil burning inline six.

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The 6.4 liter Navistar engine (above) is not included in the lawsuits.

A buddy of mine used to be a service manager at one of the country’s largest Ford dealerships. “The PowerStroke diesels built by Navistar,” he used to tell me, “will put my kids through college.” He was the first to advise people against buying anything with the Navistar-sourced 6.0 liter (or later, 6.4 liter) diesel engine, which has already been the subject of litigation between Ford and Navistar. Owners of Navistar-engined vehicles apparently agree with Ford, and have filed suit against Navistar in California, Utah, Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi. The plaintiff in the lawsuit is seeking class-action status, based on the fact that Navistar knowingly built engines with design and manufacturing defects. The lawsuit covers 6.0 liter diesel engines used in Ford trucks between 2003 and 2007, and does not (yet) include 6.4 liter Navistar engined vehicles.

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Thumbs Up: First class interior, reasonable ride quality for a heavy-duty truck

Thumbs Down: Loaded up with more chrome and farkles than I like

Buy This Truck If: If you’re a Mopar guy and need a heavy duty truck, this is it

Heavy duty pickups are a lot like assault rifles: most people can go their entire lives without needing one, but when you do require one, nothing else will do. Maybe it’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal on a vintage race car and enclosed trailer, or maybe your brother in law just bought a serious fishing boat, or maybe a generous neighbor left you a 40 foot fifth-wheel travel trailer in his will. You won’t be towing any of those things very far with a half ton pickup, so you’ll soon be in the market for a heavy duty three-quarter ton truck. You’ll want to check the box for the diesel motor option, since towing serious loads requires torque, and lots of it. Fuel economy with a diesel is quite a bit better as well, which is one more justification for spending the additional money upfront.

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Looking back at my own life, I can only think of two or three ex-girlfriends who’d want to see me dead. Of those, I can only think of one who’d actually go to extraordinary measures to pull it off, so I won’t be signing up to lease a new Land Rover Discovery 4 Armored SUV any time soon. Jacksonville has a high crime rate, but it isn’t that high and good situational awareness is enough to get you by.

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