Dodge promotes strength and power on pickups in three sizes for the ram-horned brand in 2006. Heading the line is the full-size Ram 1500 (light-duty) truck presenting a get-out-of-my-way face and a Viper-powered SRT-10 high-performance variation that ranks as the world's swiftest production-model sport truck. Heavy-duty Ram trucks in two weight classes pack big engines for serious truck torque towing muscle, and Dodge's mid-size Dakota pickup earns best-in-class power, torque and tow ratings.

Dodge's light-duty 1500 (half-ton) pickups show a two-door Regular Cab or four-door Quad Cab, and both come in two-wheel-drive (2WD) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) traction. Entry issue is called ST, but there's also Sport, SLT and deluxe Laramie. The series scores a revised structure for 2006, with new suspension and body mounts added to improve the ride quality and handling.

A 3.7-liter V6 rated at 215 hp is the standard engine on 2WD Ram Regular Cab and 2WD Quad Cab coupled to a Getrag six-speed manual shifter. The Getrag six-speed also works with Ram's 4.7-liter Magnum V8, which produces 235 hp. Ram's new engine option for 2006 is 5.7-liter HEMI Magnum V8 racked to 345 hp but working with a multi-displacement system (MDS) which switches to fuel-saving four-cylinder mode when all of that power is not needed for romping. Quad Cab Ram now offers a DVD entertainment system.

Take the full-size Ram 1500 and add high-performance suspension and brakes, then borrow the outrageous V10 engine out of Dodge's Viper supercar and stuff it into that stepped-hood prow. The result is an ultimate perform-ance pickup dubbed SRT10. Viper's aluminum V10 elevate this truck to the stratosphere with 500 hp. That means acceleration times around five seconds for the run from zero to 60 mph. A heavy-duty Tremec six-speed manual transmission with Hurst linkage and shifter converts all of that power into muscle to turn enormous rear wheels - 22-inch Viper-style rollers with Pirelli Scorpion tires.

For 2006 the SRT10 gets a new hydroformed boxed frame and revamped styling inside and out. The cab -- two-door Regular Cab or four-door Quad Cab -- adds bolstered bucket seats with suede inserts and a broad center console. At the tail a body-colored aluminum tonneau caps the bed.

The label "Heavy Duty" applies to this series of big and powerful work trucks for the upward expansion of Dodge's line of Ram trucks. Constructed on a strong chassis that's modular in design to allow multiple configurations for cabin size and box length, heavy-duty Ram trucks dominate the road with powerful engines designed to pull far more than their weight and tow class-topping loads. The collection consists of two weight designations with 2500 (three-quarter-ton) and 3500 (one-ton) series.

Cabs conform to two-door Regular Cab and four-door Quad Cab. Two transfer cases -- one with manual shifting and the other with electric shift -- go to the 4WD versions. Standard engine is a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 pumped to 345 hp. A 5.9-liter in-line-six Cummins turbo-diesel is optional at 325 hp with superior tow capacity of 16400 pounds. (CONTINUE...)