With that chin-forward prow and stepped-hood
styling of a big-rig Peterbilt, Dodge's
light-duty 1500 (half-ton) series pickups
look like no other trucks. Ram 1500
brings two cab choices, either the two-door
Regular Cab or a four-door Quad Cab,
and both are available in two-wheel-drive
(2WD) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) traction
modes.
Entry
issue is called ST, but there's also
the Work Special model, Sport, SLT and
deluxe Laramie. A 3.7-liter V6 rated
at 210 hp is standard on 2WD Ram Regular
Cab and 2WD Quad Cab coupled to a new
Getrag six-speed manual shifter. The
Getrag six-speed also works with Ram's
4.7-liter Magnum V8 that produces 235
hp. A 5.7-liter Hemi Magnum V8 scored
to 345 hp is optional- it's teamed with
a five-speed automatic transmission.
With that Hemi in place, Ram's Gross
Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) runs as
high as 14,000 pounds, while the Gross
Trailer Weight Rating (GTWR) climbs
to 9,300 pounds.
Ram's
Off-Road package installs equipment
for rugged four-wheeling excursions,
including skid plates, a limited-slip
differential, fog lamps, heavy-duty
cooling system and tow hooks. For Quad
Cab versions a new sunroof is available
with one-touch tab to open or close
the window. |
Take
the full-size Ram 1500 and add high-performance
suspension and brakes, then borrow the
outrageous V10 engine out of Dodge's
Viper super car and stuff it into that
stepped-hood prow. The result becomes
an ultimate performance pickup dubbed
SRT-10. Viper's aluminum V10 engine
numbers elevate this truck to the stratosphere
of the triple 500 Club. It brings 500
hp with 525 lb-ft of torque and more
than 500 cubic inches in engine displacement.
That
means acceleration times around five
seconds for the run from zero to 60
mph and a maximum speed topping 150
mph. A heavy-duty Tremec six-speed manual
transmission with customized Hurst linkage
and shifter converts all of that power
into muscle to turn two enormous rear
wheels -- 22-inch Viper-style rollers
with Pirelli Scorpion tires. Capping
the truck box is a functional spoiler
wing that not only reduces lift but
also aerodynamic drag. For 2005 the
SRT-10 shows two cab configurations
-- the standard two-door Regular Cab
fitted with twin sport buckets or a
new Quad Cab four-door edition with
a body-colored aluminum tonneau lid
mounted on the pickup 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, the heavy-duty
Ram trucks dominate the road with their
forceful exterior styling. They also
flex muscles from powerful engines designed
to pull far more than their weight and
tow class-topping loads. The collection
consists of two weight designations
with the 2500 (three-quarter-ton) and
3500 (one-ton) series.
Cabs
conform to the two-door Regular Cab
with split bench seat and a four-door
Quad Cab with four doors and seats for
six. Two transfer cases -- one with
manual shifting and the other with an
electric shift -- go to 4WD versions.
Standard engine is the 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 best-in-class tow capacity
of 16,400 pounds. |
Sized one-step below the full-size Ram,
Dodge's mid-size pickup sports the stepped-hood
prow of Ram for a family resemblance.
The truck rides on a stiff new boxed-rail
platform for 2005 and gets a new high-output
Magnum V8 engine option that's good
for 250 hp. It's larger than its predecessor
Dakota, gaining 3.7 inches in length
and 2.7 inches in width. As a result,
Dakota's cabin increases in capacity
too. There are two formats for the cabin.
The
Club Cab contains two rows of seats
for four and two rear-hinged access
doors, while the Quad Cab stocks four
full-size doors and seat space for up
to six. Standard safety systems on the
new Dakota extend to advanced frontal
air bags plus side curtain-style air
bags for both rows of seats. Base engine
is a 3.7-liter Magnum V6 developing
210 hp, with a 4.7-liter Magnum V8 optional
with 230 hp or the high-output version
that earns best-in-class power and tow
capacity. In addition, Dakota offers
4WD traction for off-road forays. |