2023 Ram 1500 Lone Star Quad Cab 4x4 6'4" Box on 2040-cars

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2013 Ram 1500 Black Express is midnight in the garden of good and evil

Building off of the solid base of its 1500 pickup, Ram has announced a dark horse in its stable, the Ram Black Express, which comes equipped with a bevy of features to distinguish it from the regular Express model. (Just don't call it a black sheep.)
The Black Express sets itself apart visually from other 1500s with black 20-inch aluminum wheels, black bumpers, a black grille and front fascia with fog lamps, black Ram's head badges front and rear but no side badges for a clean, shaved look. The premium bi-function halogen projector headlamps with LED running lights, which aren't even an option on the regular Express, come standard on the Black edition.
The 5.7-liter Hemi V8 is unchanged, making 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. Paired with the standard eight-speed automatic transmission, the truck can tow 6,500 pounds. It's on sale starting this month, and the base Black Express can be had for $26,955, just $1,105 more than the base Express 4X2 regular cab. Feel free to peruse the press release below and check out the image gallery below.

2017 Ram Power Wagon update adds menacing new look

The popular sentiment in the truck market is that if you really, really want off-road performance, you turn to the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. But Ram would like to remind everyone that it's no stranger to the hardcore, off-road pickup game, and that the 2500-based Power Wagon is here to stand up (and dwarf) the half-ton-based Raptor. The 2016 Power Wagon was heavy on the chrome, had an pretty ridiculous optional graphics package, and featured questionable red grille inserts (unless you got the work-truck-like Power Wagon Tradesman). To be frank, it was hard to take the truck seriously alongside something as purposeful looking as the Ford Raptor. Ram has addressed this for 2017 by replacing all the chrome with menacing black trim. The billet-silver Ram badge in the nose is the only piece of bright work, and goodness, it all works. Look at the two side-by-side: murdering out the new Rebel-inspired grille, rear bumper, mirror caps, wheel arches, 324-point-font tailgate badge, headlights, and wheels finally gives the Power Wagon the menacing, purposeful, and imposing appearance that it needs. But really, what we like best is that this Ram is all just two-tone now, instead of a handful of different shades. By offering decals in just black or silver, depending on which of the six body colors you choose, the 2017 Power Wagon is a less distracting and simply more cohesive design (or just skip the graphics pack all together – we would). Changes elsewhere are much more modest. You can black out the cabin headliner, and the dull fabric seats have been spiced up with inserts that ape the tread pattern of the standard Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires. It's a small touch, but it breaks up the otherwise depressing sea of black plastic. And as far as more luxurious options, there's no mention of a range-topping Power Wagon Laramie, although buyers on a budget will still be able to snag the entry level Power Wagon Tradesman. Perhaps most importantly, the bits that make the Power Wagon a Power Wagon are more or less unchanged. The 6.4-liter Hemi V8 still produces 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque and is still matched with a 66RFE six-speed automatic and a manually-shifted transfer case. It'll still tow 10,030 pounds, ford up to 30 inches of water, and has a standard 12,000-pound Warn winch at the front. In short, the 2017 Ram Power Wagon is still a monster, just a more fashionable monster.

Ram Laramie Longhorn becomes the most luxurious Ram around

Dallas, Texas - This year's Texas State Fair was all about the deluxe trucks. Ford introduced its super-plush Limited trim for the Super Duty trucks. Ram did the same with its new Laramie Longhorn Southfork trim level. It's the new top-level luxury option for Ram, and it's available on heavy-duty 2500 and 3500 Rams as well as the light-duty 1500. The Southfork builds upon the flashy Longhorn trim level, which we aren't particularly fond of, mainly due to the tacky leather filigree pattern stickers, the plastic, barbed wire accents, and strange rose gold finish. Those elements are all still present on the Southfork. It does retain good points, like leather everywhere. Ram touts the leather's presence on the fronts, backs, and sides of the seats, as well as on the door panels. Southfork-exclusive features include a new pale ivory leather called Light Frost Beige, which is accented by a dark brown leather. The roof and pillars are also now covered in suede, which certainly upgrades the feel of the interior. There's real walnut and ash wood trim on the steering wheel and elsewhere in the cabin. Since the Southfork is the top of the line Ram trim, it carries a high price. The 1500 model starts at $52,615, and the 2500 starts at $57,015. The trim is only available on crew cab and Mega Cab trucks, but can be had with two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive and with short or long beds. See it for yourself in the image gallery above. Related Video: