2024 Ram 1500 Trx on 2040-cars

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Only in Japan: Dodge van one-make racing series is a thing

Japan seems willing to embrace a level of automotive insanity that many other places lack. Whether it's 1,200-horsepower Nissan GT-Rs blasting through tight, tree-lined mountain roads or advertisements with dances for the Toyota Prius Plug-in, the country definitely has a unique way of expressing a love for autos. The D-Van Grand Prix might be one of our favorite examples yet of crazy Japanese car culture, because the annual, one-make race at the Ebisu Circuit is exclusively for heavily customized Dodge vans. Like many great things, this wonderfully crazy idea came from a little rule breaking. D-Van Grand Prix organizer Takuro Abe was at a track event for a motorcycle racing school, and vans were used to haul the bikes around. During lunch someone came up with the idea for a race. Ignoring that the big machines weren't actually allowed on the circuit, the drivers headed out. The popularity has just grown since then. These days, the racing vans absolutely aren't the stock machines from the event's inspiration. In addition to stripped interiors and track rubber that you might expect, the list of mods for them is a mile long. For every possible advantage, the racers fit them with things like Brembo brakes, cross-drilled rotors, heavy-duty transmissions, and much more. Seeing vans lumbering around the track is very weird at first, but the racers take the competition very seriously. These folks even employ all sorts of little tricks to coax the most from the machines. This is a fascinating motorsports story, but be sure to turn on the subtitles to understand the interviews with the competitors.

Ram 1500 Classic loses regular-cab short-box configuration

Mopar Insiders had a look at Ram's fleet information for the coming model year and discovered an omission: No regular cab with the six-foot four-inch short box for 2023. The fifth-gen pickup has never offered that configuration, but Ram has maintained the fourth-gen Ram Classic as a stubby for the past four model years and up to now on the entry-level Tradesman and the Express trims. According to the paperwork, the regular cab with the eight-foot long box survives into next year. If this comes to pass for 2023, it will lift the price of a two-wheel drive Ram Classic Tradesman a "whopping" $300, from $32,130 after the $1,895 destination fee to $32,430. The Express MSRP jumps by a genuinely large amount, because the option above the regular-cab short-box is a Quad Cab short-box. The Express goes from starting at $33,630 to $40,990.  Pruning the model would also leave Ford and Chevrolet as the only pickup makers in this market that sell a full-size truck with two doors, one row of seats, and one diminutive bed. Ford makes that setup available on the F-150 in XL and XLT forms, Chevy does so only with the Work Truck.  Unlike the other makers, however, Ram stashed an Easter egg in some of the 1500 Classic builds. There are 13 low-volume colors available for $450 apiece, compared to the $100 or $200 up-charges for standard monotone exterior colors. Anyone who wants a shorty in hues like Light Green (pictured), National Safety Yellow, School Bus Yellow, or Republic Blue should get on it. MI says the Ram will start production of the 2023 1500 Classic on January 3, 2023.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Color match your 2018 Ram to your tractor with new Harvest Edition

Though pickup trucks have become increasingly civilized and more common in cityscapes, they're still indispensable equipment as work vehicles, especially on farms. Recognizing this, Ram created a truck package aimed specifically at the agricultural sector called the Harvest Edition. The package features a variety of equipment as standard, like mud flaps, side steps, a rear bumper step, skid plates, rubber floor mats, a spray-in bedliner, 4G WiFi, navigation, and access to weather via Sirius radio. Rams with four-wheel drive also get tow hooks, and 1500 models receive a one-inch suspension lift. Ram 2500 and 3500 retain their normal ride heights. The Harvest Edition includes visual enhancements, most notably the addition of Case IH red and New Holland blue paint colors. But if you prefer John Deere, you won't find its signature green – instead you'll have to settle for white, black, or silver. The Harvest Edition features loads of shiny trim. The mesh grille is chrome, the mirrors and door handles are chrome, the bumpers are chrome. The wheels are chrome on 1500s, and simply polished on heavy duty models. The only visual changes that doesn't involve shiny metal are the body-color fender flares. The package is available on all four-door Ram trucks from 1500 to 3500. It's also available with two- or four-wheel drive and every engine option from V6 to Cummins diesel. The 1500 model starts at $41,305, and the 2500 starts at $47,630. The package becomes available in the third quarter, so farmers and even wannabe farmers should be able to pick one up very soon. Related Video: