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Autoblog Podcast #339

Farewell, Zach Bowman; Pikes Peak 2013; Datsun; 2014 Ram lineup
Episode #339 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and it's the last rodeo for Zach Bowman before he departs for other pastures. The crew this week consists of Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Jeff Ross, who talk about the astounding records set at this year's Pike's Peak hill climb, the return of the Datsun brand name and the recently-announced 2014 Ram truck lineup. Of course, we start with the garage and end with your questions and comments. For those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. You can follow along after the jump with our Q&A. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #339:

Ram readying radical two-way split tailgate?

Ram may be preparing a new sort of tailgate that could rethink the way we access the bed of the company's pickup trucks. Rather than the typical fold-down tailgate that we know so well, patent drawings show a tailgate that combines the functionality of a traditional fold-down design with a 50/50 split that can, individually, be opened like a barn-door design or dropped flat like a standard tailgate.
Now, Ram is far from the first to toy around with something like this. The most obvious example is the Honda Ridgeline, which features a single-piece tailgate that is double-hinged so that it can open traditionally or be swung out to the side. The big news here is the split and the fact that each half can be used independently of the other. Unlike the Honda, the individual halves would be operated via touchpads.
The implications of this new design aren't entirely clear right now. It seems possible that the rendering could just be for a concept vehicle, but production is certainly possible as well - Ram has shown a real willingness to innovate in the pickup segment as of late, with features like coil-spring rear suspensions, light-duty diesels and the Ram Box bedside storage system.

Ram debuts Rumble Bee redux at Woodward [w/video]

Ten years ago, when the Ram truck still wore a Dodge badge, a special yellow-and-black model called the Rumble Bee launched, paying homage to the Super Bee muscle car of the 1960s. Now, we have the Charger Super Bee, wearing the same buzzworthy paint job. But for the 2013 Woodward Dream Cruise, Ram has created a modern version of that Rumble Bee pickup based on the current 2013 Ram 1500, though unlike the last go-around, this one is purely a concept. For now, anyway.
This concept truck uses the 1500's lightest configuration - a single cab, two-wheel-drive model. From there, it has been painted in Drone Yellow with a matte finish, and a Mopar ground effects kit gives the truck a more aggressive stance on the road. The large, 22-inch wheels certainly help that, as well, painted in black to match the other dark accents found around the pickup's body.
Inside, to no one's surprise, the black and yellow theme carries on, with leather upholstery and sport mesh seats. That Rumble Bee logo adorns the chairs and floor mats, but the coolest (or weirdest) touch is the actual amber-encased bee found within the rotary shift knob. Seriously.