It’s weird that pickup trucks aren’t built like cars. Most cars today are unibody. That means the body is engineered as one structure, without a frame. Trucks are built the way all vehicles used to be built, with a separate body on a frame. The thinking is that a body-on-frame truck is far superior to …
GM has just announced four different electric pickups and vans will be built at its storied Hamtramck assembly plant in Poletown Detroit. They include an electric GMC Sierra pickup truck and Cadillac Escalade SUV. Production at Hamtramck will begin in 2021. Located in Detroit’s “Poletown” Polish community, Hamtramck was slated to stop vehicle assembly this …
With Fiat-Chrysler and Peugeot’s parent company PSA Group officially merged, the automotive world is about to get very interesting. For one, it could mean a return to the US for French brands like Peugeot and Citroen, which ducked out decades ago. For another, it could mean more vehicles from Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler could make …
Sometimes you do things because you can. When you’ve got a 1939 Plymouth pickup and a Jacobs seven-cylinder radial engine from a Cessna airplane sitting in the same wrecking yard, you do a mashup. Right? Gary Corns has a Denver wrecking yard that’s been around since the 1950s. Wrecking yards accumulate all kinds of hunks …
When it comes to pickup truck selection, Europe gets a mixed bag. On the one hand, they get mid-size offerings like the Ford Ranger Raptor and Ram 700, and the US doesn’t. Although, trucks like the F-150 Raptor and Ram Power Wagon aren’t available across the pond. But if we Americans want a Ranger Raptor, …
The Ford Bronco and Chevy Blazer are two of the most iconic vehicles each manufacturer has ever built. They represent the first effort to replicate the Jeep in their own interpretation. The Bronco vs Blazer battle continues today. Here’s how they match up. Except for drivetrain, the Bronco was a completely unique vehicle within Ford’s …
Though Nissan is known for its comfortable and advanced cars and SUVs, the automaker struggles against strong competition in the truck segment. Its midsize platform and affordable pricing have kept the Frontier selling well enough. But when stacked up against the best-selling trucks in America, the Nissan Frontier just simply cannot keep up. Where does …
If you’re looking to do some serious off-roading, choosing a truck that’s up to the job can be a tough decision. A full-size truck may seem like a no-brainer, but if you’re looking for something that will be able to fit on any trail you come across, it would be better to go with a …
As the demand for EVs grows, so is the push for ever-increasing range. Modern engineering and design mean EVs no longer trail far behind their fossil-fuel-powered counterparts. Even in the case of the upcoming electric pickups. Even so, many consumers fear getting stranded without a charge. Luckily, Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained has a potential …
Automaker Nissan is known for its reliable and impressive passenger vehicles. But breaking into the truck segment as a best-selling rival has always been a struggle for Nissan. Its midsize pickup, the Frontier, offers affordable pricing and durability but seems to fall behind its ever-popular competition in every other way. And the experts have certainly …
Many don’t know that back in the early 2000s you could buy a Chevy or GMC pickup with four-wheel steering. Called “Quadrasteer” it was a $5,600 option that vastly aided maneuverability. The GM Quadrasteer system cut the turning radius down from 47-feet to 37-feet. That’s the turning radius of a Honda Accord. For a 20-foot-long …