A Ram 1500 was Pope Francis' surprising final ride
The late Pope Francis was unassuming and eschewed many of the trappings of his position, so it seems appropriate his coffin was transported in a superseded single-cab pickup truck.
Footage of his funeral procession in Rome, shared by outlets such as ABC, revealed the pontiff's final ride was a DS-series Ram 1500, finished in white and featuring a platform upon which sat his coffin.
This was used instead of the other vehicles that belong to the Vatican, including the modified G580 with EQ Technology that Mercedes-Benz gave it last year.
As Tork reports, the Ram 1500 was gifted by Mexico to the Vatican in 2016.
Pope Francis had toured Mexico in the pickup that year, and after being transported to the Vatican it was subsequently used for internal transport as well as load-hauling.
There's a Latin American connection to all of this. The pontiff, who passed away on April 21, was born in Argentina, while the Ram 1500 has for decades been produced not only in the US but also in Mexico.
It's unclear if this specific example was produced in Mexico.
The Ram 1500 wasn't the late pontiff's only ute-based Popemobile, as he previously toured Mauritius in a Nissan NP300 Hardbody (better known here as the Navara) and in the Philippines and throughout Europe in an Isuzu D-Max.
The Ram also wasn't the pontiff's only vehicle from an auto brand now under the Stellantis umbrella.
On his first trip as Pope to the US, he was driven around in a Fiat 500L – in a reversal of his funeral procession, where it was an American vehicle being driven in Italy.
Pope Francis was also known to use various mass-market vehicles for transport, including a second-generation Ford Focus.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Canberra Times
a day ago
- Canberra Times
Ford Mustang FX shows the 1990s are far enough away to be retro now
Other companies to look towards the 1980s and 1990s for design cues include Nissan with its latest Z, which has tail-lights inspired by the Z32 300ZX, while Hyundai's square lighting elements on vehicles like the Ioniq 5 have a distinctly 1980s flavour, even if that electric vehicle (EV) is inspired by a 1970s concept car.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- News.com.au
Review: 2025 Mercedes-AMG E 53 Hybrid
This is the most powerful E-class Mercedes currently makes and perhaps one of the most polarising. The range-topping AMG E 53 Hybrid 4MATIC+ trades in the brand's V8 for a quieter plug-in hybrid powertrain. It's still brutally fast, incredibly expensive and packed with a ton of features, but it's no longer the muscle car it once was. It might be a better car. At just under $199,000 before on-road costs, the E 53 Hybrid now sits at the top of the E-Class tree. Yes, the price has jumped by approximately $26,000 over the outgoing E 53 model. But for context it's also about $50,000 cheaper than the previous-generation E 63 V8. The E 63 S V8 offered 450kW, hit 100km/h in 3.4 seconds and drank fuel like it was free (officially 12L/100km, but double that if you're heavy with the throttle). This one matches the power, offering a combined 450kW of power and 750Nm of torque – doing so with a 3.0 litre six-cylinder engine and electric motor. The sprint is 3.8 seconds, only a fraction slower than the E 63. It sips just 1.7L of fuel per 100km (NEDC tested) but that figure might be a stretch unless you constantly plug in. It's fast, like seriously fast. There's less noise than a V8 but it feels just as responsive. The electric motor alone will get you up to 100km of range, perfect for zipping around the city. Put your foot down in Sports+ and the car really becomes alive, it's confident, composed and definitely not boring. But honestly? you don't even need sports mode, as comfort mode delivers plenty of fun and is just as engaging. With its aggressive stance, crisp AMG lines, and that signature Panamericana grille, this is a sexy car. Inside, it's not your classic Mercedes. The cabin is bold, digital and hi-tech. For some it might be a sensory overload, there's ambient lighting that changes colour, Mercedes MBUX screen, blending a 14.4-inch central display with dual 12.3-inch driver and passenger screens. The passenger screen is cleverly designed to be invisible to the driver – keeping distractions to a minimum. The seats are supportive with heating, ventilation and massage. But the sports seats are firm, a bit too firm for my liking, you can opt for the standard seats. The split panoramic roof is a nice touch and lets in plenty of light. Rear passengers are well catered for and the boot allows 370L of luggage, which is sufficient for a few overnight bags or small suitcases. The Audi S6 and BMW M550i are obvious rivals but lack the same blend of plug-in tech and speed. I don't think the AMG E 53 Hybrid is trying to replace the V8. It's a modern kind of AMG – one that fits the brand well.
Herald Sun
4 days ago
- Herald Sun
Ram to bring V8 engines back to utes
'Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine', Elvis Presley once said, perfectly encapsulating the bent-eight's enduring appeal both in the US and Australia, so you don't need much of an imagination to figure out what happened when Ram dropped it from its iconic full-size 1500 ute. Sales slumped, profits plummeted, shares fell, dealers revolted, and unions waged war over shutdowns and enforced lay-offs that eventually triggered the Stellantis group's own chief executive to fall on his sword. MORE: US dealers lash out over falling Jeep, Ram sales V8 power makes the RAM TRX an incredibly desirable ute. Picture: Thomas Wielecki In reality, it's dubious the King ever said the original V8 quote and it would be stretching the truth to say dumping the V8 was the root of either Ram's or Stellantis' crippling issues but when an available scapegoat is on hand, who wouldn't want to grab it with both hands and bask in the warm fuzzy glow of giving diehard enthusiasts with the loudest voices exactly what they want? 'Everyone makes mistakes, but how you handle it defines you', said Ram chief executive Tim Kuniskis. 'Ram screwed up when we dropped the Hemi – we own it and we fixed it.' MORE: Driving the six-cylinder Ram 1500 RAM finished production of Hemi-powered V8 utes in 2024. Picture: Supplied Dragged back from retirement to save Ram, the former chief executive only returned last December and was well aware of the PR mileage in saving the American Dream. Reviving the V8 wasn't as easy as you'd think. The recently updated Ram 1500 ute had been reengineered for Stellantis next-generation Atlantis High electric architecture that had never been developed to work with the ageing V8. Engineers estimated dropping the V8 back in the big ute would take up to 18 months, but Kuniskis' assembled team achieved it in just six. MORE: End of an era for V8 icon A new six-cylinder engine in the Ram 1500 has plenty of power. Picture: Supplied Helping save face, the official party line is the V8 isn't a replacement for the all-new Hurricane twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder, just merely a tool to broaden choice within the line-up. Not that any old 5.7-litre Hemi was chosen for the Ram 1500, with the most sophisticated mild-hybrid eTorque Hemi picked from the Jeep Wagoneer that delivers 295kW of power and 556Nm of torque, with the latter boosted by a short burst of 176Nm when needed for overtakes and smooth engine shut off when not. MORE: Electrified 'Ramcharger' revealed The V8's belt-driven alternator and 48-volt battery also help smooth cylinder deactivation and offers near seamless stop-start in traffic. Sounds good if you conveniently ignore the far more efficient inline-six's maximum 403kW and 707Nm peak torque but one thing the trick Hurricane engine can never match is the beloved V8 burble and the new Hemi-powered 1500s now come with a standard sports exhaust to maximise that advantage. In the US the V8 is also a surprisingly affordable $US1200 ($A1850) option on most standard-output inline-six Ram 1500s, while a no-cost extra on the high-grade Limited and Longhorn variants but it's not available on the flagship RHO. There's no word yet on what's happened to the 523kW supercharged 6.2-litre V8 that powered the 1500 TRX but with most of the work already done a reboot could be on the cards. Other than its thumping soundtrack, identifying a V8-powered Ram 1500 isn't easy but there are new 'Symbol of Protest' badges on the front fenders that fuses a demonic ram's head on a V8 engine block. MORE: Driving the Ram TRX at Black Rock Former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares stepped down after revolt from Jeep and Ram dealers. Photo: AFP With clear demand for the V8 Down Under, you might expect the local Ram outfit would be screaming out for the bent-eight's return but with Australia's own emission standards, adopted at the beginning of this year, the chances of V8 renaissance under the 1500 bonnet has narrowed. There's also the small matter of the lengthy estimated 12-18 months it will take for the V8 to be reengineered for a right-hand drive conversion. With predicted 2027 arrival it's no wonder Ram Australia hasn't been quick to carefully manage expectations for the 1500 V8 Down Under. The new Ram 1500 has 'Hurricane' six-cylinder power. Picture: Supplied 'The return of the Hemi V8 is a decision that has been made for the US market. As it stands today, there is no guarantee the Hemi V8 will return to Australian showrooms. 'However, customers have also embraced the new Hurricane twin-turbo in-line six-cylinder engine'. 'With more power and torque – and better efficiency – than the previous 5.7-litre Hemi V8, we believe the new Hurricane engine series will, over time, become iconic in its own right.' Even without the V8 revival kicking in, with an industry veteran behind the wheel Ram retail sales have already crept up by 16 per cent in the first quarter of this year, with analysts predicting a whopping 40 per cent bump in Q2 alone. Throw in EVs that arrive in 2027 and the range-extender Ramcharger that lands later his year, plus rumours of new mid-size utes to fight the Ranger and the future is brighter but not yet assured for the US brand. While everyone warmly greets the return of the V8, the real work continues behind the scenes to tackle poor quality and worse reliability, while somehow find the cash needed to build a future line-up of truly desirable utes worthy of the King, with or without a V8. Originally published as Ram to bring V8 engines back to utes
