Latest news with #RamTrucks
Fox News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox News
Ram to enter trucks in 2026 with possible future move to Cup for Dodge
BROOKLYN, Mich. — Dodge parent company Stellantis will enter NASCAR racing in 2026 with its Ram brand competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with an eye toward going Cup racing in the years beyond. Whether that's 2027 or later — 2027 is possible but would be an aggressive timeline — remains to be seen as the announcement Sunday focused primarily on the truck, a much easier lift than going Cup racing. With all trucks in the series using an Ilmor engine and several common body elements, Ram just needed to design a nose, a hood, front fenders and a tail for its racing vehicle. Ram did not announce who will drive its trucks nor the teams that will field its trucks. Ram CEO Tim Kinuskis said he hopes to have somewhere between four and six trucks for the 2026 season opener at Daytona. "We're looking for a date to the prom right now [for trucks]," Kinuskis said. "So how am I going to get the Cup? That's going to depend on how I get to truck. So however we get to truck is going will obviously weigh heavily on do I have a path to Cup? "Our intention is not to do a one-hit wonder and go to truck and not to Cup. That's not our plan." Ram does not have cars so what brand of car — Dodge? Plymouth's possible rebirth? — is still to be determined although Dodge has a lengthy history in the sport and motorsports as a whole. "Ram is coming back to the truck series," Kinuskis said. "It has nothing to do with Dodge, despite the fact that everyone in the world calls it Dodge Ram. ... If we go back to Cup, which is our intention, Ram doesn't have a car, so obviously that would have to be Dodge coming back. "But I'm not making that announcement. I'm not saying Dodge is back. Don't put that headline. But when we get to that point, it wouldn't be Ram, obviously." There is speculation in the industry that GMS, which has competed in all three national series over the last decade and was eventually bought out by Jimmie Johnson in the rebranding to Legacy Motor Club, will be involved in building chassis and/or fielding trucks for Ram. Kinuskis promised a program that will elevate fan engagement, and YouTube star Cleetus McFarland, who has competed in some ARCA races, has been linked to the Ram program. Dodge had Cup teams from 2001-12 before exiting the sport on a high note with Brad Keselowski winning a Cup title at Team Penske. When Penske left for Ford, Dodge had trouble landing a premier team and opted to leave the sport. No new manufacturer has entered the sport since Toyota did so in 2004 in trucks and 2007 in Cup. Kinuskis also said when he returned to Ram earlier this year, his two goals were to reintroduce the Hemi engine and get into NASCAR, where 50 percent of its fan base own trucks. "It's always bothered me," Kinuskis said. "We've always been looking for a way to get back. It took us a long time to find the absolute right time." To re-enter Cup would take some engine development and significant body design, a process that would take at least 18 months, NASCAR Chief Racing Development Officer John Probst said. "The last time that engine ran was 2012 — the core components of the block, the head, the manifold, are all still relevant," Probst said. "Our existing engine builders develop their engines every year. There's been a gap there, so there'd be some development of that engine needed. "But from the basic building blocks they could start from that and do some catch-up development." Kinuskis wouldn't talk about a timeline Sunday for going to Cup racing. "Our full intention is to be back in Cup," Kinuskis said. "But right now we're on a path for Daytona next year with truck, with our eye on when we can be in Cup after that. TBD. "We're a fly with no net right now trying to get to Daytona. That's our focus right now." Keselowski, currently a driver and co-owner at RFK Racing, said the trucks are the right entry point for a manufacturer as it doesn't have to immediately get an engine available and because of the parity in the series. "[The truck series] is a great place for an OEM [original equipment manufacturer] to enter NASCAR and really kind of get that appetite going for the Cup Series," Keselowski said. "It's a big jump from the truck series to the Cup Series, but nonetheless it's a great entry point for OEMs, and hopefully they aren't the only one that will enter the truck series." Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and IndyCar for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Ram announces its return to NASCAR's Truck Series with a lot of hyperbole and very little detail
Ram Trucks' re-entry into the NASCAR Truck Series became official on Sunday. And its announcement was heavy on hyperbole and light on details. The Stellantis brand will return to the Truck Series next season after Dodge had been a mainstay in NASCAR's third-tier series since its mid-1990s inception. Dodge's last season in the Cup Series came in 2012 when Brad Keselowski won the title for Team Penske in a Charger and a Ram truck was last driven in the Truck Series in 2013. Advertisement Ram made its announcement ahead of Sunday's Cup Series race at Michigan, but that announcement didn't include any teams or drivers for next season. It did, however, include this whopper of a quote from Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis. From NBC Sports: 'Our objective is to take the 20 million (avid fans of NASCAR) and turn it into 80 or 100 million,' he said. 'We have a plan. We know how we're going to do it. We think we have a path to get to that. We think people are going to like the way we're doing it because it's going to be fun. Not ready to share all the details with you yet, but I told you that the experiential piece was going to be just a little bit of how we're doing it. It's going to get crazier from there.' In case you were wondering, the average weekly TV audience for the Cup Series was 2.9 million people in 2024 — or, if you prefer, roughly 17.1 million fewer people than the number of avid fans that Kuniskis cited. But even quadrupling NASCAR's average Cup Series viewership to 12 million would be one of the greatest audience turnarounds in modern American sports history. And, well, the odds are quite stacked against a single truck manufacturer pulling that off. Especially with the number of trucks that Ram expects to field in 2026. Kuniskis said the brand wants to have four to six trucks in the field next season — though it was notable that no one had been locked up ahead of the announcement to be unveiled as Ram's first partner. Advertisement One of the drivers Ram is rumored to have a truck for next season is Garrett Mitchell. Far more widely known as the YouTuber Cleetus McFarland, Mitchell, 30, has made starts in the ARCA Series in 2025. He has over 4 million followers on his YouTube page and it reasons that many of them aren't already regular NASCAR fans. If Mitchell gets a ride in a Ram truck and is successful, he could certainly boost the Truck Series. But without many details — or even a confirmed ride for him — it's way too early for predictions or proclamations. Ram's return is, however, a moment that's been over 20 years in the making for NASCAR. Though the truck brand isn't truly new to NASCAR, Ram is the first since Toyota in 2004 to join NASCAR. Since Dodge left NASCAR in 2013, Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota have been the only three manufacturers in NASCAR's top three series. Will a fourth manufucturer join the Cup Series anytime soon? NASCAR has said for years that it's been having discussions with other automakers, but nothing has come of those discussions. Advertisement Sunday, that hedging continued. NASCAR vice president John Probst told the Sports Business Journal that the sanctioning body was "very close" with a new manufacturer while also saying that the manufacturer was yet to make a decision. Finally adding that fourth Cup Series manufacturer would be a big win for NASCAR. If and when it happens.
Motor Trend
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
Got Hemi? See Which 2026 Ram 1500 Pickup Trucks Get the Revived V-8
Back by popular demand, the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 is returning to the 2026-model-year Ram 1500. While the Hemi will come with Ram's eTorque mild hybrid powertrain—which it included before it left the lineup after 2025—fans of the brand surely will be paying closer attention to regaining access to that sweet, sweet V-8 power and noise. While full 2026 Ram 1500 information isn't out yet (we'll update this space when it is), we do know which '26 Ram 1500s will offer the V-8 as an option, and how much it will cost. That's right, the V-8 may be back, but it isn't standard equipment. Looking over the 2026 Ram 1500 trims, the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 will be offered as an option on everything but the desert-bombing RHO and high-zoot Tungsten. As before, the 1500 Tradesman, Express, and Big Horn/Lone Star continue to come standard with Stellantis' aging 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine. In a surprising turn, the Warlock adopts the Pentastar as standard kit, too; the 420-hp Standard Output (SO) twin-turbo 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six engine it previously came with is now an option, alongside the resurrected Hemi it temporarily replaced for 2025. The Rebel keeps the SO Hurricane six as standard equipment, while Limited and Longhorn will again get the burlier 540-hp 3.0-liter Hurricane I-6 High Output (HO) standard. For those models that can offer the Hemi, there will be an upcharge for it on all but the Limited and Longhorn trims, where it'll be offered as a no-cost option. Here's a look at the powertrain options on the 2026 Ram 1500 lineup: To unlock the Hemi V-8's 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque, you'll need to spend $1,200. That slots the V-8 just below the 420-hp and 469-lb-ft 3.0-liter I-6 Hurricane SO in Ram's powertrain hierarchy—the twin-turbo six is a $2,695 upgrade for the Tradesman, Express, Warlock, and Big Horn/Lone Star. The Laramie and Rebel get the Hurricane SO as standard, with the Hemi an option. While order books are open and all 2026 Ram 1500s with the Hemi (save for the Rebel that will arrive later) should arrive by this summer, pricing for the 2026 model year, along with other details such as paint colors and trim changes, have yet to be announced—but we should see that soon.
Motor 1
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Ram Just Proved America Can't Quit the V-8
Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis said the brand "screwed up" by dropping the Hemi V-8 for the 1500 pickup, so now it's making a much-heralded return . It turns out that even as we head towards an electric—or at least an electrified future—eight cylinders, grouped in fours, and spaced 90 degrees apart, aren't going anywhere. It's not just Ram. Last week, General Motors announced an $888 million investment in its Tonawanda, New York, plant to prep for an upcoming sixth-generation small-block V-8. Mercedes is developing a new V-8 , too, which it plans to offer across its entire lineup. BMW's R&D boss recently said it's keeping V-8s for the foreseeable future , specifically because of the American and Middle East markets. Porsche has also committed to building V-8s into the 2030s. Especially here in America, we can't quit the V-8. Photo by: Ram Kuniskis's statements are illuminating. "Ram will continue to offer the more powerful and more efficient Hurricane Straight-Six Turbo, but we heard loud and clear from consumers: there is no replacement for the iconic Hemi V-8. At the end of each month, we count sales to customers, not statisticians or ideologues. Data be damned—we raise our flag and let the Hemi ring free again." It tracks with the image that marketers inside Ram and its cousin Dodge have meticulously crafted over the past few years: draped in the flag, and representing everything that is good and right about America, from apple pie to burnouts. In reality, this decision was made for the most American of reasons, the bottom line, at a time when Ram's sales have been tanking for a while now. 'We heard loud and clear from consumers: there is no replacement for the iconic Hemi V-8.' That, however, may have had less to do with the demise of the 5.7-liter Hemi for one model year and more to do with Ram prices skyrocketing for years . It is highly unclear whether the revival of the Hemi will drive prices down or boost sales even if prices stay high, but at least the narrative has shifted: the V-8 is back, as is America. The V-8 is not an exclusively American invention, but there is no engine configuration more closely linked to our car industry. Ford's flathead V-8 arrived in 1932, and after getting through some early teething troubles, it started the eight-cylinder revolution here in America . Eight-cylinder engines were once the exclusive domain of luxury and performance cars; the flathead made the V-8 almost a default engine layout here. A Ford flathead V-8 Photo by: Wikimedia Commons / Michael Barera There's a fundamental rightness that applies to the flathead, and all V-8s that followed to this day. A V-8 is no bigger in length than an inline-four, and shorter than an inline-six. With a 90-degree bank angle, a V-8 is not too much wider than most inline engines, either. But despite its compact dimensions, the V-8 is powerful, owing to its large cylinder count. And thanks to Cadillac's invention of the 180-degree, "cross-plane" crankshaft in the 1920s, the V-8 has perfectly balanced primary and secondary forces. So, compact, power dense, smooth running, and thanks to Ford's manufacturing dominance, cheap and plentiful. In America, where fuel economy and emissions only became heavily regulated and of bigger importance to consumers in the 1970s, it's no wonder that the V-8 was popular. Especially earlier, in the post-war boom time, when people had money, gas was cheap, and that brown haze hanging low over LA? Don't worry about it. The Clean Air Act and the 1973 fuel crisis definitely diminished the V-8's popularity, but it still had its place in large cars and trucks. Europe jumped on the bandwagon, too, with notable V-8s from Rover, Mercedes-Benz, and others for luxury cars, especially since the US was typically the largest export market for these cars. Japan only started making V-8s in big numbers in the 1980s and 1990s for luxury cars and trucks, though it is now retreating from this engine type; meanwhile, Korea has never been a big V-8 producer. (China skipped over this entirely to focus on groundbreaking electric power and fast-charging performance, but presumably, the minds at Stellantis have a plan to deal with this as well—we just have not seen it yet.) In the era of downsizing and electrification, a lot of automakers have tried to move away from V-8s to varying degrees, and to varying degrees of success. Ford was the first to make a big push with its EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6s, and while they've proven popular in the F-150, Ford has continued to offer a V-8 in the truck. GM brought out a 2.7-liter turbo-four as a base engine in the Silverado 1500, though its model mix leans heavily on V-8s and a diesel straight-six. Ram probably took the biggest step of all. For the 2025 1500 , it dropped the V-8 entirely in favor of a newly developed 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six. The "Hurricane" was (and is) offered in two power outputs as an upgrade to the base Pentastar V-6. If Kuniskis' statements are anything to go by, the I-6 didn't get the reception Ram was hoping for. Otherwise, it wouldn't have gone through the trouble of upping 5.7 V-8 production and adapting this old engine to work with the truck's new electronic architecture, which wasn't exactly the work of a moment. While the turbo inline-six is, as Ram points out, more powerful and more efficient, it's not necessarily the better truck engine. We haven't heard any horror stories about the Hurricane, but in a truck, where customers often put strain on the engine with towing and payload, they don't with regular cars, simplicity is a virtue. A turbo 'six might hit the numbers—and inherently, a turbo straight-six is a great thing, as BMW proves—but here with two turbochargers, the associated plumbing, and intercoolers, it is a more complex thing. Hell, compared to the Hemi V-8, the Hurricane I-6 has space-age complexities as multiple overhead camshafts. And while the standard-output Hurricane inline-six offers a 15-horsepower and 49-pound-feet bump over the Hemi V-8, the customer gets no great benefit in fuel economy for having two fewer cylinders. You get 21 MPG combined in the I-6 vs 20 MPG for the V-8. And somehow, their tailpipe emissions are almost identical, with 433 vs 443 grams of CO2 per mile, respectively. Photo by: Ram However, there is something very culture-war about all this. The 1500 Hemi gets a new badge with a Ram's head on the front of a V-8, which Ram calls the "Symbol of Protest Badge." A protest against… what exactly? Ram's press release leaves this to your imagination. But it's not like the current presidential administration is pushing for more fuel-efficient, lower-emission vehicles right now. In fact, it's doing very much the opposite. The Hemi may have its virtues, but its return is colored with corporate pandering to the aggrieved, which is as savvy as it is cringeworthy. Stellantis is hurting big time, and this is a very easy win for them, and a good hedge against electric pickups—which even ardent EV defenders will admit aren't fully up to the task yet . Ram has an electric pickup in the pipeline, but EV trucks from Ford and GM haven't exactly caught on. Maybe Ram's upcoming range-extender EV pickup, the Ramcharger, will do well; it seems like it could be a good mix of electrification and capability, but it's early, and the company keeps delaying the truck anyhow. Still, it's embarrassing to see a large, multinational corporation make it seem like buying an expensive V-8 pickup is an act of rebellion, of sticking it to the man. But who's the man right now? Near-powerless Democrats? California? EVs, like the ones Stellantis also makes? Joe Biden? It's a strange message from the company that also makes America's best-selling plug-in hybrid . Photo by: Ram Ram is more explicit in how it's targeting customers who respond to that message. But everyone else refocusing on V-8s knows they're appealing to those who resist change, or at least aren't so open to it. And hell, those people aren't wrong to love the V-8. It is a fundamentally excellent thing. Perhaps Ram's biggest issue is that the V-8 being revived dates back to 2003 and is not something new or innovative or groundbreaking in some way, as we'll see from those other companies. Stellantis can only fall back on its old standbys for so long. The company seems to understand this—it's why it developed the new inline-six, why it's developing electrified Ram 1500s, and why the Dodge Charger went electric. But it missed the mark. So far, these haven't been game-changing, do-everything vehicles, especially not at the high prices Stellantis charges. There's a happy middle ground. Other automakers continuing V-8 development are also heavily pushing hybrids and EVs, and BMW and GM especially are seeing big success as a result. Automakers need to walk and chew gum at the same time. If the last few years have proven anything, it's that emissions and fuel economy rules won't stay lenient forever. When that changes again, and it will, Stellantis had better get ready for what's next. More on the Hemi's Comeback The Hemi V-8 Is Back: 'We Screwed Up,' Says Ram CEO Ram's 'Symbol of Protest' Badge for Hemi V-8s Is Ridiculous and Genius Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Motor Trend
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
It's Official: The Hemi-Powered Ram 1500 Is Back!
'We got it wrong and we're fixing it,' Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis says. What did Ram get wrong? The truck maker nixed the Hemi V-8 option from the redesigned 2025 Ram 1500, making the more powerful and fuel-efficient but less throaty Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six standard. As for fixing it, the Hemi is indeed returning to the menu for the 2026 model year. Order books are now open and trucks with the V-8 option should be on sale this summer. The Hurricane 3.0-liter twin-turbo I-6 will continue to be the standard engine across the majority of the lineup, while the 5.7-liter Hemi becomes a $1,200 option on most trims. It is a no-charge option on the Limited and Longhorn models that had the high-output Hurricane as standard. When Kuniskis returned to head Ram in December, the first thing he was asked was if he was going to bring the Hemi back for truck buyers upset they no longer had that choice. At the time, Kuniskis said he needed to see the data, to see if the falloff in Ram sales was in fact due to dropping the V-8 or if it was the result of a botched launch of the 2025 Ram 1500, whereby the company struggled to get all the various trims to dealers in a timely manner. One factor was the very same plant was also starting to produce the new version of the Ram heavy duty. Today, Ram retail sales are up (overall sales don't look as healthy because the company deliberately pulled back on rental fleet sales). But the Hemi is coming back. 'Data be damned,' Kuniskis says now. It appears this was Kuniskis's plan from day one. He cut short his retirement on December 9 after only six months. 'On December 10 we kicked off the study on how to bring the Hemi back in the Ram as fast as humanly possible.' This Will Not Be Easy The key problem standing the V-8's way was the 2025 Ram 1500 had a new electrical architecture that was not intended to support the Hemi. The initial feedback was that it would take 18 months. A special team was put together, codenamed F15, led by former SRT chief engineer Darryl Smith. Smith worked some kind of magic, reduced the timeline to six months, and trucks with the 5.7-liter will be in dealerships this summer. There is extra cost involved, but it is nominal. Contracts had to be renegotiated and there are compliance issues, all of which explains the additional $1,200 cost, Kuniskis says. Which Ram Trucks Get the Hemi? The 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 puts out 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque (the standard output Hurricane I-6 generates 420 hp and 469 lb-ft of torque; the high-output version is good for 540 hp and 521 lb-ft). Towing capacity maxes out at 11,470 pounds and maximum payload capacity is 1,750 pounds. The Hemi will be offered in the 2026 Ram 1500 Tradesman, Big Horn/Lone Star, Express, Warlock, Laramie, Limited, and Longhorn. It will come a bit later to the off-road Rebel, a delay needed to accommodate some of that truck's unique features. And the Hemi, which will feature the eTorque mild hybrid system, will come with the sport exhaust standard. Noticeably absent: the off-road performance RHO and the luxurious Tungsten models, which rely on the higher-performance high-output Hurricane as standard. Could it be added to the RHO later? 'I'm not sure,' Kuniskis says. 'It's a 'for sure' I want to do it, but it's not a 'for sure' that it's a good idea.' And what about a supercharged TRX, the powerful truck that went head-to-head with the Ford F-150 Raptor R until it was discontinued after the 2024 model year? Ram loves vehicles like the TRX but it is a tiny fraction of overall sales. 'Will we ever get back to a TRX? We'll see,' Kuniskis tells us. These are all things Ram is working on, or at least looking at, but Kuniskis is not sure the 5.7-liter provides enough performance to meet customer expectations in these top end models. 'I'm not saying we won't do it, but that's what I am thinking about it right now.' Speaking of the TRX, specifically bringing back the supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi is not a viable option. It is really bad for compliance and yields very few sales, says the Ram boss. Nor is it easy to do because it has never been incorporated into the new Ram 1500 electrical architecture so all electronics and modules and connections are different. The workaround to accommodate the 5.7-liter Hemi is courtesy of the Jeep Wagoneer family, an SUV that uses a version of the same architecture as the body-on-frame trucks but was engineered for the 5.7-liter Hemi with its mild eTorque hybrid system—so no additional calibration was needed. The eTorque system replaces the traditional engine-mounted alternator with a belt-driven motor generator unit. The motor generator unit works with a 48-volt battery pack for stop-start, adding torque in certain driving situations, and regenerative braking. The system enables up to 130 lb.-ft. of torque to be available on initial throttle tip-in. The Jeep became the enabler. 'Instead of going from one architecture to a new architecture, we went to a different version of that same architecture which made it possible to do in six months,' Kuniskis said. 'But putting a 6.2-liter in there would be a whole different animal.' New Day, New Hemi Logo The old Hemi logo will not return. The new one, dubbed the 'Symbol of Protest' is a V-8 engine block with exaggerated exhaust pipes and a Ram's head. The badge will be on all V-8 trucks' front fenders. Kuniskis thinks the take rate for the Hemi will be in the 25 to 40 percent range with dealers ordering probably too many initially. Demand will then level off but stay higher than at Ford, for example, where 25 percent opt for a V-8 in their F-150s. Ram should have a higher take rate because the Hemi is a well-known name and because there are many loyalists who will buy it for the sound alone, he says. 'Nothing beats the cold start of a Hemi,' said Mark Trostle, senior vice president of Mopar and Ram exterior design.
