Pickup

Ford has brought forth a lot of neat machines over the years, and has discarded quite a few as well. From the questionably named “Probe” to the bucking “Bronco,” Americans have bought, owned, and mourned the loss of a multitude of Blue Oval automobiles over the years, with the Ranger being one of the most sorely missed here in the US.

The hype is real. Chevrolet’s latest Silverado is here, and after 100 years of truck production GM appears to have gone all-in on the nation’s longest lasting pickup. Featuring a far more functional full-size truck bed, a fresh weight loss plan, different overhauls and engine/transmission combos, as well as a wider array of trim options, America’s bowtie brand has an impressive array of nifty new sales pitches.

Remember the step-side Splash edition of the Ford Ranger, with its bright yellow paint scheme and vibrant 90s era “splashed” decal accents? Yeah, forget that noise. None of that crap will be getting brought back on the reborn 2019 version of the pickup, and in their place buyers are sure to find a far more focused machine.

Jumping from the rugged Chevy Colorado ZR2 into the far larger and refined Silverado 1500 Z71 Redline was a wise decision. Although both trucks are quite different from one another in a myriad of ways, a line of GM comparisons and contrasts between the two demands to be drawn.

When the “Flame Red” Ram 1500 pickup arrived on my doorstep, I immediately knew that she needed a name, and with the help of my 4-year-old, we gave this lumbering lady the title “Hemi,” which at the time seemed quite appropriate.

Toyota may have its main headquarters in Japan, but they operate a massive operation here in North America, with the vast majority of vehicles sold here being produced here, and with a good deal of their parts being made domestically as well.

We live in an era where even the smallest crossovers and grocery getter SUVs are touted as being capable of driving on rugged terrain. But it takes more than an all-wheel drivetrain to truly be off-road capable.

A couple of months back, I had a chance to rough up the new Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport and Off-Road editions in a challenging course of dirt, gravel and mud. Now, I’ve spent a few days driving the TRD Sport 4×4 version in a more typical everyday environment in and around my hometown of Chicago.

Some of my favorite concept cars aren’t cars at all – they’re trucks. Case in point, the recently revealed Hyundai Santa Cruz, which melds modern crossover sensibilities with the utility of a small pickup. The design was so well received that Hyundai may put it into production.

While Chevrolet has yet to reveal all of the details for the next generation of its popular pickup truck, they have shared some initial details on what we can expect when the 2016 Silverado drops later this year.

As if you couldn’t already get your 2x4s home faster than everyone else, Shelby American took the current-gen (2011-2014) Raptor and bumped up its F-150 SVT’s power like Vladimir Putin rides horses, with utter abandon. From the factory, the Ford F-150 Raptor made enough power to soil your dungarees with its four-wheel driven 411 hp, and the Shelby Version made even more at 575.

/Big Muscle gives us a fun history lesson about one of Cadillac’s most unusual experiments. Between 1975 and 1976 the company commissioned 204 Coupe DeVilles to be turned into pickup trucks, not unlike Chevy’s El Camino.

One of the easiest ways to make an ordinary car more interesting is to cut the back off and turn it into a mini pickup truck. That’s exactly what a team of trainees working for Czech automaker ŠKODA did for a recent project.

The latest member of Kahn Design’s Flying Huntsman Land Rover Defender line is certainly an odd one. As is the series’ trademark, the 105 Pick Up has a 15″ longer wheelbase and 16″ longer bonnet than a stock Defender, but the snout is even more pronounced here because it’s visibly larger than the truck bed.

While the Nissan GT-R is one of the fastest production cars ever made, this video proves that with the right engine and tuning prowess, even mighty Godzilla can fall at the feet of the right vehicle.