The Future of Dodge Ram! Hemi V8 & SRT-10!

whotheman

I'm diggin' the new Ram. Kicked a$# in the C&D truck comparison. Now the 2003's are out with new HD redesigns, Hemi V8's, and best-in-class torque!

Next year we get a SRT-V10 Ram with the 500HP motor straight out of Viperland! 0-60 in 5.0!

What else does the future hold for Dodge's ram?

Will it match the sales of Siverado in the near future?

Does the new Hemi engine make it the clear #1 truck in it's class?

What effect will the SRT-10 have on the now passe' Ford Lightning and Chevy SS?

Will the 345HP engine cause major shifts in power from the Ford and Chevy?

Speak out!

KCRam

What else does the future hold for Dodge's ram?

The next 6 years will be just refinements. While I and many other HD truckers would kill for a Ram crew cab above the new Quad, it's likely we won't see it anytime soon. Look for the next Ram redesign in 2007/2008. Trucks can no longer go 10-15-20 years between designs the way they used to - the market is just too competitive.

Will it match the sales of Siverado in the near future?

Never. DaimlerChrysler only builds the Ram in three plants, and one of those dedicates more space to the Dakota. Chevy also has a significantly larger dealer network - more places to sell the truck equals more trucks on the road.

Does the new Hemi engine make it the clear #1 truck in it's class

Only in numbers, but in trucking, that doesn't mean much. That 345 horsepower rating is VERY high in the rev range - 5400rpm - where most truck users will never approach in regular use. Same with the peak torque of 375 lb-ft - a high 4200rpm. Most "trucking" is done between 1500 and 3500 rpm; that's why the diesels are so successful.

What effect will the SRT-10 have on the now passe' Ford Lightning and Chevy SS?

Ford doesn't have a big-block (the V10 is the 5.4 V8 with 2 more cylinders), so to compete, they will still have to rely on blowers of some kind. Chevy showed the Silverado SS to dealers and got a ho-hum reaction - they still remember the lackluster response to the 454SS. Keep in mind, the 8.1L V8 only matches the Viper engine in cubic inches. The Viper V10 is an all-aluminum, high rpm sports car engine, while the 8100 is a low revving truck motor that would need a lot of work to get the same power.

Will the 345HP engine cause major shifts in power from the Ford and Chevy?

Ford, yes. This puts their 5.4L V8 at a major disadvantage when compared to the Dodge and Chevy mid-size V8s. That 260-hp rating just will not get the job done against the 345-hp Hemi or the 300-hp GM 6.0 V8. GM can easily tack on horses to the 6.0, but they probably don't want to intrude too far into the 8.1's territory, whereas the Dodge V10 has a substantial torque advantage over the Hemi, even with less ponies.

kcram

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dustyk

>>Does the new Hemi engine make it the clear #1 truck in it's class?
Only in numbers, but in trucking, that doesn't mean much. That 345 horsepower rating is VERY high in the rev range - 5400rpm - where most truck users will never approach in regular use. Same with the peak torque of 375 lb-ft - a high 4200rpm. Most "trucking" is done between 1500 and 3500 rpm; that's why the diesels are so successful.<<

The new hemi does produce just over 300 pound feet of torque at idle, as I recall reading, which is a definite improvement over competive V8 gas engines.

Dusty

KCRam

Dusty, don't forget, that's exactly why Ford lowered the torque peak on the 5.4. It's making 350 lb-ft at a very useful 2800 rpm. Very likely, the new Hemi isn't doing any better at the same engine speed, so in that 1500-3500 rpm range I mentioned, the Ford 5.4 will probably be a good match. It's the high end where Dodge will pull away (and those numbers look great in the commercials, too) - so even if you rarely break 4000 rpm, the Hemi tells you, "yeah, I can handle it" - the Ford 5.4 can't.

kcram

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whotheman

But they'll buy HP! The Hemi has both covered.