Chrysler Group Joins Monster Truck Fun with Mopar Muscle Ram

The name is Mopar Muscle and it's is the first new Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) monster truck to join the Monster Jam truck racing series in over a decade. The big-wheel truck will be run by the Hall Brothers Racing team, which already fields the winning trucks “Raminator” and “Rammunition”.

Standing 10 feet high (about 3 meters) and weighing 10,300 pounds (4.672 kg), the Mopar Muscle is loosely based on a 2014 Ram Heavy Duty truck, featuring a 2,000 horsepower 565 cubic inch (9.3-liters) supercharged version of the Gen II 426 HEMI V8 engine that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

“We’re excited to have Mopar make its first foray into the world of monster trucks by joining the Ram brand in this popular and competitive exhibition series with a such a passionate and loyal following,” said Mopar boss Pietro Gorlier.

“So much of what Mopar does is applicable to the general consumer, but occasionally we like to show just how capable our brand is of really extreme performance. This is a great and fun opportunity for us to do that with Mopar Muscle and the Hall Brothers,” he added.

If you're into such things, you can see Mopar Muscle competing at the following events during the 2014 season:

•           January 11 – Monster Jam in Detroit, Mich.
•           February 22 – Monster Jam in Arlington, Texas
•           May 16-18 – 4 Wheel Jamboree in Lima, Ohio
•           June 21-22 – 4 Wheel Jamboree in Springfield, Mo.
•           July 11-13 – 4 Wheel Jamboree in Bloomsburg, Pa.
•           September 19-21 – 4 Wheel Jamboree in Indianapolis, Ind.

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Can You See Me? Ram Brings New 1500 Mossy Oak Camouflage Edition to Detroit

The Mossy Oak trim line is returning to the Ram 1500 truck's range this year with the Chrysler Group to debut the 2014MY at next week's Detroit motor show.

Created in partnership with outdoor camouflage brand Mossy Oak, the special edition Ram 1500 will be available exclusively as a 4x4 Crew Cab, while for the first time, it will offer the RamBox cargo management system, in both 6-ft.-4-in. and 5-ft.-7-in. bed lengths.

Offered in Black, Black Gold Pearl and Prairie Pearl monotone exterior, paired with Canyon Brown and Frost Beige interior, the Mossy Oak edition comes with the brand's camouflage decals and logos on the outside, while in the cabin, the same finish is applied on the dashboard and door panel trimmings.

In addition, the Mossy Oak logo is embroidered on the four primary headrests, while buyers can also opt for Espresso Tuscany-colored Katzkin leather seats with Mossy Oak seatback embroidery.

The 1500 Mossy Oak Edition trucks will go on sale in the first half of 2014, with prices starting at $39,985, excluding a $1,195 destination charge

Story References: Ram via Autoblog-com

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Chrysler Recalling 2013MY 300, Charger and Ram 1500 Over 8-Speed Transmission Fracture Fears

A number of all-wheel drive Chrysler Group cars, including the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Ram 1500 equipped with a V6 engine and the 8-speed ZF 8HP45 automatic transmissions are being recalled because the company has detected that the transmission output shaft may fracture.

"Output shafts installed in some model-year 2013 vehicles were shaped using a two-stage forging method employed during early production," said the automaker in a statement. "The resulting components may be subject to fracture in rare circumstances."

Chrysler explained that, while it is unaware of any associated injuries or accidents, the transmission output shaft fracture could result in a loss of power on the move, and allow the car to roll when placed in 'Park' if the parking brake is not applied before exiting the vehicle.

The company said it has addressed the issue on newer transmission by replacing the two-stage forging method with a single-stage forging process.

As for the affected models, including 4,194 cars in the U.S., 1,424 in Canada and 45 outside the NAFTA region, the automaker will inspect and replace the transmissions, as necessary, free of charge, with the recall to begin in in January 2014.

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