The new Mazda BT-50 Freestyle features Freestyle door configuration first seen on the RX-8, the BT-50 Freestyle Cab offers a unique combination of seating for four, an exceptionally wide pillar-less door opening, and a large carrying capacity. What’s more, a front-hinged door and a rear access panel combine to provide a 1,408mm-wide opening that makes for easy entry to and exit from either the front or rear seats.

Rear-seat comfort has been taken to levels never seen before in the Freestyle Cab. Cushions have been lengthened by 50mm for better thigh support and more stable fitment of child seats while the seatback height has been increased by 128mm. It also has an overall cargo volume of 1,453 litres.

No word on pricing yet, but it will go on sale later this year.

Mazda Australia managing director, Doug Dickson, points to the significance of this global unveiling. “Just as we were delighted to be given the privilege of hosting the global debut of the All-New BT-50 Dual Cab in Sydney last year, we are equally delighted to be hosting the global debut of the Freestyle Cab in Melbourne this year. With Australia expected to be the largest market for the All-New BT-50 it’s no coincidence that we’ve been asked to host not one but two global unveilings of this important new model. It’s only appropriate that the Australian public see it first.”

The latest offering is the Mopar Ram Runner Kit which in brief turns your Ram truck into a full-on off-road racer inspired by Baja cars. The Mopar Ram Runner Kit, developed with successful Baja off-road racer Kent Kroeker, includes the following: Pre-Runner Stage II Lift Kit, off-road front bumper, off-road front and rear fenders, off-road rear-tire carrier, sport performance hood and cat-back exhaust. Each element of the kit may also be purchased separately. The street-legal kit may be installed by do-it-yourselfers or in a Ram dealership.

Here’s more information on the Mopar Ram Runner kit, which is available for owners of 2009 to 2011 model-year Ram 1500 models:
Pre-Runner Stage II Lift Kit: 5-link coil-spring rear suspension, 4130 chrome moly lower control arms, upper control arms, rebuildable high-angle ball joints and forged steel, high-angle tie rods. Fourteen inches of suspension travel in front and rear, 3-inch internal bypass Fox shocks. (MSRP: $13,270, Part No. P5155662)

Off-Road Front Bumper: Steel construction with integrated aluminum skid plate, high approach angle of 41 degrees provides greater clearance over off-road obstacles. (MSRP: $1,250, Part No. P5155663)

Off-Road Rear Tire Carrier: Rear placement allows for easier access and ability to carry larger tires needed for the off-road. (MSRP: $1,010, Part No. P5155664)

Off-Road Front Fenders: Tough, durable fenders feature wider wheel wells allowing for tremendous suspension articulation, zero tire-to-body interference, and provide an imposing, aggressive look. (MSRP: $1,020, Part No. P5155665)

Off-Road Rear Fenders (6’4″ bed): Tough, durable fenders feature wider wheel wells allowing for tremendous suspension articulation, zero tire-to-body interference, and provide an imposing, aggressive appearance. (MSRP: $1,350, Part No. P5155666)

Sport Performance Hood: Stamped aluminum, dual-scooped hood with molded bezels adds to the forceful appearance of the Ram Runner Kit. (MSRP: $978, Part No. 82211065AD)

5.7L Cat-back Exhaust: Dual exhaust with chromed tips for bumper with cut-outs. (MSRP: $1,135, Part No. P5155280)

Looks like Chrysler is pretty serious about becoming the first company that fully functional hybrid pickup trucks. They’ve even signed a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for this.

The Ram 1500 PHEV includes a liquid-cooled 12.9kWhr lithium ion battery pack and a 6.6 kilowatt (kW) on-board charger. Additional features include AC power generation of up to 6.6kW; directional charging; reverse power flow and full regenerative braking used to capture more energy. For fuel economy improvements, the front axle can be disconnected when not needed. The powertrain also includes a 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 engine and a two-mode hybrid transmission. The 5.7-liter HEMI is equipped with a Multiple Displacement System (MDS) that improves fuel efficiency at highway speeds by shutting down fuel delivery to up to four cylinders.

The Chrysler Group also is developing a similar fleet of 25 Town & Country minivans with plug-in hybrid technology for demonstration and evaluation that will be allocated to select cities later this year.

To make this thing, designers started with a Class 5 Ram 5500 Crew Cab and converted to a Mega Cab passenger compartment, added an 8-foot box and upped the range between refueling stops with a mid-ship fuel tank. Combined with a second frame-mounted tank and a third, optional, bed-mounted auxiliary tank, total fuel capacity is 170 gallons. It has an overall length of 24 feet and curb weight of 9300 lbs. It’s a monster!

The powertrain for the concept truck includes an inline six-cylinder 6.7-liter High Output Cummins Turbo Diesel engine rated at 800 lb.-ft. of torque. The Ram’s legendary diesel engine is mated to a six-speed, Aisin AS68RC automatic transmission with four-wheel-drive transfer case coupled to a 4.88 Dana 110 axle with dual rear wheels.

For now the Ram Long-Hauler is just a concept and will be shown at selected events across the country. There’s no plans to actually make it.

Recently in Reading, UK, they had to demolish an old chimney which weighed nearly 140 tonne. VW picked up the challenge and did it using only four Amarok diesels which pulled the big chimney done using nothing but engine power and some 200 meters of rope!

A series of tests were developed to challenge the power and traction delivered by the Amarok.  The structure was prepared using a standard procedure for any ‘pull-down’ demolition of flame cutting a ‘shark’s mouth’ into the base of the chimney, reducing its structural integrity, though ensuring that it remained free standing. Four 200m lengths of rope were rigged to the top of the chimney and attached to the towbars of four standard Amarok pick-ups, each with Volkswagen’s latest four-cylinder, 2.0-litre TDI engine producing 163 PS of power.

This will remain in the car’s portfolio as one of its greatest achievements. They may even make a commercial based on it.

The package includes different options for you to choose from, such as iPod adaptors and Bluetooth kits, to hard tops, tonneau covers and towbars, will be available for the new Volkswagen Amarok pick-up when it goes on sale in the UK on 1 May.The exterior styling kit includes décor sets, side steps, plus stainless steel side rails and styling bars for the loadspace plus 19-inch wheels.

There is a choice of accessories to offer greater security for the loadspace.  These start with a lockable toolbox designed to fit between the wheelarches, across the load bay.  Alternatively, to cover the entire loadspace there is a choice of tonneau covers, or a complete body-coloured hardtop.  Tonneau covers range from a soft waterproof cover which can be rolled out the way, or a choice of aluminium or body-coloured hard plastic covers which are lockable and hinge open for access.

For the interior you get stuff like seat covers and rubber or carpet floor mats for the cab, parking sensors, mud flaps, an aluminium liner for the loadspace. More off-road protection equipments are also available to order but the pricing has not been revealed yet.

Finally a proper pickup truck version of the Wrangler!  Not sure if they will put it into production or not, but the car has received a very warm welcome form the fans already.

Taking cues from the popular Jeep Scrambler CJ-8 from the 1980’s, Mopar has designed a kit for do-it-yourselfers that converts a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited into a pickup truck.

The bed length is 50 inches and the width between wheel wells is 44 inches. The team created body panels to cover the second-row entrance and removed all of the interior parts behind the front seats—transforming the vehicle into a two-seater with just enough room for gear inside, and a pickup style bed to be used for outside cargo.

The JK-8 drivetrain is fitted with a Mopar/Dynatrac ProRock 44 front axle and stock Dana 44 rear axle, both spun with 4.88 gears. Linking the axles to the frame is a 4.5-inch long-arm suspension kit and 37-inch BF Goodrich Mud Terrain KM2 tires make the connection to the ground. A fresh coat of yellow paint and Mopar’s off-road bumpers for the front and rear were utilized along with a new fuel door and slush mats. The JK-8 kit includes bed floor, inner/outer body panels, half hard top (works with Freedom Top panels), and a new bulkhead.

And they seem to have a new idea for business as well because they have made a special pickup truck that they say will appeal to the younger generation. Last time we checked the younger generation were more into hot hatchbacks and sportscars than trucks! But the simple fact of the matter is, the 2011 Ram 1500 Express Unveiled is a great pickup offering good value for money and plenty of personalization possibles.

The truck is powered by the standard 20-mpg developing 390 horsepower and 407 lb.-ft. of torque. Ram 1500 Express comes as a regular cab, short-bed model, with a choice of 4×2 or 4×4 drivetrain. When equipped with an optional Class IV hitch, the new Ram 1500 Express will tow a maximum trailer weight of 10,450 lbs.

There is loads and loads of standard and optional features for this pickup which we have listed below for you. Just so you know, sales of this model begins in the second quarter of 2011 starting at just $23,830.

Factory-installed exterior options include Mopar chrome tubular side steps, Mopar chrome steel bed rails, folding and heated trailer-tow power mirrors with supplemental signals and courtesy lamps, spray-in bedliner and under-rail bedliner.

Inside, buyers can choose a cloth 40/20/40 split-bench seat, Uconnect voice command with Bluetooth, rear-view auto-dim mirror, remote USB port, sliding rear window, cruise control, instrument cluster with vehicle information center display screen, tire pressure monitoring display, power one-touch windows, remote keyless entry, Sirius Satellite Radio and either carpet or rubber floor mats.

There’s also choice of two optional rear-axle ratios (3.21, 3.92), anti-spin differential, engine block heater and trailer brake controller.

Standard features also include a 160-amp alternator, 26-gallon fuel tank, 3.55 rear axle ratio, 700-amp maintenance-free battery, four and seven-pin trailer wiring harness, heavy-duty front and rear shock absorbers, front and rear stabilizer bars, power rack-and-pinion steering, halogen headlamps, heavy-duty engine and transmission cooling and a full-size spare tire.

Inside, the 1500 Express will get a heavy-duty vinyl 40/20/40 split-bench seat, and buyers will have a choice of vinyl or carpeted floor covering. Other features include air conditioning, an instrument cluster with tachometer and 120-mph speedometer, 12-volt auxiliary power outlet, four-spoke tilt steering wheel, six-speaker media center with CD and MP3 player, as well as audio jack input for mobile devices, automatic headlamps, behind-the-seat storage bins, driver and passenger assist handles, power accessory delay, rear dome lamp, rear-view day/night mirror, tinted glass windows, tip start and variable intermittent windshield wipers.

Safety features include advanced multistage front air bags, supplemental front curtain and side air bags, anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes, electronic stability control, height-adjust shoulder belts, sentry key theft deterrent system and tire pressure monitoring warning lamp.

Ram 1500 Express is available in Bright Silver Metallic, Bright White, Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl, Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearl; Deep Water Blue Pearl; Flame Red, Hunter Green Pearl and Mineral Gray Metallic.

To be unveiled t 2011 Commercial Vehicle Show, between 12 and 14 April at Birmingham’s NEC, the new range include the single-cab 2.5-litre Denver, double-cab 2.5-litre Denver and 3.0-litre LE. There will also be a winter-spec Rodeo, fitted with a grit-salt spreader and a fully loaded model boasting a plethora.

The whole range of Isuzu Rodeo benefit from a class-leading towing capacity of 3,000kg, switchable four-wheel drive and competitive fuel economy.  Owners will also appreciate the 12,000-mile / 24-month service intervals and Isuzu’s three-year / 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper mechanical warranty.

The best thing about it however is the pricing. They start at £12,699 (CVOTR) for the entry level 136bhp 2.5 Rodeo Single Cab 4X2, and rise to £22,549 (CVOTR) for the top-of-the-range 163bhp 3.0 Denver Max LE Auto. That makes it one of the greatest value for money choices in this segment.

Only it is an April fool’s joke. BMW has developed this M3 pickup apparently for fun and games, but they have tested and evaluated it like a normal produciton model. It even went through miles and miles of Nurburgring tests. They are going to register the car as a road-going model but they have no plans to put it into production.

With a high-revving V8 engine at the front, a generously sized load area behind and a removable Targa roof above, driver and passengers in the BMW M3 Pickup will relish an unprecedented take on the familiar M feeling. Yet this spectacular new development is unmistakably recognisable as a member of the BMW M3 model family. Corroborating this kinship are not just the inimitable power of the engine, but also fine-tuned aerodynamics and a tailored suspension set-up. Measurements in the wind tunnel at the BMW Group’s Aerodynamic Test Centre showed a Cd factor on a par with that of the BMW M3 Coupé.

The practical features of the BMW M3 Pickup are no less impressive. Maximum load capacity has been raised to 450 kilograms.

Too bad they won’t make it though, I’m sure there will be a good market for a car as weird as this!