2019 Laramie Longhorn 4×4 Crew CabDerek McNaughton Many parents before me, and many parents to come, will make the trip the one where mom and dad pack up son or daughter and ferry him or her off to university, setting the kid up in an overpriced student hovel where, the hope is, these young adults become self sufficient enough to soar on their own. And for a lot of parents, that journey involves a long drive.Last year, we made this very trip from Ottawa to Halifax in an F-150 diesel, discovering the joys of great fuel economy that underlined the value of a diesel underhood, even if it does initially cost more to option a pickup with diesel. This year, having just driven Ram’s new EcoDiesel in the 2020 Ram 1500, it seemed obvious to compare Rams diesel with Fords on our same (and final) odyssey from Ottawa to Halifax and back this year, a distance of roughly 3,000 kilometres to drop the young lad at school.But because the new EcoDiesel is only now coming to market, the diesel was not yet available, so instead we chose to see how much different a long trip like this would be with a gasoline engine designed around fuel efficiency. With Ram promising a 10 per-cent improvement on its 5.7-litre Hemi, and bragging it has the most efficient gasoline V8 in the segment, could a gasoline engine equipped with eTorque, aero mode and cylinder deactivation come remotely close to its EcoDiesel alternative? If so, which engine would be the better choice when buying a new Ram, the EcoDiesel or the Hemi? The truck that FCA supplied was no regular Ram 1500. This was a 2019 Laramie Longhorn 44 Crew Cab equipped with air suspension, 12-inch uconnect system, drivers assistance package, 22-inch wheels, Ramboxes, panoramic roof along, 124-litre tank and a bunch of other options to sticker at $86,500 before fees. In other words, about as loaded as they come, and, yes, expensive, but in line with the many other expensive trucks from Ford and GM. And to be sure, the truck was stunning to look at, positively gorgeous inside, an utterly pleasing and rewarding truck to drive in so many ways (the glitchy navigation system notwithstanding.)So how thirsty was the eTorque gas engine? From full, the range to empty on the big tank (a $445 option) showed 956 km to empty pretty close to the roughly 1,000 km usually afforded by a diesel. On the trip out to Halifax from Ottawa, with a payload of about 400 kilograms consisting of my sons life possessions, including a big, fold-out couch, and with a constant speed ranging from 120 km/h to 125 km/h through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia where the speed limit is a more sensible 110 km/h, we averaged 10.9 to 12.9 L/100 km over 1,459 kilometres that took 13.5 hours to complete. On the way back, without a payload and one less person, we scored 11.6 over the 12 hours and 54 minutes it took to travel 1,451 kilometres. The onboard computer for the entire 3,023-kilometre trip registered 11.5.The diesel certainly costs more up front, but it brings more torque. Last year, in Fords F-150 diesel, we averaged 9.9 L/100 kilometres over the course of that same long, east coast trip to Dalhousie. Rams new EcoDiesel is not yet rated, but promises to be better than the last generation engine that averaged 8.8 L/100 km highway and 10.8 overall.That, therefore, makes the 5.7-litre Hemi only 1.6 L/100 km worse in fuel consumption over the Ford diesel, and 2.7 L/100 km poorer over the old Ram EcoDiesel, but likely to be 3.0 L worse off when the rating becomes official for the new EcoDiesel engine with 480 pound-feet of torque.Thats a fuel margin far closer than we thought possible in a gasoline V8 with 395 horsepower and 410 lb.-ft. of torque. Had we stuck closer to 100 km/h, the results would have been even better, closer to the diesel. Score one for the Hemi. Both there and back, we only stopped once for fuel, with a final fuel bill from full-on-departure to full-on-return totalling $478. Gasoline ranged from $1.11 to $1.20 / litre (but diesel was about 10 cents a litre more in Ontario, and on par in Halifax). In the diesel last year, we spent $450 (with diesel ranging from $1.21 to $1.39 per litre back then.) The Hemis Eco mode, which shuts down four cylinders when all eight are not required, definitely helped to make some of the gains, with Eco able to maintain operation even at 110-120 km/h, as long as the road was flat. The trucks aero mode also helped, lowering the truck slightly via the air suspension to improve aerodynamics. Eco mode does give off a strange exhaust note when the engine is forced to run on half of its cylinders, however, and makes the 5.7 Hemi feel far less smooth when its operating, partly because in normal mode, the 5.7 is fabulously silky. Noise cancelling features have been added to eliminate the gruffness of the four-cylinder Eco mode, but some coarseness is still detectable when the switch occurs, especially so when windows are open. Eco can, however, be
Origin: Hemi V8 or Ecodiesel? Which Ram 1500 engine should you choose?
Which
Which Corvette was the best Corvette?
Since the beginning, there have been constant rumours over the Corvette going mid-engined. Will it finally happen?Handout For only the eighth time since 1953, we are getting a new generation of Corvette. The C8 Corvette will eschew the front-engined V8 tradition that has been in place since 1955. The writing is on the wall for the C7 that served us for five years and with that in mind, it’s time to take a look at all the generations of Corvettes and how good they really were. The Corvette story has heroes like the fire-breathing L88 427 big-blocks, losers like the asphyxiated 165-hp smog motors, and everything in between. What we’re going to do is rank all seven Corvette generations from best to worst. I’m sure many of you will disagree and that’s A-okay. Get your angry-comment typing fingers ready! #1: C2 1963-1967 C2-generation Corvette. Handout / Chevrolet The C2 Sting Ray is the coolest car ever made. It was styled like nothing ever seen before, bacon-wrapped in V8 horsepower, and used world-class suspension to be the most complete sports car of the period. From 1963 to 1967, not much could touch a Corvette. The 1963 model brought us the one-year-only split-window design and big blocks were added to the option list in 1965. The C2 was a film star, fashion statement, race winner, and dream car. The C2 was when the Corvette got serious and people noticed. If the C2 had an achilles heel, it was the brakes; the C2 debuted with antiquated drum brakes, but four-wheel four-piston disc-brakes rectified that in 1965. #2: C3 1968-1982 1968 Corvette (C3) Alyn Edwards / Driving The C3 is cool. The initiated will tell you that they all made 150 hp, but outside of California, most kept output above 200-hp, which was pretty good for the time. And the C3 isn’t #2 for the malaise versions anyways. It’s because the pre-smog versions from 1968 to 1972 were so darn good. The C3 had strong finishes at Le Mans, finishing on the podium among Ferrari Daytonas and Porsche 911s. It was also the car of choice for Jimi Hendrix and Apollo astronauts. The most powerful classic Corvette ever made was the 1969 ZL1 427 model. They only made two of them and later independent dyno tests reveal that true horsepower was around 510. The latter years of the C3’s 14-year run would see the big blocks go away and horsepower dwindle, but the sex appeal remained. Don’t believe me? It’s why Chevy decided to name their new C7 the Stingray. (The C2 was Sting Ray, two words) #3: C6 2006-2013 2012 Chevrolet Centennial Edition Corvette Z06 The C6 was the Corvette that got everything right. Everything, that is, except the seats. The base car had 400 hp, the 505-hp Z06 was an exhilarating madman to drive, and the 638-hp ZR1 took on the world’s supercar elites. For the first time since 1963, the Corvette had fixed headlights, though the signature quad tail lights remained round. People may not remember, but in 2006 500 hp was a really big deal, so the Z06 was the bargain of the century in its day. The Ferrari F430 didn’t even crack 500 and Ford’s GT made 550. When it came out, some wondered if the styling was a bit too soft. But park one next to the C7 and the C6 has aged gracefully. It’s just a great car. #4: C1 1953-1962 First-generation Corvette Clayton Seams / Driving The car that started it all. Sure the first Corvettes were pretty terrible with their languid stovebolt sixes and two-speed automatic transmissions. But by 1957, you could order the Corvette with a fuel-injected V8 and a four-speed. The wizard-like Zora Arkus-Duntov was starting to exert his influence over the Corvette program even in the early ’50s. The C1 grew up to be an icon of the 1950s. It was fast, stylish, and very American. By the end of its run in 1962, the chassis had grown quite old and rivals like the E-Type had surpassed it. We drove a 1959 version for a road test and were impressed by how well it drove. The Corvette beginning was a good one. #5: C7 2014-Present 2018 Corvette Final Edition The C7 might be another supercar-slayer, but it was just never as well resolved a design as the C6 was. And people noticed. Overheating issues plagued the early Z06 models and despite winning every comparison on paper, few C7s could translate that into a win in the real world. It is worth noting that the C7 was the first Corvette to have a seven-speed manual transmission and the first to have seats made for actual humans. The C7 represents the end of the road for the front-engined layout and possibly, the last manual-transmission Corvette to be made. It will be interesting to see how the C8 stacks up to it. #6: C4 1984-1996 C4-generation Corvette ZR1. Handout / GM Chevrolet had fifteen whole years to develop the C4. Not that it would show, if you looked at a 1984 model. The C4 debuted with janky Crossfire Injection and a hilariously bad Doug Nash 4+3-speed manual transmission. The C4 would slowly evolve and lose nearly all of its crappiness by
Origin: Which Corvette was the best Corvette?
Motor Mouth: Which of these EV pickup concepts have the best chance of reaching production?
Its only a matter of time before pickup trucks become electrified.Brendan McAleer / Handout / Driving / GMC It was inevitable. Inescapable, really. Money, as they say, follows markets and there’s simply no market bigger right now than the gargantuan pickups that have, quite literally, taken over North America. Marry that predilection with the headlines surrounding pretty much anything electric and it’s amazing we’re not already awash in plug-in pickups. Actually, if Tesla’s biannual financial funk gets any deeper, Elon Musk may start taking deposits soon. Cynicism regarding Musk’s business practices aside, Tesla’s success has emboldened all manner of startups — Rivian, Atlis, and others — to build their own electric colossus, each vying to stuff more lithium-ions into their truck beds than the next. Even General Motors and Ford are leaping — OK, taking baby steps — into the segment themselves, worried the proverbial rock-and-hard-place that is consumer demand for ever more trucks versus increasingly stringent emissions standards may eventually limit how many profit-producing pickups they’ll be allowed to sell. So Motor Mouth decided to evaluate the major players in this burgeoning market; one eye trying to determine which ones will actually get produced, the other gauging their chances of success. And to measure each player’s chances, we have introduced a new rating system — the Motor Mouth Vapourware Index. Using our new VI index is easy: Our best score of zero represents an absolute certainty of success — a “dead cert,” if you will — while the maximum 10 denotes approximately the same probability of anyone actually driving, say, a Faraday Future vehicle. Tesla pickup — as inevitable as an inappropriate Elon Musk tweet A fan rendering of Tesla’s upcoming pickup truck Stephen William Mason There is little doubt Tesla will produce a pick-me-up sometime in the future. And, whatever its guise, it will likely be a grand success, loyal Teslarati likely to park one right beside the Range Rover that’s never seen a dirt road or the Ferrari that’s never been to a racetrack. Exactly what will power these “cyberpunk Blade Runners” — quite literally Musk’s description for his new pickup — remains speculation, but he has promised a range of 500 miles (800 kilometres), meaning — if the Model X is any indication — it eats up about 40 kWh every 160 kilometres of driving. We’re looking at about 200 kWh of lithium ion. That’s US$40,000 worth of battery, which means there will be precious little change from CDN$100,000. Nonetheless, look for them to be a plague at high-end craft meets. Motor Mouth VI: 0 Rivian R1T — the new darling of the plug-in set 2019 Rivian R1T Electric Truck Handout / Rivian Rivian is the one manufacturer threatening Tesla’s stranglehold on EV hype, its marketing just the right combination of exaggeration and outright hyperbole. Beyond the standard puffery — the R1T’s 180 kWh battery has inspired truly headline-grabbing embellishments — there’s some pretty nifty design, like the innovative ski pass-thru that reveals inventiveness beyond mere emissions reduction. Ford has invested heavily in Rivian, and R1T test mules were actually disguised as F-150s to prevent detection, which begs the question: Will Rivian produce electrified pickups under its own badge, or will the guppy get swallowed by the whale? Whatever the case, the R1T (or something using its technology) will hit streets. Motor Mouth VI: 4 as a standalone marque, 1 as a rebadged Ford Workhorse W-15 — perhaps a little too practical for its own good The Workhorse electric truck concept. Handout / Workhorse Workhorse is in negotiations to buy the shuttered Lordstown plant from General Motors, so one has to assume it intends to produce something that resembles its much-ballyhooed W-15. That said, the deal — contrary to Donald Trump’s recent tweet — is not final, rendering the promise of 2019 deliveries somewhat fanciful. Nonetheless, Workhorse stands out in this crowd with its decision to use a more practical plug-in hybrid powertrain. Oh, its 60-kWh battery does promise 80 miles (128 kilometres) of electric-only driving, but its BMW-supplied range extender allows 310 miles (500 kilometres) more gasoline-fueled range. The W-15 is set to start at about US$50,000 and will have the capacity to power your house in an emergency. Indeed, the only knock on the Workhorse may be that it is both practical and affordable, both qualities the EV crowd seems to find unappealing. Motor Mouth VI: Eventually 1, but a 7 going by the initial promise of this year Bollinger B2 — modest goals mean this “electrified Hummer” has an off chance to make it to market The Bollinger B2 electric truck Handout / Bollinger Unlike the rest of the plug-in pickups discussed here, the Bollinger is not looking to impress nouveau-riche dilettantes. It boasts but 200 miles (320 kilometres) of range despite carrying no less than a 120-kWh of Li-ion in its
Origin: Motor Mouth: Which of these EV pickup concepts have the best chance of reaching production?
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