Ram Truck Hints at Rumble Bee Concept
Ram Truck just released some images that offer a few hints at a new Ram 1500 concept set to be revealed Aug. 17 at the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit. The two images leave little doubt that it will be resurrecting some kind of "Rumble Bee", paying homage to the Super Bee muscle cars of the 70s, likely with the new eight-speed transmission and 6.4-liter Hemi recently announced for the 2014 Ram Heavy Duty lineup. And, given the dual sound icons underneath the transmission dial, the concept will offer a dual-pitch exhaust system. This will be the first time (and hopefully not the last) the bigger Hemi will sit inside a Ram 1500 pickup truck.
The Rumble Bee option package was offered on the Dodge Ram for two years (2004 and 2005), with almost 9,000 produced and sold. The regular-cab two-wheel-drive vehicle was sold with a unique scooped hood, black striping, ground effects, 3.92:1 gears, 20-inch rims and a 375-horsepower V-8. This type of truck was so popular we decided to build our own more than 10 years ago.
It's no coincidence that Ram is revealing this concept during the same week we're in Detroit looking at the new 2014 Ford F-150 Tremor that offers essentially the same sport truck option package (regular cab, short bed, 20-inch rims, 4.10:1 gears, graphic package and 365 hp). We fully expect Ram Truck to announce production of this sport truck, and you can expect that we'll have fun testing both trucks.
Comments
Nice to see this come back. Used to own a '79 Lil Red Express...fun truck. Would pass anything but a gas station! My guess is the Ram with the 6.4 will eat the Ecoboost for breakfast. Not being mean, I like Ford but let's be realistic here.
This was on Motortrend.com for five days already.
I like
Lets hope the two buttons are for real v8 rumble. rather than for fast and furious rice burner crap.
Whether you're a Ram fan or not, I'm glad to see them offering lots of choices for us pickup buyers. Chevy could learn a thing or two from them. Offer more trim and special packages. It helps all of us.
That's great and all, but what about a supercharger? There are LOTS of Hemi truck owners who would love to bolt on a factory supercharger that adds 100+ hp.
I'm not a fan of Toyota (not even a little bit), but their TRD superchargers make a ton of sense. Mopar needs to do the same thing.
I agree Fred.. Hopefully Chevy will Bring back the SS... with something different than just a paint job and grill....an HO version of the 5.3 or even the 6.2 only available in the SS
I am confused how is this different from an R/T other than appearance?
I saw one of these a few years ago near where I live in bright yellow with the bee logos, spoiler, and decals. If it isn't a collector's item now I am willing to bet it will be. When I lived in Houston in the early 80's a saw a couple of the Lil Red Expresses. Nice to see some of these specialty trucks. I have seen a number of Raptors but they have made many more of them. I would like to see a new Silverado SS produced.
Hank - It was on Allpar before all the rest. If you really wanna know what Ram (or the rest of Chrysler) is up to, that's the place to get your info. It's the most accurate, and it's usually the first to report anything. They have so many insiders there that help them stay that way.
Jeff S - It was numbered and a limited production vehicle. It is already collectable. So much so that people are copying them and trying to rip people off. (Same with the Daytona packages, which were similar.)
Personally, I doubt if the Rumble Bee does come back, it will have the 6.4L, unless the Rumble Bee is wearing an SRT badge. I feel the Rumble Bee will be a sporty and agressive package for the 5.7L Ram regular cab, similar to the R/T package. I feel that an SRT Ram is around the corner, and that the 6.4L or the new 6.2L Hellcat (Supercharged Hemi) will power that machine, possibly even with a manual like the old SRT-10s. The market is there for these sport trucks, (especially with the niec ride of the Rams) and they don't have as stringent of emissions standards to meet - yet...
The original Super Bee was a lower dollar/high performance version on a Charger, with Coronet body work. How bout it, Ram? Roll up windows, less options, just go fast goodies! Let people buy the R/T for that!
The Roadrunner was the same way to the GTX, go fast goodies, less luxory options.
That being said, make a limited number of 6.4 engined half tons, and no, we don't need 3.92s, they would only spin tires behind a 6.4/8 speed with the 22" tires. Maybe make it optional, I guess? Some people live just to spin tires, I like to be able to accelerate myself.
Since they have a paddle shifter with a 8 speed Durango, throw that in. Or make it optional- dial, colum, or paddle, you pick.
Want to sell trucks, right? (they are wooping GM in Canada and started cutting into Fords sales) Reach out!
If you like this or the F150 Batmobile thing, you have to be a geek. Just make sure these concepts stay at Comic Con and not an actual autoshow.
I was under the impression that the 6.2L would only be offered in the Ram 2500 pickup. Wasn't the Rumble Bee a 1/2 ton.
Just as long as they don't put another stupid decal on it like the last one! I laugh every time I see one on the road! That bee over an engine is one of the dumbest things I've ever seen! That one thing ruined that truck!
That looks really cool! I love the knob with the bee in it.
@Evan - they could take it one step further and replace the letters "N" and "D" with an "I" and "C".
Rumble Bee is nice, or a Chevy SB reb cab with the 6.2 posi 6spd with special exhaust and intake for 460hp would be sweet! My bet it would be the lightest also.
Glad to see that Fiat is paying homage to the former American automaker. I mean what can be further from an American truck. It is built in Mexico by a European manufacturer....lol
So what do they do...put a bee decal on it and sell it to Americans...lol. They even ensure that there are plenty of recalls to ensure it is build to american quality stardards. Maybe they should call this an Abarth.
How about an offroad version of the sport truck? Same styling and performance, but in a 4x4 and sitting higher up and level with all-terrains?
Great, just what we need from Chrapsler, more noisy redneck "muscle trucks". We didn't have enough of those already in this neighborhood.
@Alex: I think you're confusing the Rumble Bee with "Bumblebee", the yellow Camaro tie-in to the Transformers series.
Think Tremor Ford or SS Chevy, or if you must think Chrysler then think Super Bee, Daytona Charger, etc. Not geek car, but muscle car badging.
@Vulpine, yes my mistake I was thinking Bumblebee. I see some of those wanna be superhero kids driving around in those Camaros.
This truck will smoke Ford's Trembler.
@HemiV8
Who cares, really.
It's like me saying a Holden Maloo will smoke this. Who cares.
I like the truck except for the colour. Bright Jeep red would be a better colour.
I don't really care for the little yellow tockley noise button either. This has to be targeted at high school kids.
6.4 Hemi in a reg cab 1500? Yes, please...would be a collector's item, especially with smaller displacement truck engines probably becoming more common.
Back in the old neighborhood I grew up in I had a friend that had a Little Red Express Truck, and yes it was quick, at the time I have a 76 Scout II Terra pickup, and it had a 345 4brl w/dual exh. and a tq/flite automatic, 4:10 limt/slp rear,4X4, that was the only truck that would run anywhere near his rear bumper, even the Trans Ams of the day were not a quick as either of those trucks, never mind the Mustangs II's they were a joke! there was also a hard packed dirt strip in a place we used for 4wheeling, and we had low range drags there, and that Scout II was the quickest truck to ever run there at the time.
The 4wd on the Rumble Bee trucks aint good LOL! Seen one few years go pulling a snowmobile trailer, he made it bout 6 feet into an unplowed parking, and there he sat frying all four tires off with his trailer in the middle of the road lol. Ok ok so it was mostly because of the fat street tires they come with but it still was funny to see.
Breaking news this is a link to the new 2015 RAM 1500...a little retro, but if they slap a Yellow Bee decal on it, they are good to go!
http://zizengineering.com/machineinfo/fiat/-pick_up_work_doblo_6_1_mj-2011-van_or_truck_up_to_7_5t-stake_body.html
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie that’s....
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT TRUCK COME OUT. I HAVE A 1500 RAM LONGHORN AND I THINK RAM ARE THE BAST TRUCK IN AMRICAN AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A RUMLBE BEE AS A NEW TRUCK BECAUSE IM A BIG RAM FAN
@hey Give it up! Remember the Lightning? It came out before the R/T! Ford copied themselves not Ram! I believe the Ecoboost gets better mpg than the Hemi. Proof is here on this site in the light duty challenge!
@jim, " Give it up! Remember the Lightning? It came out before the R/T! Ford copied themselves not Ram! "
Muscle trucks[edit source | editbeta]
Several high-performance versions of trucks have been produced over the years. Besides the obvious big block equipped trucks, other notable models include:
Dodge: Warlock (1976–1979), Li'l Red Express (1978–1979), Midnite Express (1978), Shelby Dakota (1989), Ram VTS (1996–2001), R/T Dakota, and SRT-10 (2004–2006).
Ford: 5.8 HO F-150 (1985–1986), Lightning (1993–1995 and 1999–2004) and NASCAR edition F-150 (1998 only), F-150 SVT Raptor (2010–present)
General Motors: Chevrolet 454 SS (1990–1993), GMC Syclone, Chevrolet S-10 Xtreme, Chevrolet Colorado Xtreme, Chevrolet Silverado SS, Joe Gibbs Silverado (2004–2006) GMC Sierra Denali, and Chevrolet SSR.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickup_truck#Muscle_trucks
Dodge, The first sport truck that all others would copy.
@HEMI V8 Nice post there, but has absolutely nothing to do with my post! I never said Ford was the first to come out with a sport truck so your post is invalid! My post is simply pointing out that the Tremor isn't copying the R/T! The Tremor comes from Fords own Lightning, not the R/T like "Hey" said. Let's call it the modern-day Lightning. As much as you may hate Ford, even you have to agree with that.
Give it a regular factory ride height, get rid of the black on the hood scoop , replace the shifter knob with the dead bee it it and replace it with the new bee graphic. Also you do not need to use aftermarket black wheels. Then it will get my attention !
I'm going to com all over this truck ;)
Where and how can i buy that bee knob??
Where and how can i buy that bee knob??
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