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Your Daily Automobile updates From Around The World [img]  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [img]( [The Automobile News]( [2020 RAM 1500 Laramie EcoDiesel & Express V8 HEMI Crew Cab]( DID you hear the one about the two RAMS in a paddock? Sure it sounds like a bad dad joke, but in this case, it’s the RAM 1500 Laramie EcoDiesel and Express V8 HEMI Crew Cab – two of America’s finest pickup trucks. On one hand we have the red RAM 1500 5.7-litre HEMI V8; brash, big and charismatic. It’s up against its sibling, the white RAM 1500 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel; endearing and with ample performance, but more the conservative, quieter brother. We started our liaison with the two RAM brothers with Big Red, and it immediately welcomed us in to its capacious, luxury interior. From the outset, we should tell you these vehicles are remanufactured in right hand drive, here in Australia. The handiwork is completed by Walkinshaw Group, which goes some way to explaining the higher price for RAM Trucks in Australia when compared to the US. That said, the build quality is exceptional and it’s hard to tell this wasn’t built locally, it’s that seamless. Slip the key into the ignition and fire the big Mopar V8 into life and there is that delightful thrum that you only get from an engine with two banks of four cylinders. Twist the rotary dial gear selector to D, ease away from the kerb and you realise there is a well of power. It’s resting under that right foot, and it is eager to gallop away down the road more like a stallion than a RAM. Smooth, torquey and far more sophisticated than you could imagine, the HEMI V8 just purrs away and responds instantly when you jab that right foot pedal. It roars like a sports car and performs like one as well. Herein lies the true beauty of the RAM V8. One moment it is idling along at particularly low revs, the next it can be instantly snapped to warp speed.The suspension and handling tune is very good too and even when hurried along it turns into corners well, rides over bumps with aplomb and has steering that is sharp and well weighted. While many consider the 1500 to be a hulk of a truck , the RAM is 5817mm long, 2017mm wide and 1983mm high. Compare that to a Ranger Raptor, that is 5398mm long, 2028mm wide and 1873mm high.The RAM in particular has struck a real vain of popularity in the Australian market and while it is a bit more expensive than most of the established Japanese and Euro utes, the RAM is also surprisingly competitive. That is probably why they are driving out of showrooms at the rate of about 60 to 70 a week. RAM sold just under 2700 trucks last year, and to the end of September this year the tally was just over 2500.When you crunch the cost numbers you realise the RAM 1500 V8 crew cab as we tested it, priced from $89,950 plus on road costs, is still pretty competitive with the top of the dual cab ute pack. For a start, a bare bones, dual cab Toyota LandCruiser manual GX will set you back about $82,000 plus on roads with a tray, and nowhere near the equipment levels of the RAM. The Toyota HiLux dual cab SR5 wears a tag of about $67,000.When you look at the likes of Ford’s Ranger Raptor ($76,490) and VW Amarok TDI 580 ($72,790), the RAM looks like pretty reasonable value, particularly given equipment levels, towing and hauling capacity and overall street presence. For those 89000 clams you need to shell out for the RAM 1500 V8 Express Crew Cab the biggest attraction is under the bonnet, where the 5.7-litre Hemi pumps out  291kW and a whopping 556Nm of torque.Of course when you push the throttle down hard and take advantage of all those watts, the fuel consumption will rise appropriately. It has a claimed fuel economy of 12.2-litres/100km, which is pretty hefty but not ugly.You can get as low as 10.9-litres/100km with the electronic deactivation that silently turns off cylinders too. It’s not light though, tipping the scales at more than 2,500kg. Alternatively you can of course tap Big Red’s conservative brother.Its 3.0-litre V6 diesel delivers 179kW of power and 569Nm of torque, but here’s the rub, the EcoDiesel is only 0.3 of a litre per 100km better than its showy sibling on the combined cycle. It doesn’t sound like much but the diesel is actually considerably more economical around town where constant stop start and acceleration will see it sip a lot less diesel than the unleaded the HEMI drinks.The EcoDiesel equipped RAM Laramie will set you back $109,950 before on-road costs, so it’s a fair bit dearer, and this author’s tiny brain would need an hour with a calculator to work out if the extra $20,000 could be made back in fuel economy. It is easy to forget, but the RAM is a full four-wheel drive, offering a push button selection for 2WD, 4WD High and 4WD Low range. We didn’t get the chance to go off road in either of the RAMs, we were too enamoured with its on road ride and handling capabilities.The transfer works on the go and you can easily slip into 4WD high and back into 2WD at the push of the button, totally without fuss. Another thing about the RAM is that it is very well equipped, in both the Express and the higher spec Laramie. Inside the cabin you get standard climate control air con, the terrific uConnect multi-media system with an 8.3-inch LED control screen with Bluetooth connectivity, and Apple Car Play/Android Auto, six-speakers and terrific sound quality.The Express gets cloth trim for its vast interior seating capacity while Laramie is trimmed in leather. The front seat occupants sit in terrific supportive buckets separated by a mega console, while the bench in the rear seats three. [Read More]( The post [2020 RAM 1500 Laramie EcoDiesel & Express V8 HEMI Crew Cab]( first appeared on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( [7 Major Car Launches in Jan 2021: What to Expect in the New Year]( January 2021 will be a busy month as always for the auto industry. We are currently aware of seven new models ready to make their India arrival. But, we also await many more to arrive subsequently. Here is what we can expect from January 2021 alone.After a dismal 2020, the Indian automotive industry is gearing up for a new beginning as we switch our calendars to the new year of 2021. Automakers in India are gearing up to launch new models and a heap load are scheduled for January alone. SUVs taking the biggest slice of the pie, we have the luxury players also getting feisty with a couple of sedan models. Here are the seven major car launches which are confirmed to be launched or revealed in January 2021. Audi A4 Facelift Launch One of the first model launches to take place will be the new mid-size luxury sedan from Audi. The Audi A4 will be reintroduced with the new facelift model in January 2021. The automaker has already started assembling the vehicle at its plant in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Furthermore, dealers are accepting bookings for the sedan. For all the details on the upcoming new A4. Toyota Fortuner Facelift Launch The king of the full-size SUV segment in India, the Toyota Fortuner will be finally getting a mid-lifecycle update. Taking on the For Endeavour, MG Gloster, Mahindra Alturas G4 and the Isuzu MU-X facelift, Toyota is expected to launch the Fortuner with a lot more tech, along with a curveball move with the introduction of the sportier-styled Toyota Legender model. For more details and to know our expectations from the new Toyota Fortuner facelift. Jeep Compass Facelift Launch The 2021 Jeep Compass facelift was revealed recently in China. The Compass facelift model showcased offered a reworked exterior design. Additionally, to elevate the plushness of the interior, the cabin has been completely redesigned. FCA India is responsible for manufacturing all right-hand drive models of the Compass for global demand. Additionally, the Compass is the automaker’s dominant model in India. Thus it was inevitable the new model would arrive in India so soon. Tata Altroz Turbo Launch Tata Motors had hinted earlier that something was brewing behind the scenes regarding its premium hatchback — the Tata Altroz. The automaker has now announced that a new version of the Altroz will be launched on January 13, 2021. We expect Tata Motors to launch the Altroz Turbo offering a new powerful petrol engine, likely to be with a new twin-clutch automatic transmission. BMW 3 Series Gran Limousine Launch The go-to choice for anyone looking for a fun-to-drive luxury mid-size sedan has been the BMW 3 Series. The only flaw in that if one would nit-pick is space in the rear. Now BMW play to address it with the launch of the 3 Series Gran Limousine. Essentially a long-wheelbase version of the same vehicle will be launch on January 21. It will take on the populated segment to rival the above-mentioned Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Jaguar XE and the upcoming Volvo S60. MG Hector Plus 7-Seat Launch Although an official date has not been set for the launch, MG Motors has confirmed that the 7-seat version of the Hector Plus will be launched in January 2021. The standard 5-seat Hector model arrived in 2019, and a year later was followed by the Hector Plus with a 6-seat configuration. Now MG will introduce the 7-seat version of the Hector Plus. We expect the model to be launched in mid-January, however, we await official word from the automaker. [Read More]( The post [7 Major Car Launches in Jan 2021: What to Expect in the New Year]( first appeared on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( [This Porsche Carrera GT-R Build Lets You Drive A Racing Legend On The Road]( It’ll only set you back $1.04 million to own this road-legal conversion. For all of us, owning a race car that we can take on the road is something that is little more than a pipe dream; it’s something totally beyond the realm of possibility. Whether that be an F1 car or a Le Mans racer, it is surely a dream for many of us. But now, you can do such a thing…sort of. This is a track conversion, and a road legal one, of a Porsche Carrera GT-R. And it is finished in the famous livery that adorned the Porsche 911 GT1 when it rocked up to Le Mans in the mid-1990s. And the best thing is, it’s up for sale too! A Spectacular Conversion This is perhaps one of the most spectacular conversions ever done. Receiving the road-legal treatment away from the factory, it’s based upon the 9R3—also known as the Porsche LMP2000—a secret Porsche prototype that never got to race at Le Mans where it was intended to compete. And this was not a cheap conversion, costing the owner a staggering 220,000 euros. All in all, this is going to set you back just over $1.04 million dollars. The Carerra GT itself is highly regarded, but this takes it to another level entirely. Rated At 650 Horsepower So then, what specifications does this car boast? Well, it is listed on Mechatronik, and they have it listed at 650 hp. To put that into some context, the original Carrera GT boasted 612 hp. Various aftermarket items have been added, including a Motec control unit, tailor-made wishbones and pushrods, and a whole new braking system from AP racing. That is not all either. Many Modifications In addition to these modifications, the Carrera GT-R features a safety cage from Thiebaut Racing that has been custom made for the car, as well as an automatic fire extinguisher and a fuel system that will comply with motorsport regulations. This was the purpose the car was designed for 20 years ago, to go out onto the track and annihilate all before it. This then is an incredibly rare chance to effectively own a race car that is road legal and put it through its paces. Oh, and did we mention it has a 6-speed manual gearbox? That will certainly be fun! [Read More]( The post [This Porsche Carrera GT-R Build Lets You Drive A Racing Legend On The Road]( first appeared on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( ------------------ You Might Like [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](        ------------------ Connect with TheAutomobileNews on Facebook and Twitter [fb](  [tw]( ------------------ You received this email because you operate or create content for a website/service and based on your website it seemed like this could be important information to you and your users. TheAutomobileNews daily newsletter is managed by [Postbox Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd.]( C-4/5, IBD Emporia, Kolar Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, INDIA, 462042 Want to change how you receive these emails? [Update your preferences]( or [Unsubscribe]( Â