Criminal Assassins Black 2007 Tundra

We found a handful of Tundra videos on YouTube left by a user calling themselves tundrablack. After a little investigating (and a lot of video watching), we found this user’s CarDomain.com page. This truck is awesome.

Here’s what’s been done to this truck:

Performance accessories:

• Volant air intake
• Throttle body spacer
• 40 Series Flowmasters
• UniChip power tuner
• Underdrive pulley kit
• Performance spark plugs and coils
• Headers
• Fitch fuel catalyst Read more…

Dodge Selling The Viper To Highest Bidder

There’s a term for a vehicle that’s so special that it casts a spell on an entire brand – it’s called a “halo car.” There are quite a few halo cars etched in the public consciousness. The Corvette. The Mustang. The Supra. They don’t need to be described by a brand (i.e. Chevy, Ford, or Toyota) – they describe the brand all by themselves.

The Dodge Viper (designs, tooling, brand, trademarks and all) is up for sale, and there’s a good chance the new owner will be overseas.

Flashback to 1990, when the world was abuzz with the news that Chrysler was going to make an affordable supercar. “Chrysler?” people would say – “Really?” The Viper came out in 1991, and it was followed by a series of very successful vehicles (the new Ram, the Intrepid, even the Neon) that arguably resurrected the company. The Viper was, in short, a halo car. It cast a halo upon the entire brand that helped sell cars.

So why in the world would Chrysler part with the Viper? Read more…

Edmunds Likes Tundra Long Term

We’re not sure why, but the reviewers at Consumer Reports, Car and Driver, and Edmunds.com don’t seem to know very much about pickups. It’s not because they don’t like our favorite truck – the Tundra always does well enough – it’s just that all the reviews have some variation of this complaint:

The truck is too big. Wah. It’s hard for us to park. Boo-hoo. We don’t like the fact that it rides and handles like a truck. Sniff sniff.

No kidding? You found the “truck-like qualities” of the truck you tested to be a little uncomfortable? Go figure.

They must not be truck people.

Anyone else think this cute widdle guy works for Edmunds.com?

Take this Edmunds.com Toyota Tundra long-term test update. The Tundra enjoyed quite a few compliments – such as: Read more…

Toyota Officially Delays Tundra Diesel Light Duty

Update: Read the complete story of the diesel Tundra

Despite our complete disbelief and our challenge of the original PickupTrucks.com report, Toyota exec Don Esmond (a senior VP) was officially quoted as saying “We’ve pushed back the [Tundra diesel] until we can figure out where the market is going.” Kudos to PickupTrucks.com Mike Levine for confirming his earlier report on the record.

Has Toyota made a smart move, or is this decision an error in judgment?

1. Ford, GM, and Dodge have all announced plans to offer 150(0)’s with diesel engines in the next 18-24 months. Based on this announcement Toyota will be the only serious half-ton truck manufacturer without a diesel. Toyota has made great strides to be considered “one of the big-boys” in the truck business, yet this announcement surrenders truck leadership to the domestics and drains momentum.
2. Toyota has already broadcast their intention to delay the HD Tundra for a few years. This move seemed wise at the time – especially with the Tundra LD diesel on the way – but now it looks as if Toyota is surrendering the HD segment to the domestics as well.
3. As we discussed here a few months ago, the cost-benefit analysis of a light-duty diesel Tundra depends greatly on the price premium for the diesel engine. Toyota probably can’t sell too many Tundra’s with diesel engines unless they can get the diesel engine price increase to less than $2000. Considering the complexity of a modern diesel, that price range might not have been feasible. Yet, somehow, the domestic truck manufacturers have yet to back off their plans to produce half-ton diesel trucks. Is Toyota unable to match the diesel engine pricing of GM, Ford, and Dodge?
4. The analysis from PickupTruck.com says that Toyota didn’t think they could sell enough diesel Tundra trucks to make a profit, with fuel prices being cited as part of the reason for lower sales. Yet Ford and Dodge both have a mountain of evidence to indicate that new truck sales have likely hit bottom. This would seem to agree with common sense – after all, trucks are still necessary equipment for a lot of Americans. If truck sales are likely to increase, why freeze development?

Toyota’s decision to pause the release of the 4.5L Tundra diesel was likely based on nothing more than accounting. It doesn’t make sense from a product development standpoint, and when Ford, GM, and Dodge enjoy strong sales of the 150(0) diesel trucks, Toyota will have to look back on this decision and wonder why they allowed accountants to build vehicles.

At least we can expect an updated Tundra next year…

Ford and Dodge Plan HUGE November Advertising Blitz

With the new 2009 Ram and the new 2009 F150 launching at roughly the same time, it’s fair to expect a pretty healthy advertising blitz. However, considering just how important these two vehicles are to their respective manufacturers, it’s fair to say that November 2008 might just be the biggest new truck advertising month ever.

Here’s the advertising plan for the new Ram:

1. Hire the director of the hit movies Top Gun, Days of Thunder, and Crimson Tide (among others) to produce some awesome ads.
2. Buy 1.3 BILLION INTERNET AD IMPRESSIONS on election day (Nov. 4th) and blanket all the major websites (like MSN.com, Yahoo.com, CNN.com, etc.) with ads about your new truck. Since people are going to be checking online for election returns all day, the chances are good your ads will get noticed. This aspect of the campaign alone could cost as much as $100 million.
3. Hope that this ad blitz is enough to sell out all of your remaining 2008 Ram inventory as well as get the new 2009 Rams moving.
4. Pat yourself on the back for a very clever strategy OR, if it fails, get your bankruptcy paperwork in order.

Here are some previews of the Ram Challenge commercials: Read more…