So This Is Christmas

Merry Christmas is such an infectious feeling I like to feel that way all year around.

So if you are visiting just before Christmas, just after Christmas or even here on Christmas day I am sure you will find something of interest for you and in the spirit of Christmas.

It may be said that Christmas is no longer a celebration but this must be spoken by people that have never had trouble closing their eyes on Christmas Eve in an expectation of what maybe left for them on the carpet under the tree.

I continue to look forward to the surprise on my Grandchild's faces to this day at Christmas events.

Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Hey Jacksonville Florida, Ram Truck Crowned 2014 Motor Trend Truck Of The Year

By James Michael


Warren Truck Assembly, the Birthplace of Ram Trucks was the site of the Announcement. The report in its entirety will be featured on MotorTrend.com and in Motor Trend Magazine February 2014.

Nine Truck of the Year contenders were put through a comprehensive assortment of challenges in order to measure each aspect of the Trucks. In addition to the 2014 Ram 1500, the experts probed other re-designed or substantially upgraded trucks introduced this year: The GMC Sierra, the Ram Heavy Duty, Toyota Tundra and Chevrolet Silverado pickups.

To determine which truck deserved top honors, the Motor Trend judges took the nine contenders to the Continental Tire Automotive Proving Grounds in Uvalde, Texas. There, the judges tested each truck's performance with the following exercises:Standard testing (without load): 0-60 mph and 1/4-mile acceleration, 60-0 mph braking, and maximum lateral grip. Limit handling (without load): closed-course cornering, braking, and acceleration. Tow/payload testing: 0-60 acceleration repeated with trailers attached (pickups) or payload secured (vans), loaded to 75 percent of each truck's maximum rating (as equipped).Road looping: Highway and real-world replication.

While at Continental, the judges made use of the facility's 8.5-mile high-speed oval, 15-acre dynamics pad, 1.1-mile dry-handling road course, and multi-surfaced ride road to determine the individual vehicles strengths, weaknesses and capabilities. As soon as the extreme week long probing in Uvalde was concluded, the contestants were taken to Motor Trend headquarters to undergo proprietary "Intellichoice Real MPG" fuel-economy testing. Using the latest technology including a weather station, GPS data-logger, and flow-rate and gas analyzers, Real MPG measures exhaust samples every second to pinpoint real-world fuel results.

Once the competition was wrapped up, the panel of experts met to reach agreement on which truck was the 2014 winner of Motor Trend Truck of The Year. The winner is not selected from a direct competition against the other entries, but based on how each truck scored according to the award's six criteria: Design Advancement, Engineering Excellence, Efficiency, Safety, Value, and Performance of Intended Function.

With the votes cast, the Ram 1500 clearly emerged as Motor Trend's 2014 Truck of the Year. The judges were particularly impressed with the performance of the Ram 1500's all-new EcoDiesel V-6 engine as well as its eight-speed TorqueFlite transmission, a combination that boasts a towing capacity of up to 9,200 pounds. Further, Motor Trend's Real MPG testing supported what the team learned in Uvalde: None of the gas-powered half-ton trucks in this year's competition - be they V-6 or V-8, 4x2 or 4x4 - could match the EcoDiesel's mileage. After delivering observed fuel economy of 15 mpg under extreme testing at Continental's proving grounds, the EcoDiesel continued to impress during the Real MPG test loop, returning the following frugal stats: 19/26/21 mpg city/highway/combined for the Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4x4 with a 3.92 rear axle and an even more notable 18/28/22 for the Lone Star Crew Cab 4x2 with a 3.55 rear axle.

The Ram's available air suspension system also received outstanding scores in Engineering Excellence, delivering a smooth ride and responsive handling regardless of the driving surface.The interior ergonomics, overall styling and packaging of the Ram 1500 blew the judges away; notably, the Laramie Longhorn's luxury aesthetics and real wood trim. The diversity of the lineup was another resounding advantage. Regardless of whether the Ram was equipped as a basic work truck or a luxury vehicle the Ram 1500 provides all of the capability needed in a truck.




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