2003 Dodge Ram 2500/3500 - The Hemi Is Back!
Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble... roar! That's the infectious sound of Dodge's new Hemi V8. The engines gurgling exhaust note grabs the attention of passersby as subtly as the bold crosshair grille that feeds it air. But that's only a small portion of what makes Dodge's all-new heavy-duty pickup line the new class leader. Still, before I get started I've got one recommendation. Go grab yourself a cold drink and maybe a snack, then sit right down and brace yourself for a serious investment in time. There's a lot of meat behind the big new Rams and I don't want to leave anything out. Ready?
The all-new 2500 ¾ ton and 3500 1 ton Ram pickups hardly stray from the successful restyling formula Dodge let loose last year with the 1500 ½ ton. While more refined in appearance than the previous generation highway rig inspired Ram lineup, the new heavy duty trucks haven't lost their edge. The new front grille is even taller, headlamps larger and fenders more muscular, just like the current 1500. According to Rick Aneiros, Vice President of Design and Ram Design Team Leader, Dodge made a conscious choice to give all Ram pickups the same visual language. He stated, "Despite our competitions need to toughen the look of their heavy-duty pickups, we didn't feel it was necessary to move from the bold Ram design to provide a different look for the 2500 and 3500." That's obvious.
What isn't obvious is what lies beneath the sheetmetal. Fortunately, laid out next to a picturesque barn on a Santa Barbara mountainside ranch were both models rolling chassis', naked for all eyes to see. Talk about rugged. The new frame is the stiffest to ever carry the horned emblem. Like the 1500, the frame is made up of hydroformed box sections. But unlike the 1500 both the 2500 and 3500 frames include thicker grade steel, necessary to wield the heavier loads this class of truck is designed for.