Auto Industry News: Jaw-Dropping Trucks, Safety & Reliability Awards, and a Dirt-Racing Lambo?!

From mild to wild, there’s a little something for everyone this week. Seeking a reliable family car for 2021? We got you. Looking to blow $100k on an off-roading monster that eats Ford Raptors for breakfast and burns through fuel like an evil oil baron? We’ve got that, too!

From the TRX and Venom 800 to the Yukon Off-Road Silverado, gnarly trucks top today’s menu. Scroll a little further down for a wild Mint 400 build. Then, round out your day with the winners (and losers) of sustainability, safety, and reliability awards, as well as all the high-level news you may have missed last week.

RAM Nabs MotorTrend Truck of the Year for Third Consecutive Year

For the third consecutive year, RAM closes out the season with some prestigious silverware added to its trophy case. MotorTrend named the all-new RAM TRX its 2021 Truck of the Year (TOTY). The award follows the RAM brand’s redesigned 1500 and heavy-duty models in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

The win is a historic one for RAM in a few ways. Since the brand branched off on its own about a decade ago, it has won MotorTrend’s Truck of the Year title six times. RAM is also the first badge in the magazine’s 71-year history to ever win top honors for three straight years. Impressive, to say the least.

“The all-new 2021 Ram 1500 TRX sets the benchmark for extreme performance pickup trucks and clearly telegraphs the RAM Truck brand’s leadership in the segment,” said Mike Koval Jr., Head of RAM Brand in a press release. “In a brutally competitive truck market, earning MotorTrend’s Truck of the Year title for three consecutive years is not only incredibly humbling, but it reaffirms the fact that we have the best light- and heavy-duty trucks on the road today.”

Champion Material

The RAM 1500 TRX is an incredibly fast, surprisingly versatile pickup with an exceptional advanced suspension, supercharged 702-horsepower HEMI V8 under the hood, and a beefed-up frame that helps it stand apart from other super trucks on the market. “It is a game-changer, both on- and off-road: a truck equally capable of towing and hauling as it is ripping donuts in a field or whipping sports cars in drag races,” writes MotorTrend’s Christian Seabaugh in the magazine’s TOTY write-up.

“Whatever you throw at this RAM, it can hang,” he concludes.

In fact, the only thing that’ll hurt as you jump over sand dunes is your wallet. At $71,690 to start, the RAM 1500 TRX also gets a pitiful 12 mpg combined fuel economy. (Ouch.) Good thing this is America: land of the free, home of the brave, and sanctuary of the people who will gleefully rationalize excess at any cost.

Hennessey Performance Engineering Releases Venom 800 Supercharged F-150

Speaking of super trucks, let’s talk about premium aftermarket specialists Hennessey Performance Engineering’s (HPE) newest effort: the Venom 800 Supercharged F-150.

Starting life as a Platinum Super Crew model, this beast features a powerful 5.0-liter V-8, 10-speed automatic transmission, and 4-wheel drive. Hennessey added a 3.0-liter supercharger with 8.0 psi of boost for good measure, as well as a cold-air induction system, upgraded fuel injectors and fuel pump, and a stainless-steel exhaust system.

The result? A beastly pickup pushing 805 horsepower and 727 pound-feet of torque (when running E85), making it the most powerful Ford truck by Hennessey and topping the all-new TRX by a whopping 100 ponies.

According to the company, utilizing 4-wheel drive, the Venom 800 will be capable of running 0-60 mph in just 3.6 seconds and through the quarter mile in 11.9 seconds @ 116 mph!

Other upgrades include: an off-road suspension system upgrade with upgraded shocks with external reservoirs and 6-inch lift, Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers and 15.1-inch cross-drilled steel rotors, 35-inch all-terrain tires mounted on 20-inch rims, a Hennessey Venom front bumper upgrade with LED lights, front grille upgrade, and HPE exterior branding and serial numbered plaques in the interior and engine compartment.

While this tricked out Ford F-150 will cost customers about $149,500 a pop, exclusivity is the name of the game here. Hennessey plans to create just 100 units for the 2021 model year.

Specially-Built 2021 Yenko/SC Silverado Off-Road is Ready for Action

Oh, you want more specially-built, jaw-dropping rides? Then let’s talk about the 2021 Yenko/SC Silverado Off-Road.

Much like HPE, Specialty Vehicle Engineering puts together limited-production, highly-modified vehicles that customers absolutely love. The company cut its teeth developing modern performance aftermarket products, so you can expect some impressive results.

Simply put: this new Silverado Off-Road is, like the other trucks we’ve detailed today, an absolute monster. Building on the Yenko/SC Silverado announced earlier this year, the Off-Road variant features the same 6.2-liter LT1 V8 pumping out 800 horsepower and 720 lb. ft. of torque. Assisting engine output is a a supercharger, forged internals (pistons and crankshaft), ported heads, and a stainless steel cat-back dual exhaust system. An upgraded 6-speed automatic transmission helps handle all the power, while Brembo 6-piston front brake calipers and Duralife 16.1-inch vented rotors bring it all to a safe stop.

Making it off-road worthy is a BDS 4.0-inch lift kit, Fox shock absorbers, a heavy duty rear sway bar, 20-inch wheels with Nitto Ridge Grappler tires, retractable side steps, and a unique extended black sports bar with sYc branded black plate insert and integrated high-mount stop lamp.

Only 50 of these ultra-exclusive off-road Yenko Silverados will be available for customers, with each getting a numbered badge, key fobs and a manufacturer’s certificate of origin to prove authenticity. While official pricing hasn’t been confirmed, we can guarantee it’ll be hefty.

B is for Build Plans to Send Lamborghini Huracan to Mint 400

When you think of the type of vehicles that participate in a legendary, grueling off-road race across the Nevada desert, what do you picture? A Trophy Truck? A modified Jeep or UTV? Maybe a Ducati or KTM adventure bike? Well one YouTube channel is looking to add a Lamborghini Huracan to that list.

B is for Build, a channel where host Chris and his buddies build, modify, sell, trade and sometimes just straight up destroy vehicles for views, has announced they’re planning to build the first ever Lamborghini Huracan off-road race car to compete in the Mint 400 this March.

Cleverly dubbed the “Jumpacan,” B is for Build plans to trick out the V10 supercar with a long-travel suspension, 35-inch front tires and 37-inch rear, a Graziano 6-speed manual transaxle and a few other changes yet to be announced.

With the project set to be fully functional by March 3, the only thing stopping the vehicle from actually participating in the 400-mile desert race in Vegas is actually seeing this thing moving.

Ford Dominates Top ‘Green’ Models for 2021

Segueing to something a little more environmentally-friendly, the Blue Oval swept two of the coveted top Green Model prizes thanks to the automaker’s new Mustang Mach-E and F-150.

Green Car Journal’s Green Car Awards are widely recognized as the most important environmental awards in the automotive field. This year, the awards recognized 30 of the best-and-brightest “green” models of the year, as well as six stand-out vehicles.

2021 Green Car of the Year went to the Ford Mustang Mach E for its massive 300 miles of range, impressive performance and stylish design. Taking home the 2021 Green Truck of the Year was the Ford F-150. Green Car Journal applauded the legendary pickup’s efficient PowerBoost hybrid powerplant and available Pro Power Onboard output system which allows the truck to function as a mobile generator at worksites or campsites.

These wins must be validating for Ford, who has famously poured an astounding $3.2 billion into its factories and development of fully electric vehicles. Green Car Journal’s nods reinforce that EVs can be both great for the environment and simply great vehicles that excite customers.

Other winners include Polestar 2 for Luxury Green Car of the Year, the fully-electric Mini Cooper SE for Urban Green Car of the Year, the Toyota Sienna for Family Green Car of the Year, and the Jeep Wrangler 4xe for Green SUV of the Year.

Consumer Awards

Speaking of awards, IIHS released its 2020 Top Safety Picks this week. And last week, Consumer Reports announced its 10 most (and least) reliable 2021 cars, based on 2019 and 2020 data.

Sixty-four cars and SUVs qualified for an award from IIHS under new criteria that prioritizes vehicle occupant and pedestrian protection during a crash, as well as headlight functionality. A “plus” award designates models with particularly good headlights. Of the 64 award winners, 23 qualified for TOP SAFETY PICK+.

Over at Consumer Reports, reliability is determined by studying 17 trouble areas on surveyed data from more than 329,000 vehicles to calculate a Predicted Reliability Score. (The process is a little complex, but you can read more about it HERE.)

To make your life easier, we here at The Engine Block rounded up the winners and losers of both reports. Here are the highlights (and lowlights).

Winners

On the safety side, IIHS confirms Mazda and Hyundai are the standouts. Mazda took home five TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards, the most of any automaker, for the Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback models, Mazda 6, CX-3 and CX-5. The company earned an additional TOP SAFETY PICK for the CX-9.

Hyundai – which includes Genesis and KIA brands – has the most winners overall, nabbing a whopping 14 TOP SAFETY PICK awards and three TOP SAFETY PICK+.

Consumer Reports survey reveals Mazda took top honors for reliability as well, outperforming perennial list-toppers like Toyota, Lexus, and Buick who took second, third, and fourth place this year.

Losers

Where there are winners, there are losers too. IIHS reports “No vehicles from FCA or Mitsubishi earned a top safety award this year. Ford/Lincoln, Volvo and BMW haven’t picked up any TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards, while GM and Nissan each earned only one TOP SAFETY PICK and one TOP SAFETY PICK+ award.

Consumer Reports’ survey complements these findings. Tesla and Lincoln were ranked as the two least reliable automakers, earning dismal scores of 29/100 and 8/100 respectively.

Between Tesla’s Model X body parts being prone to flying off randomly and the company’s Model S and X ratings dipping to “below average” in 2020, it’s fair to say they’ve had a tough year making their buyers happy.

For Lincoln, the recent cancelation of the Continental and the MKZ sedans were likely the final nail in the coffin that dropped the brand to dead last on the Consumer Reports list amid 26 brands. You know you have some work to do when a luxury brand is literally dead last in consumer satisfaction. That’s an issue for Ford, who itself hasn’t had a fantastic 2020 due to numerous recalls.

Other brands riding the struggle bus this year are VW (36/100) and Mini (37/100).

In case you missed it…

• All new vehicles sold in Japan by the mid-2030s will be hybrid or electric as the government begins to unveil concrete steps for reaching its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, broadcaster NHK said. Read more at Bloomberg.
  
• New vehicle sales were down roughly 10-20% in November, which automakers attribute to having only 23 selling days. Analysts caution the numbers aren’t as bad as they look. “With supply limited, pricing is up,” explained Automotive News. Read more here.
  
• The UK officially leaves the EU at the end of December. With no concrete plans in place, European automakers brace for a no-deal Brexit. They argue such a scenario could cost the UK auto industry $74 billion in tariffs over the next five years, racking up roughly $132 billion in lost trade for the pan-European auto sector. AutoWeek has more on this story.
• COVID strikes again. Ford announced Friday that customers will not begin to receive the 2021 Bronco two- and four-door SUV until summer 2021 because of pandemic-related supplier issues. Orders will now open in mid-January instead of December 7. Head over to Car & Driver for more.