The factory optioned “murdering-out” of cars and trucks is all the rage right now. It seems like every model has some variant where the OEM has replaced all of the shiny bits for black plastic for a meaner disposition. Everything from Porsche’s Carrara to Chevrolet’s Silverado has a dark edition with a midnight monicker. Even Mercedes-Benz is providing a blacked-out version of the S-Class for this year’s North American International Auto Show.
Ram will also bringing something tall, dark, and handsome to Detroit with its new Rebel 1500 Black.
While the Rebel is already an aggressive looking off-road truck with an abundance of darkened trim, Ram has given it an extra dash of visual menace with this inky special edition.
The Black actually comes in all of the normal Rebel exterior colors but adds an all-black interior, brush guard, and wheels. Do you want to take a stab at the color of the anodized bezels surrounding the center console, instrument panel, and gauge pods are? How about the optional leather Katzkin seats or rubber floor mats?
You guessed it. In fact, if you opt for a black paint job, the only non-black thing on the entire truck would be the gray accent stitching on the interior fabric.
The model-specific black alloy wheels are wrapped with 33-inch off-road tires and the Ram’s standard air suspension system gives the Rebel ten inches of ground clearance — making the photos of it off-roading more than plausible.
Ram didn’t make any mechanical changes to the Rebel for the Black; it’s essentially an appearance package. It still has the same base 3.6 liter Pentastar V6 cranking out 305 horsepower and a competent 269 foot pounds worth of torque. You can, as always, plop in the 5.7 liter Hemi V8 if you want to bring that torque up to 410 ft-lbs and a horsepower just shy of 400 units. Rear-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic are standard, but all-wheel drive is available.
Available only as a crew cab, the Ram 1500 Rebel Black starts at $45,590 (the plain Jane Rebel starts at $44,995) plus the obligatory $1,320 destination fee. Arriving at dealerships in March, it will also be on display at next week’s North American International Auto Show. FCA hasn’t specified volume but Ram is considering it a Special Edition vehicle, possibly indicating a brief production run — especially if they run out of black pieces of trim.
[Images: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]
Call me a cynic, but I just don’t get the blacked out, jacked up, tall tire, fuel robbing look and decor…but I’m old, so…
FWIW, the factory jacked up, tall tire look tends to be more reasonable than what I see dudes doing with after market parts.
“Call me a cynic, but I just don’t get the blacked out, jacked up, tall tire, fuel robbing look and decor…but I’m old, so…”
Hey it’s fine if you don’t actually use your truck to haul and tow things. Black wheels – YUCK! Worst automotive trend ever.
“Black wheels – YUCK! Worst Automotive trend ever.”
I can’t say I agree, when I got my Jeep it had black rims on it, and I fell in love. When I got a new truck this fall, the first thing I did was put black rims on it.
They hide brake dust and grime very very well, and as someone who doesn’t like to spend a ton of time cleaning my rims with a toothbrush to try and get everything off of them, it doesn’t get much better.
To each his own. I’ve got polished aluminum wheels on my Sierra and Tahoe and they are very easy to keep clean and looking good until salty MN winters eventually cause the clear coat to start flaking off. Then you got a mess on your hands.
Forget the toothbrush. Let the rims go black on their own…….
Nothing says “menace” like a 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V6 under the hood of your factory-murdered full size pickup. That’s a lot of decoration and cash for a macho truck that doesn’t have a V8 exhaust sound or at least whistling turbos.
I thought the 3.6 comes with Hemi badges now.
The 3.6 is just fine for a half ton. The 8-speed can find torque at any speed, should you require it.
Anybody who needs the extra torque of the Hemi should get a 2500.
“Anybody who needs the extra torque of the Hemi should get a 2500.”
I disagree. If I’m a towing 4K-7K pounds I want something stronger than a V6 unless your talking a twin turbo Ford. A 1/2 ton is more than capable to perform that job and a much better choice than a 2500.
I liked the Stinger Yellow Sport more.
Since this is a 2009 era platform will the original grille still slot in should one acquire a normal grille from the junkyard?
Having a pickup appeals to me in a way – I wouldn’t mind a standard-cab, plain 4X4 truck, in red. The new F-150 is nice looking. Maybe a cherry 1990’s Chevy. But this thing? No way.
Such a thing appeals to me as well, but if i had a choice I would prefer something smaller (Dakota size or less).
I doubt it, but it’d certainly improve appearances. The recent RAM grilles are just plain.
I spend a lot of time cycling on the road and am a reformed gearhead, always taking note of vehicles.
I don’t know why but by observation, Dodge pickups are the most dangerous thing on road.
Statistically, Rams have been proved to be the most dangerous vehicles on the road. Take a large, powerful pickup, add FCA quality and then factor in sub prime credit drivers.
This is probably true, but I’d like to see some data.
I do know the Dodge Neon was the most expensive car in its class to ensure for reasons of poor crash rating, Chrysler build quality, and its ownership. The Z-Body Saturn SL has an equally poor crash rating but from a cost standpoint is much cheaper than the Neon.
There’s a pack of extra-small black condoms in the glovebox to let the owner complete the fantasy.
Banal, trite and sophomoric, Pavlovian response.
Well, I can think of cheaper ways to show how macho you are, for sure. A bespoke suit would do the job for about $44,000 less. Keep the change and take your lady on a first rate Caribbean vacation at a beach house, where you can actually get your macho on, 24/7.
But, hey, if someone wants to drop that on a (ugly) truck, I suppose it’s his money.
blowing money on a vacation would be even more dumb
Dumb for you, maybe…
Freed, you’ve got the right idea.
@JD-Shifty
*Who* are you exactly?
Are they left over from the discontinued magnum?
28-cars -later, how many times have you refreshed Breitbart today?
None as I don’t read it. My turn, why is it you keep posting such douchebag things which don’t contribute to positive discourse?
JD-Shifty – How many times have you refreshed HuffPo, DailyKos, World Workers Socialist Party, Womyns World Daily, Herstory Today, Pravda….
…..DURRRRR DURRRRR DURRRRRRRR….
…today?
DW you forgot Zir World Daily.
Don’t Forget “Vogo Daily Briefing from the Left.”
Looks like yer little buddy dead weight has yer back, 28-days. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Donald Trump seems to be the most prominent communist sympathizer these days. You voted for him.
Vogo I noticed you put a paywall up on your site. What the hell man I need my daily briefing!
*kisses*
” There’s a pack of extra-small black condoms in the glovebox to let the owner complete the fantasy.”
You probably say the same thing when you see a guy driving by in a nice Porsche. Life’s too short son to spend it being jealous of what others can afford to drive.
No way I’d drop 45 large on a truck, but whatever…
(Just don’t start complaining when gas goes back up to four bucks a gallon…)
I know three guys with blacked-out brodozers. Two are pear-shaped, unmarried 30-somethings; one is a pear-shaped, married 50-something.
I’m not sure these things are good for one’s health.
I was once pear shaped, and never wanted one of these.
Perhaps I wasn’t born with the brodozer gene.
Or maybe I just like my rolling codpieces to look suspiciously like a Competition Orange Mustang GT.
(Wouldn’t mind a standard-bed, base F-150 in fire engine red, though…but these jacked up things are, well…I’ll just go with ‘not my style’.)
Yeah , I don’t really get it either . I’m with “Freed Mike” . A 4×4 8ft box ,reg cab , is my idea of a truck. I just can’t see anything north of $40 K , being in my wheel house. Besides , I’m on a convertible Camaro kick right now.
Truth be known, I won’t buy either one.
I got a great wall calendar for Christmas that will hang in my work office: big, high-rez photos of Chevy & GMC pickups from ’34 to ’58.
That’s where my trucky head is at; these modern things are about as practical for me as a firetruck.
Oh yeah a 57 GMC ….So ugly to some. To me it was a work of art.
’55-’57s spin my beanie way more than the quad-headlight ’58s.
THAT’s where I’ve seen this grille before. Borrowed from a 1956 GMC.
” A 4×4 8ft box ,reg cab , is my idea of a truck”
For most pick-up buyers, me included, a standard cab renders it almost completely useless. There’s a reason crew cab pick-ups pretty much rule the roads. Their utility/flexibility when it comes to hauling cargo & people combined with their ability to tow simply cannot be beat by anything. Add comfort, reliability, resale and they are pretty much a no-brainer for many.
Can I get the opposite? Wild late 70s graphics?
http://www.ford-trucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/MTM3ODk5MTI4MDc5Mzk0Njcz.jpg
The Power Wagon is as close as you can get right now and, even then, it’s just the 1978-styled logo. There’s none of that great striping to be found anywhere.
What a criminal shame!
I just saw a 2017 Power Wagon. It was all black. The graphics almost disappear into the black paint. I like the fact that they moved away from the vomit down the box graphics. The problem with the PW sharing a grill with the Rebel is the fact that you don’t have any product separation. That may help sell the Rebel but I think it will hurt PW sales.
That’s too bad. I really liked those graphics, and the chrome grille with red bars too. If the aftermarket offered those graphics for 3rd gen Rams (I’ve looked, they don’t) then I’d have a set on my truck.
The blacked-out look, Rebel grille and new graphics are a complete turn-off for me.
Nice one. I’ve always liked Bronco-like contraptions. 2-door/hatch truck hybrid. Not that I’d like to pay to fill-up but looks good as a lawn decoration. Mandatory confederation flag;)
Respect.
I wonder how long before someone puts out a Egomaniac Special Edition truck.
Maybe one with a built-in Viraga dispenser.
Viagra?
No worries. I corrected it.
Cool. I think that’s an option which would sell well. My brother and I refer to the giant half-tons as “the all new big [Ford/Chevy/Dodge] compensator”. I would much prefer something of the classic Ford Ranger size with an option for stick and V8/4×4.
Meh.
I see way too much dark gray (NOT black) plastic. If you’re calling your truck a “black” edition, commit fully to the concept.
It just looks that way because the paint is gloss black but the plastic is matte black and they photographed it on a sunny day. If the truck was painted a different colour or it was photographed on an overcast day, you probably wouldn’t be complaining.
Wait until it’s 10+ years old and all the plastic has a grey haze on it.
That is a jaw-dropping sticker price for V6/RWD. I assume there is at least $10k sitting on the hood?
Still hate that awful grille, and the giant RAM on the back. Looks bad in pictures, looks bad in person.
I could not agree more.
cé laid longtemps
Maybe it’s the same demographic that purchases large type copies of Reader’s Digest.
“The model-specific black alloy wheels are wrapped with 33-inch off-road tires and the Ram’s standard air suspension system gives the Rebel ten inches of ground clearance”
That “10 inches” is when you set the air ride to off road mode. You get a bit of a lift. The problem with it is typical of anything using compressed gas to increase ride height, you get a corresponding increase in ride stiffness. The truck becomes a non-compliant pogo stick.The increased lift only can be used in 4lo. Any V8 truck rarely ever needs 4lo so it is a wasted feature.
There have been reports of overheating in these “air” ride systems in Ram and Jeep vehicles.
Lou,
I have 350ftlb in my 4×4 pickup and I use low much of the time off road.
I will use high range on a road/track where I wouldn’t go under 5-10km.
Also off road with a stiffer suspension would be okay.
10″ of ramp over is not much conidering its wheelbase.
“Also off road with a stiffer suspension would be okay.”
Stiffer?
It affects damping. It turns into a pogo stick.
Stiff suspension for off-road is old school and misguided. You need terrain compliance and controlled wheel travel. Variable rate damping takes care of both rather well. Stiff springs whether they be coils, leafs or “air” bags interferes with damping and compliance.
There is a reason why the Raptor and Power Wagon have reduced payload ratings. Softer springs with superior damping is the best way to go.
While I really like the black look, now that it’s become a fad, like all fads it will soon be dated.
The worst thing that can happen to a concept is success.
“While I really like the black look…”
Too Goth which reminds me of seeing 400 lb. rich kids with orange & black hair in airports. They and all their studded accoutrements slow things down there.
Nailed it.
As with many modern trucks, the thing I do not like: I want to yank a floor lever for 4×4 low, and then yank a shifter for low. Not a button. Not a dial. This I do not like.
Meh – I always liked that that second shift sticking through the floor on my little ’93 Toyota PU. But I got used to the buttons in my newer trucks even though I didn’t like them at first.
I do like the interior. The only thing wrong is the shifter should be between the seats. Not on the colomn or dash.
Shiny black is okay for the exterior with tasteful chrome accents and shiny metallic rims with a small amount of black.
The problem with deep colours is stone chips and scratches are easily noticeable.
The shifters on both my GM trucks are on the column and I wouldn’t move them between the bucket seats even if I could. Waste of space IMO. They’re trucks, not sports cars.
That photo is funny. Grrr! Arrgh! Rippin’ through a 3″ inch snowfall!
My wife’s Fit could easily handle that and many times has.
Is it that even such a paltry dusting of snow sufficiently impresses the intended recipients of this ad?
Besides the grey stitching, there are more than one “non-black thing on the entire truck”: in the interior, the red plastic in the seat belt latch. The photoshopping dulled it down some, but it’s still there; the lights, of course, and the license plate.
You can’t help but notice that the name is a bit awkward, but calling it the “Black Rebel Special Edition” would lose all the rednecks who might be interested in purchasing this thing. (And calling it the “Special Black Edition” would invite all sorts of snarky and racist suggestions of what features it ought to have.)
Those headlights doesn’t even look like cheap OEM headlights, they look like cheap of brand after market units from pep boys.
When you’ve got nothing new in the pipeline Special Editions are the last refuge of the scoundrel. Fiat’s dependence on color and trim combinations is starting to smell of desperation.
They have the ugly “nostril” grille, and now this one which reminds me of a tongue reaching up for the nose. The crosshair grille needs to stay. And Dodge vehicles can find a new grille greatment – – there has got to be some undiscovered ones left.
It needs some kind of ultrablack paint that just sucks in all wavelengths of visible light and reflects nothing.
So, Ford has new engines, new materials, turbos……. And Ram has a new color??? I like Ram trucks (only full sizer with a manual), but man, they need to get moving, unless they want to end up “renting” their wares, Cadillac style.
I dug the black wheels look until the Plasti Dip crews started ruining it for the ones that actually spent money to have black wheels. Unfortunately, this is going to exacerbate and already worn out fad.
I despise Plasti Dip. Just wanted to get that out there.