Given that the 2015 Ford F-150 will be aluminum-bodied, and that the next Silverado will follow suit, it’s logical to assume that Ram will be getting in on the weight-saving action with its next generation of trucks.
Nope.
“’We have the capability to do an aluminum body for the Ram, but I have better places to use aluminum in the portfolio,” Chrysler Group LLC CEO Sergio Marchionne said at a recent Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Investor Day press conference.
There’s a silver lining, though. The fuel-efficient metal might find its way onto the next Jeep Wrangler. When asked if there’s a better use for aluminum in his lineup than the famous off-roader, Marchionne said, “No.”
Jeep toyed with the thought of a lighter Wrangler a couple of years ago by making the Stitch concept pictured above. “That rig trimmed off a whopping 1,100 pounds by throwing out everything unnecessary, cutting weight-reduction holes into what was, and using fabric body panels. The effort delivered a power-to-weight ratio closing in on a Grand Cherokee SRT.”
Road & Track doesn’t seem concerned about the Jeep icon’s personality changing too much. It thinks the Wrangler’s frame (which more than likely won’t be a unibody) and roll cage will stay steel, while its body, hood and fenders will be made out of aluminum. All of those changes should translate to higher mpg on the street and easier maneuvering in the rough stuff.
The downside is that we won’t find out if the magazine is right until 2017.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
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