The Chrysler Group debuted the new Ram 1500 Rumble Bee Concept last month at Detroit’s Woodward Dream Cruise and after a tremendous amount of positive feedback from the viewing public, the company has planning conversations with dealerships around the country to get their thoughts on a possible production model based on the Ram Rumble Bee Concept. Considering how little cost is involved in the possible Rumble Bee production model combined with the success of the Rumble Bee Ram option back in 2003 and 2004, there seems to be a very good chance that the sporty Rumble Bee package will soon be offered on the Ram 1500.
While there is a good chance that the Ram 1500 Rumble Bee Concept will become a production reality, there will likely be some changes from what we saw at Woodward. The most significant change will likely be the removal of the matte Drone Yellow exterior paint as matte paint costs more and requires more maintenance but considering that the Chrysler Group has a very attractive gloss yellow option that has been used on the Challenger and Charger. The Rumble Bee Concept may also come with different 24 inch wheels – presumably something directly from the Mopar catalog – but other than that the production model should look very much like the concept.
On the inside, the production version of the Ram 1500 Rumble Bee will likely have unique leather bucket seats, Rumble Bee logos and a black-and-yellow layout but it will likely not have the shift knob with the real bee frozen in the center of the knob over the honeycomb background. However, the company can just as easily switch to a simple bee graphic over the honeycomb and it will look almost as cool. Most importantly, I am hoping that any production version would include the “rumble button” that allows the driver to select which of the dual exhaust modes is chosen. Chrysler has a dual mode exhaust system in their arsenal – it is just a matter of adapting that technology to the Ram 1500 exhaust system.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
