New Special Edition Ram Features Black Wheels, Brush Guard, and Interior
We’re only a few days away from the start of the 2017 North American International Auto Show, where some of the bright lights and countless camera flashes will be shining on the new Ram 1500 Rebel Black special edition in all of its dark glory.
The package is available on Rebels of any color and adds black wheels, a black brush guard, and an all-black interior. The cabin features black anodized accents on the doors, center console, and instrument panel, and around the gauge cluster rings. The black heated seats with “Rebel” embroidery are trimmed with Light Slate Gray accent stitching, which also appears on the instrument panel, center console lid, doors, and seats. Those can be upgraded to optional black Katskin leather seats. Deep rubber floor mats are down below to catch any mud or snow that might be tracked in when the Rebel Black is inevitably taken off-road (check out the sweet, sweet B-roll footage below to see it fling up some of the white stuff).
Everything else is what you’d expect to see on a Rebel, from the special grille to the tailgate with the huge RAM on it. The Black edition comes equipped with a factory lift; 33-inch Toyo Open Country all-terrain tires; a driver-selectable, multi-height air suspension system; Bilstein shocks; skid plates; and tow hooks. It’s crew-cab-only and can be ordered with the 305-horsepower, 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 or 395-horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI V8. Both engines are mated to the TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission.
The Ram 1500 Rebel Black special edition will darken dealership floors this March. Prices start at $45,590.* The joking about this being the pickup truck that Darth Vader would drive begins right…now.
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.
