When the Nissan
Titan was released, its power output and advertised capabilities were near to
those of the Dodge Ram, and owners of Titans and Rams had out their differences
on the street and on the track, with mixed results.However, sales of the Titan have not been
doing well so for the next generation Titan, Nissan has taken on the approach
of “it you cant beat’em, join’em”.
That’s
right.The next Nissan Titan will be
little more than a re-skinned and rebadged Dodge Ram.The deal, which was announced in August of
2008, stated that the new Titan will use the chassis and mechanical workings of
the new Dodge Ram.Immediately,
speculation turns to the question of whether or not the new Titan will be
Hemi-powered and while Nissan sources have insisted that there has been no
decision made thus far about the engine offerings, Chrysler representatives
have commented that the Titan will pack the Hemi engine.
So, new Titan
owners, you will finally have a real shot at keeping up with a Dodge Ram, but
only because you’ll be driving one.This
comes with unfavorable opinions from many Dodge faithful, and many hope to see
the Titan not carry the Hemi name whether it has the engine or not, but this
will help Dodge in their tough times as all of the new Titans are slated to be
made in Chrysler factories.
This also creates
more interest in the old rumors that Nissan and Dodge might be working
something out for the next generation Dodge Viper, as Dodge has announced that there
are several persons interested in helping to keep the model in production.This is not Dodge’s first workings with a
Japanese based manufacturer, as many vehicles in the Chrysler family tree were
Mitsubishi based.
Remember
Dodge-faithful, while it is blasphemy to see a Hemi engine in a Nissan truck,
keep in mind that this is the only way that Nissan can offer a good truck, and
its helping to get the Dodge brand back on track and keeping employees working.
"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.
