The New Ram Rumble Bee Concept Debuts in Detroit

This past weekend brought about another incredible installation of the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit and for 2013, the Chrysler Group used the massive automotive gathering to introduce the new Ram 1500 Rumble Bee Concept – a great looking sport truck designed to pay homage to the 2003 and 2004 Rumble Bee production trucks.

Like the 2003 Ram 1500 Rumble Bee, the new Rumble Bee Concept is predominantly an appearance package that begins on the outside with the slick looking matte Drone Yellow paint scheme.  The designers than added a ton of black trim including the mirrors, the exhaust tips, the hood vents, the grille, the Ram logos, the headlights, the taillights and the 24” wheels to provide the same eye catching black and yellow look as the production trucks offered 10 years ago.  The exterior also features a Mopar fuel door, a Mopar ground effects package, a Mopar hard tonneau cover, a power bulge hood and a black stripe that runs the length of the body, turning upwards on the bedsides to run over the back of the truck with a modern version of the “Speed Bee” located on the rear corners of the truck.

On the inside, Mopar has added unique bucket seats clad in black leather and accented with a yellow mesh center section and yellow stitching, Rumble Bee logos on the seat backs, the door panels and on the dash and a unique shift knob that sports a bee standing on honeycomb.  Just under the unique shift knob is a “Rumble button” panel that allows the driver to make the truck very, very loud with the push of a button via a set of factory equipped exhaust cutouts under the truck.  These exhaust cutouts and the Rumble buttons are among the most unique aspects of the Rumble Bee Concept but sadly, we shouldn’t be expecting any vehicles equipped with factory exhaust cutouts any time soon.

The Rumble Bee Concept is powered by the same 5.7L Hemi V8 as the rest of the 2014 Ram 1500 lineup with 395hp and 407lb-ft of torque being sent to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission.  Chrysler hasn’t quoted any increases in power but the Mopar catback exhaust system and a Mopar cold air intake helps the Hemi to breathe on both ends and that should add up to more power at the wheels.  Helping to improve acceleration is a set of 4.10 gears and helping to improving handling is a King Suspension setup that has this truck sitting about 2 inches lower than your average 2014 Ram 1500.

Unfortunately, this truck is only a concept right now but aside from the 24 inch wheels and the factory exhaust cutouts, this new Ram Rumble Bee really isn’t too far from a package that we could see in showrooms soon.

Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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