With the Zombie Apocalypse fast approaching, two major players in the pickup truck market have created two seemingly perfect companions for bombing down desolate highways. While both the Ford SVT Raptor and Mopar Ram Runner share similar philosophies about life, they differ just enough that some friendly competition can easily be had. Recently, the folks at Cars.com’s hauling division, PickupTrucks.com, teamed up with the all-knowing, SCORE racing, off road guru Chad Ragland to determine which truck has more guts. When the dust, dirt, rocks and mud settled, Chrysler LLC’s Mopar Ram Runner was declared the winner of the “Duel in The Desert”.
“We jumped, slammed into mounds, cut through deep sand and it came out like a pro, rarely getting into the bumpstops or touching the skid plates,” said Ragland. “I was impressed with Ram Runner’s extreme off-road capability.” The duel took place at southeast California’s Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area with 85,000 acres of challenging desert. PickupTrucks.com and Ragland put both the Ram and the Raptor on a torturous 4.73 mile evaluation loop that contained big rocks, ruts, mud, dirt, higher speed flats and jumps. When both trucks stopped for the day, the Mopar managed to finish the course a solid 33 seconds faster than the Ford. One big deciding factor in the Mopar’s big win can be seen in the Ram’s large availability for options.
“We like how the Ram Runner kit can be built in pieces and stages based on what the truck owner wants and needs,” said Mark Williams, Editor for PickupTrucks.com. “You can go full throttle right away, or take it slower, building your perfect desert explorer at your own pace, factoring in your own budget.” Based on a 2009 through 2011 Ram 1500s, the Runner kit comprises of a “Pre-Runner Stage II Lift Kit, off-road front bumper, off-road front and rear fenders, off-road rear-tire carrier, sport performance hood and cat-back exhaust” for the 5.7 liter Hemi V8. When fitted, the Mopar holds 14 inches of suspension travel at both the front and the back, a 41-degree approach angle and a 30-degree departure angle. Fox Racing 3-inch dampers and beefier Mopar tie rods are there to make sure each sky-high desert jump ends in a still-together landing. In contrast to the Ford, each component of the Runner kit can be purchased separately.
Source: Dodge
