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Ram heavy-duty pickup gets higher towing rating

Ram has fired the latest salvo in the ongoing pickup war between the domestic automakers, releasing what the brand claims is now best-in-class towing capacity for its 2013 heavy-duty pickups. The 2013 Ram 3500 is rated to tow a 30,000-pound trailer, up from a maximum towing capacity of 22,750 pounds for the same vehicle and powertrain setup in 2012. According to their respective Web sites, similarly equipped heavy-duty 3500 pickups from General Motors are rated at a towing capacity of 23,100 pounds, while Ford's F-350 similarly equipped is rated at 22,800 pounds.

125th Anniversary of the Automobile: Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler put the world on wheels

The world marks the 125th anniversary of the invention of the automobile on Jan. 29. Karl Benz filed a patent for a three-wheeled vehicle driven by a gasoline engine in Mannheim, Germany, on that day in 1886, the same year Gottlieb Daimler completed his motorized carriage in Cannstatt, Germany.

Design Contest: NDA wins 2009 LA Design Challenge

A future where environmentalists and car enthusiasts - not to mention sober-minded adults and thrill-seeking young people - all coexist in harmony just might be possible with Nissan's V2G concept vehicle. The hypothetical design study, which runs on a futuristic grid of electric roadways but can also be customized for 'off grid' joy riding, won the 2009 LA Auto Show Design Challenge for the way it embodies this year's 'Youthmobile 2030' theme. The focus was to create vehicles that would appeal to a generation of young drivers raised on cell phones and social media.