Muscle Trucks You've Never Heard Of

Earlier, we showed you a sampling of obscure muscle cars, and we did not want to leave out the truck ;lovers. Here are a few trucks that are top performers, whether they look the part or not.

1971-72 GMC Sprint SP

The sister to the Chevy El Camino, the Sprint was nearly identical in engine, performance, and body. The SP 454 came with a whopping 365-hp. This baby was tough, though less than 1,000 were produced.

Ford SVT F-150 Lightning

The second generation of Ford's Lightning pick-up came in 1999 with a 5.4-Liter Triton V8 and an Eaton supercharger. The peak of this model was the 2001 version. At 380-hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, The Lightning lived up to its name as the fastest production truck in the world, going from 0 to 60 in 5.2 seconds.

1978 Dodge Red Express

Part of Dodge's Adult Toy Program, the Dodge Red Express was the fastest production vehicle produced in America. In fact, in 1978, it was second only to the Corvette as the fastest vehicle built. You see why it was called "The Last American Hot Rod." It came with a 360 V8 and an A-727 transmission, and twin 2-1/2" vertical stacks. The Red Express is a real beauty and muscle machine.

Dodge Dakota 5.9 R/T

Produced from 1998 to 2003, the Dodge Dakota 5.9 R/T came with a 5.9-Liter Magnum V8 that produced 250-hp and 345 lb-ft of torque. Going from 0 to 60 in 7.08 seconds, the Dakota achieved performance levels only seen in sports cars a decade earlier.

Get ;Synthetic Oil for Your Truck in ;Shorewood

For muscle performance, you need muscle protection. The full line of ;AMSOIL synthetic oils, filters, additives, and fluids provides the protection, performance, and peace of mind you deserve. Call your ;local AMSOIL dealer in Shorewood, ;First Place Oils, at (815) 570-4645 ;to learn more or shop at our online store.

Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon

The 2009 ;Chevy Colorado, and its sister model GMC Canyon, held a 5.3-Liter V8 modified to fit in a smaller engine compartment. Tuned to 300-hp with 320 lb-ft of torque, the Colorado/Canyon went from 0 to 60 in 6.7 seconds.

2008-09 Saab 9-7x Aero

The Red Express was popular, so maybe not so obscure. Can you get ;more obscure than ;a ;muscle ;SUV from Saab? With a 6-liter V8 packing 390-hp and All-Wheel Drive, this Aero deserves to be considered a muscle truck.

1989 Dodge Shelby Dakota

Another Dodge Dakota product actually originated with Chrysler. Dodge swapped the Chrysler's 3.9-Liter V6 for an LA 5.2-Liter Fuel-Injected V8. The engine produced 195-hp and 270 lb-ft of torque and did 0 to 60 in about 8 seconds, respectable numbers for 1989.

1990-93 Chevrolet Silverado SS

With the Silverado, Chevy applied the classic muscle car formula- put the biggest engine possible into an easily operated vehicle. At 454 cubic inches (7.4 liter), its V8 was as big as it gets in a pickup and sent the Silverado from 0 to 60 in under eight seconds. That was Mustang ;speed for the time!

Diesel Trucks You Won't Want to Miss

You can call 2016 the year of the diesel truck. Diesels are making a comeback in a big way, and here are the models you will want to keep your eye on.

Chevy Colorado ; Silverado

2016 hails ;the release of Chevy's first mid-size diesel model, the Colorado. It holds a 2.8-liter inline four turbodiesel and 369 lb-ft of torque at just 2,000 rpm. The 2-wheel drive Colorado is capable of pulling 7,700 pounds. The diesel Silverado comes bigger with a 6.6-liter Duramax V8 pumping 397-hp and 765 lb-ft of torque. These diesel ;engines can get you as much as 20 mpg, compared to 11 or 12 from the gas fueled versions.

Ford F150 Super Duty

Ford is focused on its EcoBoost, turbocharged gasoline engines, but it does offer two diesel models in its F150 Super Duty line. One is a 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo-diesel with 800 lb-ft of torque and 400-hp. Early reports show drivers averaging 15-16 mpg with the diesel compared to 13 mpg with gasoline models.

RAM 1500 EcoDiesel

After a long hiatus, RAM is releasing a light-duty diesel pickup. The 1500 EcoDiesel will have a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 that offers 240-hp and 420 lb-ft of torque with ;towing capacity of 9,200 pounds and 1,620 payload. Chrysler promises "best-in-class" fuel efficiency from this model at 29 highway/21 city mpg, and it may beat the Nissan's V8 on that mark.

Nissan Titan

Nissan announced a turbodiesel Titan with a 5-liter V8, with reports of 310-hp and ;555 ;lb-ft torque. It pulled more than 5 tons in Arizona. ;We still await fuel economy figures, but Nissan claims 20% better mileage than "a gasoline-powered V8 towing full loads" which would put it at around 25 highway mpg. What the "towing full loads" qualifier means will be ;key. Something to look out for.

For Synthetic Oil in ;Shorewood

First Place Oils ;in Shorewood ;offers the full line of ;AMSOIL ;synthetic oils, filters, additives, and fluids you need to keep your diesel engine at peak performance. Call us at (815) 570-4645 ;or shop for yourself online. ;