NPC: HUGE new truck

[Alfred1]

Monster truck goes to market

Mon Sep 13, 9:28 AM ET Add Business - USATODAY.com to My Yahoo!

By James R. Healey, USA TODAY

International, the heavy-truck company, thinks buyers are pining for even bigger trucks than today's hefty sport-utility vehicles and full-size pickups, and this week it begins marketing the world's largest production pickup.

Called CXT, for commercial extreme truck, it dwarfs the beefy Hummer H2 sport-utility pickup and even could call the hulking H1 military version "junior."


The CXT is 2 feet taller, 4½ feet longer, twice as heavy and totes more than five times the cargo weight of H2. "You can put the Hummer in back and take it with you," quips Nick Matich, vice president at International Truck and Engine.


It's also about twice the price of H2, about the same as H1. It starts at $93,000, runs $105,000 typically equipped and tops out at $115,000 with DVD player, leather upholstery, tilting dump box and rear-view camera.


Matich is planning only a few dozen - perhaps 60 - this year, but could gear up International's factory at Garland, Texas, to build thousands if CXT becomes the next "in" ride among those who think a Hummer's just not enough.


"People who got all excited about Hummer could be ready to move on to the next big thing," says Dan Gorrell at auto consultant Strategic Vision. "If it's got some style, panache, then there's probably a small market out there for it. It never ceases to amaze me what people want in the 'big' department."


The truck began as a "what-if" concept last year. International dealers quickly asked for production and have bought the first couple of dozen as rolling ads for their truck dealerships. Now International plans to pitch the rigs to consumers, mainly people with businesses who want their vehicles to make a statement. And to folks who just want more.


"You think about the people who haul big horse trailers, big boats, all that sort of thing. They have big egos, and you can see where that goes," Matich says. "I'll have a camouflage version next year. Hunting and fishing lodges should snap that up."


Matich says two CXTs will be at the Emmy awards pre-party next weekend. He figures the outrageous truck is as much image-enhancer for International as for-profit product.


Development was relatively cheap because the expensive hardware already is in production, used for International dump trucks, snow plows, concrete mixers and the like. The pickup box is a modified Ford unit. CXT has a commercial-duty diesel engine good for six to 10 miles per gallon of fuel; air brakes like you'd find on a semitractor; an Allison automatic transmission for severe duty; and all-wheel drive is standard.

[SteveStromberg]

Park that thing on my street and the Cops would tow it away.

No Vehicals over 6000 GVW allowed on residental Streets in Calif.

[BigD9146gt]

Steve, thats an interesting statement... what about garbage trucks, tow trucks, moving trucks, etc. Are all of those exluded?

[Alfred1]

International Truck and Engine Corp. is producing what it calls the world's biggest production pickup, a 14,500-pound monster capable of towing 20 tons. The 5-passenger CXT is nine feet tall, eight feet wide, 21 1/2 feet long and gets about seven miles on a gallon of diesel. The truck is manfactured in Garland, Texas.

[Biggy72]

my thought was why not buy a semi and put a bed on it? Could probably get one cheaper, and get pretty close to the same mileage and it would be just as nice(for a used one). Just seems stupid in general to me, but so does the hummer, and alot of other really big suvs and stuff.

[HMeeder]

Over a year ago a neighbor of mine bought this GMC 6500. It has a Caterpillar drive train, saddle tanks and a standard bed. It seems adequate for camping!

[campbellcj]

I can possibly see getting one of these if you are regularly hauling a large trailer load, i.e. a 2-3 car enclosed, multi-horse carrier, earth-moving machines, or whatnot.

Otherwise it is just plain silly and IMHO buyers should be restricted from buying these for regular street duty. I am anti big-government in general but having these friggen monsters -- with their oftentimes crappy untrained drivers -- sucking up our petro fuel and endangering us every day as we commute to work, truly gets on my nerves.

[Biggy72]

one of my buddies said they made top kicks like that, but I hadn't ever even heard of one, but I guess he's not full of it because you've got a pic of one.

[Alfred1]

What is a GMC 6500 normally used for? I don't think I've ever seen one on the road.

[Biggy72]

they're normally like big flat bed trucks used for anything from hauling lumber, to hauling sileage around here. Just a big utility truck really. But most don't have beds.

[HMeeder]

Here's GMC's webpage for some of the different configurations you can get of the 2005 Topkick C6500 medium duty truck. Most are purchased by body manufacturers who specify a cab configuration, drive train and chassis length. They then slap a body or bed on it and sell it through a dealer. Most are customized by purchaser order for a specific duty.

http://www.gmc.com/gmcjsp/mediumduty/topkick/gallery.jsp?vehicle=C6500&brand=mediumduty&pageName=specs_exterior&commercialBrand=topkick