Found this interesting, anyone got any info? Caterpillar will unveil the first model in its line of Cat vocational trucks, the Cat CT660, at CONEXPO on March 22, 2011. The Class 8 trucks will be sold and serviced exclusively through the Cat North American Dealer network, with production beginning after CONEXPO for customer delivery later in the year. The trucks are being developed with Navistar International. Caterpillar says the trucks will focus on a large variety of job applications – from moving rock and hauling trash to logging and pouring concrete. Before Caterpillar engineers started designing, the company asked vocational truck owners and drivers what they wanted and needed from their trucks. "Our design and manufacturing has been focused squarely on making the customer input we gathered a reality," said George Taylor, director and general manager of the Cat Global On-Highway Department. Taylor added, "We coupled customer input with our knowledge learned from years of experience working closely with different industries to meet their heavy equipment needs to identify the ideal standard options for various industry applications." Caterpillar will offer the heavy-duty Cat vocational day cab trucks with a full range of engine ratings and torque capability options. The company says the specs include a Cat CT11 engine with ratings from 330bhp to 390 bhp, a Cat CT13 with ratings from 410 hp to 475 hp and, coming in 2012, a Cat CT15 with ratings from 435 hp to 550 hp. The Cat CX31 torque converter style automatic transmission, with three standard locations for Rear Power Take Off drive positions, will be an option for Cat vocational trucks. Caterpillar also offers a line of other OEM vocational transmission options, including Eaton manual and automated manual transmissions. First photo is the CT610 Second photo is the CT630 Last photo is the new "vocational" CT660
I saw a rendering from Cat of the new trucks about a year ago, they looked a little more impressive. To me these look like simply rebadged Internationals....we'll see what happens. Thanks for the pics/info DH.
Cat needs to stick with what they do best....... construction equipment. They decided some years back and openly said " we are getting into the ag equipment business and intend to bury Deere". All went fine for a few years until Cat decided Deere was not so easy to kill and the small market share was not worth the effort and sold to AGCO.There are still Cat dealers selling ag equipment but my experience is they hate the ag line and could care less. A lot of companys looking for market share in the vocational truck market and I dont see a rebadged International a big seller just cause it has a Cat emblem. Once they tire of being in the truck business these things will be collectors items.
That looks like a great truck.:thumbsup Kyle
Not a very "Heavy Duty" look!
Yeah the CT660 is the construction model, it better be 10 times stronger looking than these trucks. These two are built for day cab freight use. The CT660 is suppose to be the vocational platform for mixers, dump trucks, end dumps, side dumps, log truck, etc. I can tell you one thing, if it has a plastic front bumper, count me out. Kenworth and Peterbilt (and mack:Banghead)have such a stronghold on the construction market (in my area at least), that it will take a bulletproof truck to break into the market (or one with a much better price). I wish them luck and am really hoping to see them do well.
put a sleeper on them and walmart will buy everyone comming off the line....
Yeah i was suprized that this offering from CAT was going to be day-cab ONLY. Maybe just the vocational one will stay daycab only and they will start offering sleepers on the other two if there is demand.
I've read that these will be built and sold in Aus, through "select" Cat dealers. Has anything/anyone said they would be sold in NA?
Looks like CAT will be selling them at CAT dealers. I confused about the engines it says navistar engines in one place then later says CAT engines. http://www.caterpillar.com/cda/file...Vocational+Truck+at+CONEXPO+in+March+2011.pdf http://www.constructionequipment.com/article/caterpillar-ct660-heavy-truck
Considering it says CT11 and CT13 and Navistar make a 11L, 13L and soon a 15L i'd say that Cat is out of the on-highway engine business.
Yeah i was told they were going to be built in Laverton, Victoria.
:BangheadI am not sure if going through the existing dealer network is a good idea. Cat saw what happened with the ag line and existing dealers. They didn't want it, didn't want to chase the ag market and we all saw what happened. Ziegler probably did a better job that anyone else in the country with the ag line. Now they want them to sell trucks? Don't think so.
Here is some information on the Cat trucks in Australia. They have been seen on the roads being trialled. http://www.truckworld.com.au/absolu...-Australia-News.aspx?articleid=2297&zoneid=68 RnR.
I had read the engine hardware is IH with Cat electronics. Currently IH is the only manufacturer using EGR in place of SCR meaning there is no need for urea, the catalyst fluid used in SCR systems. I don't know if this carries over to the Cat finished engine or not.
There is nothing to say anywhere that SCR is being used Steve, so I can only assume they are using EGR, in the specs it does have a catalytic muffler. Here are the specs on the CT610 truck being manufactured in Australia and some photos of them that were taken at the Cat dealer in Adelaide, courtesy of Mr. TRUCKPIX on flickr. http://australia.cat.com/cda/files/2446764/7/single_page_CT610.pdf http://www.flickr.com/photos/truckpix/5206409444/in/photostream/ Just scroll to older pics. RnR.
I read this weekend as from 2013 they will be made in China.also in same article they copy Scaina and call it a J.A.C. the article said they were very poorly made. They produce about 1 every 10 mins
its a cat block with navistar electronics and fuel on it. im impressed you call it ih.
Seems to me cat should have paid attention between navistars partnership with ford and the fact that they couldn't get anything right with their engines.
The CT15 is a modified version of the CAT C15. it has the same block, gear train, heck it still has the CAT peanut cover on the front like the old C15's and the 3406E. The fuel system is a joint between CAT and IH. The CT15 has similar MUI injectors like the EPA 07 engines in the fact that the adjust for wear, but are still mechanically fired from an overhead cam and rocker. CAT and IH have been sharing fuel systems for a while. Ever heard of a HEUI fuel system on a 7.3L or a 6.0L IH? That fuel system was originally from cat, it was ran on the 3116 Heui and later the 3126A,B,E, and the pre 07 emission C7. This is far from the first venture between CAT and IH.
Cat unveiled the truck this morning. Here's our report: http://www.constructionequipment.com/article/cat-ct660-heavy-truck
Whats special about it, the cat emblem. Its still a truck, doesnt mater about the emblem on it, it still has tires to wear out,bearings to wear, a dump body to wear out and a bunch of plastic in the interior that will crack up in 5 years. There gona be an overpriced CAT truck that there saying will make you money over time but not telling you thats its like any other truck thats gona cost the same to maintain. Dont see where its gona make me more money at 80per hour and 4.00 per gallon of fuel. Ill stick to my pete, at least it looks good and i now what i got!
Now that is one bad ass truck!!
So is this truck available only in the push-button automatic allison transmission? or is there going to be a manual option as well?
There is a manual option-I believe it's an Eaton manual.