After several rumors and reports, Chrysler has now confirmed that the Dodge Ram will be spun off into its own brand with the appointment of two individuals. Fred Diaz Jr., formerly Director of the Denver Business Center, will now head up the RAM brand, while Ralph Gilles will take over at the helm of the car brand. Gilles will also continue to run the product design department at Chrysler Group.

“The brand-focused strategy has been refined further with the unbundling of the Dodge Brand which now consists of the Dodge RAM Brand and the Dodge Car Brand organizations,” said Chrysler and Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne. “This reorganization will allow us to protect and develop the unique nature of the product offerings within the Dodge Brand.”

Within this new corporate structure, Marchionne also appointed a new Chrysler brand CEO; Olivier Francois, who comes from Fiat’s Lancia Brand and will continue in his position there as well.

Official release after the jump:

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At the annual International Association of Chiefs of Police convention being held in Denver, Colorado, General Motors unveiled an all-new police cruiser, resurrecting the Chevrolet Caprice name. The General was rumored to be working on a police cruiser based on the Australian Holden Commodore (formerly rebadged and sold as the Pontiac G8 in North America). This is not that car.

Due to the need for more passenger and cargo room, this new vehicle, called the Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV) is based on a different (and larger Australian car) sold as the Holden Caprice/Statesman in its native land. The same rear-drive architecture is also used for the Chevy Camaro.

The car is large, with more interior space than a Ford Crown Vic and almost 4-inches more legroom in the rear seats – so you’ll be in for a comfortable ride after your botched attempt to rob the 7/11. There’s also more room up front and special seats were designed to keep officers comfortable over long periods of time. Because the Caprice isn’t based on any current road going vehicle in North America, the vehicle was purpose built with plenty of input from law enforcement agencies. They even went so far as to use materials that will hold up better to more rigorous use.

Best of all, the car will come with a 6.0-liter V8 rated at 355hp and 384 ft-bs of torque. So watch out street racers, because this new cruiser can hit 60 mph in less than six seconds. A V6 engine will also be offered in the future.

“The new Chevrolet Caprice police car is the right tool at the right time for law enforcement,” said Jim Campbell, general manager for GM Fleet and Commercial Operations. “We asked for a lot of feedback from our police customers, which helped us develop a vehicle that is superior to the Crown Victoria in key areas.”

GM will begin selling the Chevrolet Caprice PPV in 2011, exclusively to law enforcement agencies.

GALLERY: Chevrolet Caprice PPV

Official release after the jump:

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Japanese auto manufacturers consider Korea’s Hyundai to be their biggest threat, according to a report by The Associated Press.

As automakers around the world struggle to survive the weakened economy and up-and-coming Chinese companies seek to make a name for themselves, Hyundai has emerged as a major player.

“Hyundai is awesome,” Honda Motor Co. chief executive Takanobu Ito told The Associated Press. “They are undoubtedly a threat because their products are cheap, and the quality is improving.”

Shiro Nakamura, senior vice-president of Nissan Motor Co., agrees, calling Hyundai “the biggest threat for the Japanese automakers.”

Hyundai, with help from its subsidiary Kia, is the fifth-largest automotive group in the world, recently climbing to take 5% of the global market share despite the poor economy. Even worse news for Honda and Nissan, the Korean manufacturer is number two in Japanese sales, behind only Toyota.

In the U.S., Hyundai has been very strong, being the only manufacturer to have better sales (up 27%) in September 2009 than in the same month last year.

[Source: The Associated Press]

A special pre-production Hurst-modified Camaro will be put to auction ahead of the car’s official unveiling at the 2009 SEMA Show. Proceeds from the car’s sale will benefit the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Hurst is also expected to announce a new performance series of Camaros (a first for Hurst) at the SEMA Show.

General Motors donated the one-off car to support the fund which helps students pursue a future in the automotive aftermarket industry.

“We are thrilled to be able to support the SEMA Scholarship Fund by contributing this very special Camaro,” said Bob Kern, General Motors SEMA Relations Manager. “GM is very committed to growing this industry and we are certainly dedicated to be part of a program that helps enrich the lives of so many young, aspiring automotive scholars.”

The Brilliant Black Camaro with silver and red striping is equipped with 20-inch polished forged aluminum wheels, a rear deck spoiler, Eibach suspension, a Magnaflow exhaust system and Hurst Competition Plus short-throw shifter with a red anodized Hard-Drive Billet pistol grip handle. Other touches include metal exterior badges, a Hurst/Camaro dash plaque and logos embroidered floor mats. And to guarantee the car’s uniqueness, the Hurst executive team has signed the trunk lid.

“This is hands-down the coolest Hurst Camaro ever…in fact, it’s the first one!” said Hurst Performance CEO and 25 year SEMA Scholarship Committee member, Chris Phillips. “At Hurst Performance, we are committed making a difference with our cars and that includes helping young people get started in their careers in this industry. We are honored to join SEMA and GM in donating this car to this very worthy cause.”

The car will be auctioned on eBay Motors two weeks before the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where it will be on display from Nov. 3rd to 6th.

Official release after the jump:

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After much anticipation Volkswagen has finally released the fuel-economy numbers for the 2010 Golf TDI, with the DSG equipped model achieving a rating of 31/42 mg (city/highway). Manual transmission TDI models are rated at 30/41 mpg. As for the standard gasoline-powered Golf with the 2.5-liter engine, it is rated at 22/30 mpg.

The Golf starts at $17,490, while the TDI is priced from $21,990. The price increase for the TDI is based on VW’s decision to take it slightly more up-market, by equipping it with standard features like a stiffer and lower suspension and a touch screen audio system (like in the new 2010 GTI.. reviewed here). DSG models will get steering wheel mounted paddle shifters and expect to pay an $1,100 premium for VW’s advances DSG automatic transmission.

GALLERY: 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI

In a recent interview with the U.K.’s CAR magazine, Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa spilled some details on the exotic Italian automaker’s future product plans, including a hint that the replacement for the 612 Scaglietti will arrive in 2012. Unfortunately for Ferrari, the replacement comes about 8 years too late. (Yup, do the math, the 612 first launched in 2004).

Also due out in 2012 is a successor to the Enzo. Don’t expect a hybrid powerplant or any other green-technology breakthroughs, however, as Felisa says a hybrid Ferrari is at least four years away from being on the road. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a twin-turbo motor out back, much like in the iconic F40.

As for the 599, it’s still a relative baby, so don’t look for a replacement until 2015.

Being from the U.K. the folks at CAR also couldn’t resist asking Ferrari about the upcoming McLaren MP4-12C. “We like the challenge,” said Feilisa. “It is important to have the competition. But we are not worried about it.” Ferrari might just want to be, however, as the new McLaren promises a lower curb weight and more power.

[Source: Car]

How’s this for a school assignment: take a 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, construct a twin-turbocharger system to make it pump out 500hp and present your work at SEMA.

That’s the task facing students at John Hennessey’s Tuner School.

Best known for his work with Dodge Vipers, Hennessey has assigned students at the State of Texas-accredited academy with the task of tuning the 3.8L V6 Genesis Coupe.

Students from the previous class got their hands on the Coupe first. Starting with a baseline 253hp on the dyno, the students constructed cold air induction and cat-back exhaust systems and mixed it a bit of nitrous. The end result, as you can see in the following video, was a jump to 380hp at the rear wheel.

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With that class graduating, the current cohort has been asked to push the Genesis Coupe even further. The plan is to construct a twin-turbocharger system with a pair of GT30R turbos with the goal of topping 500hp.

The project Coupe will also be fitted with new wheels, gauges and aftermarket seats to make it presentable at the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, starting November 3rd.

[Source: Edmunds]

Along with three xB Tuner Challenge Cars, Scion will be bringing a trio of additional custom creations to the 2009 SEMA Show. The three cars include a tC, xB and xD, created by Cartel Customs, Five Axis Design and 0-60 Magazine.

First up is the Cartel Customs tC,which promises to follow in the tread patterns of the open-top 2007 Ruthless Cartel xD and 2008 Drag Cartel Rockstar xB. Cartel Customs (aka Drag Cartel) owner Jeremy Lookofsky says the tC will complete his company’s Cartel Open Air Collection.

Next up is Troy Sumitomo and his Five Axis crew, which aim to recreate the xB DJ with this second generation of the Scion box. The last xB DJ used a first generation with speakers and a DJ booth that emerged from the back of the car. We’ll have to wait for SEMA to see what Five Axis has in store for 2009.

Completing the trio is an xD by 0-60 Magazine, which built a Lexus IS-F for SEMA in 2008. Working with Sparco, this xD will get a rally car makeover that is sure to impress.

We’ll be sure to bring you photos of all three cars with our live coverage of the 2009 SEMA Show staring November 3rd.

See AutoGuide’s live SEMA Coverage here!

GALLERY: SEMA Show 2009 Scion Cars

[Source: HelloScion]

At this year’s SEMA Show Scion will once again be showcasing the creative energies of three companies in its Tuner Car Challenge. Like last year, the Scion xB is the canvas of choice, for the tuners, artists and marketing experts to express themselves.

This year, the list of those involved includes Bowls LA (an upscale lifestyle boutique), Peter Colello and Mummbles Marketing, and Eneri Abillar with Leigh Guarnieri from BRS Autodesign.

Each team was given the keys to a new Scion xB, with the winner being awarded $10,000 at the SEMA Show.

First up is the Bowls entry, which takes cues from the Japanese El Camino - a 1970 Toyota Crown pickup. It is intended to give a feeling of 1970s California and will come with a matching bike in the back.

The Mummbles Marketing car is a more conventional tuner car with a widebody kit, carbon fiber components, a turbo kit and.. of course… a big stereo kit. Collelo has already produced several show cars including a 2002 Toyota Celica GT, a 2001 Ford Focus ZTS and helped with a Scion xA for the 2006 Tuner Challenge.

The third entry is the bright orange xB from Eneri Abillar. He didn’t give any hints on what the finished product will be like (other than the rendering) but we might be able to take some cues from his career as a designer who merges street culture and high style.

All three cars will be on display at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV from Tuesday November 3rd to Friday November 6th.

GALLERY: 2009 Scion xB Tuner Challenge

[Source: HelloScion]

At a news conference in Tokyo, Toyota’s new President Akio Toyoda, said that Japan’s largest automaker has now slipped into the fourth (out of five) stages of corporate decline. Citing author Jim Collins’ How the Mighty Fall, Toyoda regretfully announced that Toyota had entered the stage called “grasping for salvation.” The previous three stages are titled 1) hubris born of success, 2) undisciplined pursuit of more and 3) denial of risk and peril.

The fifth stage is a frightful once, which Collins refers to as “capitulation to irrelevance or death.”

The news comes as Toyota’s sales continue to slump in the U.S., worldwide sales are expected to hit just 7.3 million for the year (down from 8.97 million in 2008) and just days after the automaker announced the largest recall in its history. Earlier this week Toyota announced the recall of 3.8 million vehicles due to a floor mats which could come loose, causing the accelerator to stick. While still under investigation, the problem is suspected of causing an accident that killed four people.

“Customers who chose Toyota and Lexus cars because those brands are safe and secure are now beset with anxiety,” said Toyoda, the grandson of the company’s founder. “I regret and apologize for this development.”

Speaking about the broader company, Toyoda said that the automaker has, “become too big and distant from its customers.” In recent months Toyoda has made clear he wants the company to return to its roots of building affordable quality cars using a process of slow improvements.

Toyoda, known to be an automotive enthusiast, has also proclaimed that the company needs to make halo cars that people want to buy. These include a potential new entry-level sports car as well as the flagship Lexus LF-A – which Toyoda himself has raced in the grueling Nürburgring 24 hour race.

Toyoda also cited the poor exchange rate fro the Yen to the U.S. dollar for hindering the company’s return to profitability.

[Source: Automotive News]