2010 Dodge Ram HD – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s tough to sell a heavy-duty pickup truck without a diesel engine offering. Ford uses Navistar, General Motors has worked with Isuzu Motors and Chrysler has Cummins. Of all the automaker diesel offerings, Chrysler’s pact with Cummins has lasted the longest (since 1989), and word from Chrysler’s official blog is that the two companies will continue to play nicely together into the future. According to a new post on the website, Cummins and Chrysler have agreed to extend their cooperation on a multi-year basis.

Cummins currently builds the 350 horsepower, 650 pound-feet of torque 6.7-liter diesel, which is optional on the Ram 2500 and 3500 and standard on the Ram 4500 and 5500 commercial trucks. Chrysler brags that the very capable powertrain is the only big diesel in the US without a selective catalytic reduction system that requires the owner to add diesel exhaust fluid. The Cummins 6.7 has been able to pass 2010 EPA emissions standards since its 2007 introduction.

Very rarely does a Ferrari 250 GTO come up for sale, and if it does, you’ll probably never hear about it. Most sales are done behind closed doors, and the amount of said transactions are almost never disclosed to the public. That’s just part of the mystique behind the world’s most valuable car, and it’s partially why the cars are so coveted. Just 36 examples were built between 1962 and 1963, each still in existence and easily carrying an eight-figure price tag. A few years ago, a 250 GTO supposedly changed hands for nearly $30 million, but no one can completely confirm the rumor.

We will, however, have more details about the next sale of a 250 GTO. RM Auctions have announced that they will be doing a "private treaty sale" of 1963 250 GTO chassis #4675GT. The car has been in possession of its current Japanese owner, Yoshiho Matsuda, since 1996 (a low point for the value of the car compared to the high prices of the late 1980s), and it has an extensive racing history.

We saw the car at the Pebble Beach Concour d’Elegance back in 2004, and while its Series II bodywork isn’t quite as stunning as earlier models, it’s still an extraordinarily beautiful car. If you’ve got millions of dollars just sitting around, now is the time to break out the checkbook and buy your very own rolling piece of V12-powered Italian artwork. Hit the jump for the official press release from RM or click the high-res gallery below for a beautiful studio shot plus several of our photographs from our 2004 encounter with the car.

RM Auctions, the global leader in the collector car market with a specialization in the sale of Ferraris, is representing the 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO (chassis no. 4675 GT) – one of the most coveted cars in the world, for private treaty sale.

The present owner acquired 4675 GT in 1996, and has maintained it in his exceptional, world-renowned Japanese collection ever since. Most recently 4675 GT has participated in the ultra-private events reserved only for GTO owners, namely the 35th and 45th GTO Anniversary Tours in France and California.

Jaguar’s motorsports involvement dates back to its earliest days some 75 years ago. The 24 Hours of Le Mans has been part of that story since 1951 when a C-Type won the big enduro its very first time out. Jaguar is returning to the French classic this year with a factory entry for the first time since the Tom Walkinshaw built XJR-14 prototypes of the early 1990s.

This year, instead of seeking overall victory with a prototype, Jaguar is aiming for top honors in GT2 with a production-derived XKR built by Lansing, MI based Rocketsports Racing. The JaguarRSR XKR GT2 ran some practice laps at the Petit Le Mans last fall before its competition debut in the ALMS finale at Laguna Seca. RSR owner Paul Gentilozzi will share seat time with Scott Pruett and Marc Goossens in the 24 hour race. The XKR will also be running the full American Le Mans Series season this year starting at the 12 hours of Sebring next month.

JAGUAR RETURNS TO LE MANS

1990
Model: XJR-12
Race No.: 3
Drivers: John Nielsen, Price Cobb, Martin Brundle
Result: 1st
Notes (distance and average speeds rounded off to nearest whole figure): TWR Jaguar Sport entry; seventh Jaguar win; 359 laps, 3034 miles, 127 mph

New "Cool Cars" regulations adopted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) could put an end to the Jeep Wrangler soft-top sales in the Golden State thanks to standards so stringent that the popular 4×4 won’t be able to meet them. According to The Detroit News, CARB’s latest controversial initiative requires automakers to build cars and trucks with windows which prevent 45% of the sun’s energy from entering a vehicle by 2014, and 60% by 2016. To meet these provisions, vehicle manufacturers will have to utilize advanced window glazing containing microscopic specs of reflective metal oxide.

Coating vehicle glass with a metallic layer wreaks havoc on any vehicle electronic device relying on a clear "view" of the world outside. Garmin, a leading manufacturer of GPS devices, says satellite reception through coated glass will be degraded. In addition, cell phones, wireless laptop devices, garage door openers, and even ankle bracelets for parolees "may be adversely affected by the metallic reflective standard" as they all rely on signals passing cleanly through automotive glass.

For what it’s worth, Honda tried utilizing the same technology in Japan two decades ago, yet dropped it due to problems with radio wave devices. We are assured that the Jeep soft-top won’t have those problems simply because the technology cannot be applied to flexible plastic windows. Without an exemption for that model, Chrysler will only be allowed to sell hardtop Wrangler vehicles in California.

It looks like the top-shelf, one-off 550-hp engine upgrade for that new Iacocca Mustang is worth about $362,000, at least to one buyer. The fifth of just 45 2009 1/2 Iacocca 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustangs to be made crossed the block on Saturday at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Las Vegas with a winning bid of $320,000. After fees, the car’s final selling price was a whopping $352,000. That’s well above the $89,950 MSRP of the other 44 limited-edition, coachbuilt specials. We just wrote about the Iacocca ‘Stang and said that the car’s exclusive dealer, Galpin Motors of California, would offer engine upgrades for an undisclosed premium. We seriously doubt that the actual surcharge will come anywhere close to the premium secured on the Barrett-Jackson car.

So what made this particular Iacocca attractive enough to bring such a lofty price? Well, for one, it had that upgraded, supercharged 550-horsepower engine. Another reason this one sold for a price nearly four times higher than the base model was that it was sold at auction, with the bidders getting whipped into a typical Barrett-Jackson feeding frenzy. Finally, it was in Las Vegas, a city where fiscal responsibility takes a backseat to, well, pretty much everything. While we love the custom composite coachwork on this special fastback Mustang, and acknowledge that this one is unique with its supercharged engine, that price just seems completely insane. The Iacocca topped many impressive other rides that were up for grabs; follow the jump to read more results. Apparently, everything that happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas.

To put the Iacocca Mustang’s selling price in perspective, it surpassed all but an original 1965 Shelby Cobra 289 in this year’s auction. The Cobra brought a healthy $440,000, but the Iacocca price was just plain shocking. While the Cobra smoked the Iacocca for top sales price, the tribute Mustang still bested several other notable lots, including a pair of other Shelby specials — the 780-horsepower 1967 GT500 SE Super Snake continuation Mustang ($330,000) and an 800-horse 2007 GT500 Super Snake Prudhomme Edition ($302,500), 1 of 100 built.

Other top sellers included:

• "Bo’s General Lee," the 1969 Charger that John Schneider built for the Dukes of Hazzard reunion movie. That Charger was powered by 511 HEMI with 725hp and 610 ft/lbs of torque and sold for $258,500.
• The second full-production 2005 Ford GT off the assembly line brought $253,000.
• The 1967 Corvette Convertible owned by Bruce Willis sold for $165,000
• Ol’ Yaller VIII, a 1961 Jaguar built by Max Balchowsky brought $198,000
• An original Buick GNX scored $132,000 on the bidometer
• A genuine continuation 427 Cobra went for a song at $128,700
• And a faithful recreation of the 1966 Batmobile based on a 1974 Lincoln and its 460 cubic-inch engine hammered out at $126,500.

Magna International pulled a bold move when it declared its intention to buy Opel from General Motors, bridging the gap between component supplier and contract manufacturer on the one hand, to independent automaker on the other. In the process, Magna jeopardized its relationships with Germany’s largest automakers, including Volkswagen and BMW, who had been keen to do business with a supplier; less so with a direct competitor.

Daimler sees it another way, however. Not only will Magna continue building the legendary Gelandewagen for Mercedes-Benz at its facility in Graz, Austria, but Mercedes also announced that the contractor will make the aluminum body panels for the recently-unveiled SLS AMG supercar. For its part, Magna is satisfied to receive the business, naturally, while Mercedes and Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche says he sees no conflict of interest. Deliveries of the SLS are expected to begin next spring.

Imagine you’re a male (Autoblog surveys say most of you are, so this shouldn’t be hard). You’ve been invited to the Playboy Mansion for their annual Halloween party. You arrive, grab a flute of bubbly, get introduced to the crusty remains of Hugh Hefner and after a few minutes lay eyes on the most beautiful specimen of redheaded femininity the world has ever seen. You fight your knees from buckling, walk over and give it the ol’ college try. Miraculously, you hit it off. She’s entertaining, interesting and a joy to see and be seen with. One thing leads to another and you make your way upstairs into one of Heff’s exotically appointed love dens.

You’re ready to embark on one of the most pleasurable experiences of your life when… there’s no spark. No connection. No chemistry. You use every trick in the book to make things work, but to no avail. Despite her arsenal of attributes, this exquisite example of sensuality just doesn’t "do it" for you.

The 8C has been around long enough that you already know what matters. It’s stunning, perfectly proportioned and should only be available in one color: Competition Red. Beneath its achingly gorgeous carbon fiber exterior you’ll find the same platform that underpins the Maserati Gran Turismo, along with a dry-sump 4.7-liter V8 hand assembled by Ferrari. A six-speed sequential gearbox channels the bent eight’s 450 horsepower (at 7,000 RPM) and 354 pound-feet of torque (at 4,750 RPM) to a limited slip differential nestled between the rear wheels, delivering a claimed 0-60 MPH sprint of 4.2 seconds and a top speed over 180 MPH.

Open up the long, upkicked door and another side of the 8C’s character unfolds in front of you. The seats, which place your posterior a few inches from terra firma, belong in MOMA. They’re masterfully sculpted, assertively clinging to your back and legs, and coated in the finest cowhide old man Giuseppe can rustle up outside Modena.

The dash is another modern masterwork of minimalism, with a faultless blend of carbon fiber and aluminum adorning the center stack, tunnel, doors and steering wheel. Ah, but wait. Something’s amiss in the boot-shaped land. It would appear Alfa’s beancounters couldn’t stomach the cost of a carbon fiber dash, transmission tunnel and two door panels. They’re all fake, save the panel housing the start button, transmission modes and parking brake switch. But no matter. After you depress the cold aluminum "Engine Start" button to breathe life into the high-strung V8 ahead of you, the faux fiber is the least of your concerns.

A rousing burble rockets out the rear, followed by an electronically controlled blip before the 8C settles into a soothing, seductive idle. The world melts away as you grab the paddle shifter, engage first, let off of the brake and beginning slowly making your way onto the road.

The ride is on the rough side, as if Alfa’s engineers simply figured that Hard directly translates into Handling. But we’ve endured stiffly sprung rides before and the 8C is a proper exotic, so we want that sense of hardened agility with a wanton disregard for chiropractic costs.

But just as we start to stretch its legs across the rolling hills of the Napa Valley, it becomes abundantly clear that the while the 8C can make it through a workout, it doesn’t enjoy the exercise.

The steering wheel, which is a bit on the big side for a such a sporting ride, conveys every lump and divot into your palms, but fails to completely communicate the interaction between the tires and the tarmac. The overly taut suspension crashes along some of the more neglected sections of our drive loop, causing the 8C to skip significantly when speeds increase and corner forces test the aging underpinnings. And while the power delivery and lock, load and explode gear changes – particularly with Sport mode engaged – are enough to send your skull into the headrest, the visceral thrills aren’t a product of thrust – they come from manhandling the 8C into submission, keeping all four tires in constant contact with the road and avoiding tail-out, off-road excursions when trying to jump from apex to corner exit.

What we have here is a failure to communicate. And it never went away.

The more we pushed, the more it shoved. And after 20 miles of attempting to connect, all we were left with was a disconcerting air of apprehension. The only bright spot to be found were the brakes, which proved unflappable throughout our drive, providing consistent, fade-free pedal feel time after time. But even that lone light wasn’t enough to instill confidence at anything beyond six or seven tenths, begging the question: What happened?

Realizing that only 500 examples would find their way to obscenely wealthy collectors, did Fiat – Alfa’s parent company – simply rush the chassis and suspension development, trying desperately to keep costs in check, while focusing solely on appearance? Maybe. But for something so inexcusably attractive, you expect performance to be on par. And it simply isn’t. Making the Alfa Romeo 8C Competitizione the one redheaded supermodel we would kick out of bed.

Forget about more cowbell, for GM it’s all about more Chevy — at least, that’s the situation for Chevrolet’s new VP Brent Dewar. So far this year the Bowtie has posted more than 60% of GM’s North American volume, but Dewar wants that to get to 70%. "As Pontiac goes away, Saturn goes away," Dewar said, "Chevrolet has to step up. The 70 percent target is the right kind of number we need to work on."

The real perspective on that challenge is in the numbers: GM’s market share was 22.4 percent a year ago and is now 19.7 percent. However, while GM is out to increase overall market share it has half as many brands as it did last year: Pontiac and Saturn are dead, Saab and Hummer have found other homes.

For Dewar, the general (if slight) upward trend in sales, as well as the coming Cruze and the Volt, will help Chevy achieve that number. But beyond that we have no idea what he plans to use to breach the 70 percent figure, and we find it interesting that Chevy is trying to make up for more even with Cadillac’s and Buick’s imminent models. Nor is it clear how GM will maintain its overall numbers globally without Opel, but we look forward to finding out.

Talk (and at least one Photoshopped image) of a possible two-door based on Hyundai’s Sonata had Autoblog HQ abuzz – for a while, anyway. We never actually believed it was real, but that didn’t stop us from dreaming about another choice in the coupe market – a car that would slot neatly between Nissan’s Altima couple and Honda’s Accord. We checked with one of our favorite Hyundai insiders, who replied back that any talk of a Sonata coupe is sending us down the wrong path.

All is not lost in the spice patch of Hyundai’s garden, however. There’s the Genesis Coupe, but if your tastes are for a front-driver, you’ll have a short wait until the Veloster hits stores. While the rear-wheel drive Genesis Coupe is able to mix it up like a pony car, the Veloster has been described as "a little car you can take out and wring its neck and still get good mileage" according to Hyundai of America CEO John Krafcik. If we had to pick between a two-door Sonata or a neo-Honda CRX dubbed Veloster, we’d make the same choice that Hyundai has, especially since the coming four-door sedan is rakish enough.

Performance Icon. That two-word phrase is bandied about so often there’s hardly any meaning left in its 15 letters. After all, if a Porsche 911 is rightly referred to as a performance icon, can we call a Honda Civic Si the same? And are we talking any old 911/Civic Si, or just certain years and models? For instance, there is no doubt that the B13 Nissan Sentra SE-R, with its killer SR20DE engine, is a performance icon, but what about the current B17 Sentra SE-R? How about the Spec V? No way – the Versa has a better chassis.

We mention this problem with the Performance Icon label because Volkswagen described the all-new 2010 MkVI GTI to us as the "performance icon of the brand." As you may have noticed, Volkswagen’s been delving pretty deeply into its past for marketing purposes as of late. First they tried reintroducing the Rabbit name much to the chagrin of Golf fans nationwide, and now they have Max, the black 1964 Beetle telling you that VW is "Das Auto." On a smaller scale, it’s attempting to remind potential GTI buyers that the new model is both a direct descendant of and flag bearer for the original 1983 MkI GTI. Here comes the begged question: is it?

Looks-wise, almost. In this case it’s hard to argue with an icon, and let’s not forget that the original Golf (called Rabbit in the U.S.) was a Giugiaro design, perhaps his best ever (he also did the OG Scirocco, which we also like very much). That first GTI, with its big rectangular headlights and grille is, for all intents and purposes, a classic. It even managed to make giant Seventies-era bumpers look good. On the other hand, the new GTI is simply a good looking small car. And in a lot of ways, it owes its looks to the MkII GTI, not the MkI. But remember, the MkI is the performance icon, so that’s what VW’s trying to sell us.

Besides having red striping like the MkI, the front end of the new MkVI GTI accomplishes two very important tasks. The first is a big, "We’re sorry" from Volkswagen to America for not bringing over the new Scirocco. They want to, but they can’t. The other task accomplished by the GTI’s schnoz is saying auf Wiedersehen to VW’s gigantic goatee-like grilles, a seemingly never-ending trend introduced to the mainstream by none other than VW’s own Audi brand and now being carried out to silly extremes by Mazda and Lincoln, to name just a couple. Volkswagen had the good sense to realize that this particular cliché has finally jumped Billy the Big Mouth Bass. Also, the little chin spoiler is not only slimming but quite slickly integrated.

As far as the rest of the car is concerned, changes over the MkV GTI are subtle. Quickly, the cutline is deeper, the mirrors are tricker, the C-pillar has been slimmed down dramatically, the taillights are squished flatter and the rear end is fitted with twin-pipes (another trend that’s gotten out of control). From a driver’s perspective, the most important change is the increased greenhouse area. Again, since the introduction of the Chrysler 300C, almost every new car has been gaining metal and losing glass. Hopefully this trend has peaked with the new Chevrolet Camaro, a car you actually can’t see out of. We can’t tell you how refreshing it is to be able to see the road when you peer out the side windows. But the real changes happen both under the skin and inside it.

Starting with the interior, the GTI’s cabin is decidedly more upscale than the outgoing model. The materials are noticeably finer and the flat-bottomed steering wheel is worlds better. Even the air vents look great. In fact, the MkVI’s cabin is almost identical to the VW CC, minus the fancy CC-only pleated leather seats. But who wants leather when you can get VW’s sharp plaid cloth seats? We drove GTI’s equipped with both the cool-as-all-get-out cloth pattern and the optional leathers, and we have to advise you to save the money and go cloth. Not only are they more comfortable (and less sticky), but they weigh a little less. And you get those throwback Euro adjuster knobs. Tech geeks might be put off by the good-not-great nav-radio unit, but it’s totally passable. In the interest of truth we should point out that we had but a few hours with the car and were less interested in the radio and more interested in wringing the GTI out.

Now we get to what lies below – the real point of any GTI. There might be some consternation – if not outright groans – regarding the fact that the engine is unchanged from last year’s MkV GTI. One might be led to believe that in 2010, 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque from a 2.0-liter turbo four just isn’t enough gumption to keep up with the Subaru WRXs and Mazdaspeed3s of the world. After all, even the Chevy Cobalt SS comes with 260 hp. In one sense, you might be right. But, in a more factual sense, the MkVI has plenty of power.

There are couple of reasons why – the first being refinement. Introduced four years ago in the 2007 GTI, Volkswagen’s FSI (direct injection) 2.0-liter mill feels as smooth as 1,500 thread count sheets. There’s no perceivable lag, no shortcomings and the engine is ready and willing to rev all the way up to its 6,250 redline (remember – turbo engines don’t need lofty redlines to produce their power). Another reason why the carryover engine works so well is that the new GTI weighs less than the old one. Eighty-six pounds less to be exact, but less is less. True, over in Europe the MkVI sports an all-new engine, but it makes just 210 hp. Volkswagen didn’t feel the increased cost of a new mill would justify just ten ponies. We’ll go ahead and agree with ‘em.

So what’s new for 2010, then? The suspension for one, though not massively so. Stiffer springs have been attached to all four corners and the rear sway bar is two millimeters thicker. There’s been a bit of damper retuning, too. The dual exhausts allow the installation of an H-pipe, though you shouldn’t expect to hear anything from inside the car – the new GTI is spooky quiet. In fact, the only sound you hear is produced by a resonator box fed off the air intake, which is a little odd. The big news is the electronic limited-slip differential, or XDS in VW-speak. This "Cross Differential System" uses the GTI’s existing ABS and stability control program to limit front wheel slip in corners. Once again, Volkswagen cited cost concerns as the reason why they went with an electronic as opposed to a mechanical LSD.

So what’s it all add up to? Turns out that less weight, a sportier suspension and the XDS does make for a remarkable new GTI, one that you’d be hard pressed to confuse with the MkV. Volkswagen turned us loose on some of the finest driving roads exurban Atlanta has to offer (Wolf Pen Gap, for instance) and the GTI lived up to its task admirably. We’re typically fond of front-wheel drive hatches on tight and twisty mountain roads because in those situations rear-drive cars can be a handful. The GTI reconfirmed our bias, but with a little asterisk.

Because of the MkVI GTI’s new electronic limited slip, you can get on the power incredibly early when coming out of a corner. We’re talking pre-apex here. And this is fantastic, allowing you to attack turns the way you might in an all-wheel drive car. The XDS partnered with the revised suspension means you’re at full power more often than not, taking big speed into (and more importantly) out of bends faster than we were expecting given our impression of the outgoing GTI. However, and this is big, driving this way shortens the useful life of the brakes considerably when you push the GTI hard. Remember, electronic LSDs use ABS to stop the wheel from spinning so fade comes on fast.

Even when we would downshift into a turn and blast our way out, the car was still using its brakes, which provided an unwelcome surprise when suddenly we got on the brakes and the pedal (*gulp*) sunk almost to the floor. Be advised that we were really pushing the car, so much so that we arrived at our destination 40 minutes ahead of the next GTI. Could you fit better pads? Sure. Stouter brakes? Maybe, but doing so might foul up the XDS and then where would you be? Just think of the new GTI as a part-time performance ride instead of a track toy and you’ll do just fine.

Then there’s the new eternal argument, DSG versus plain old manual. A couple of facts we learned about GTI transmissions: Interestingly, unlike most cars sold in the U.S., a full 50% of GTI buyers opt for the manual (as opposed to the 90% slushbox rate in VW’s other offerings). The fast shifting dual-clutch unit weighs 22.4 pounds more than the manual. That might seem like nothing (in fact, other journalists laughed at our question once the answer was given), but remember that people pay big $$$ for a Porsche GT3 RS fitted with a lithium-ion battery that saves… 22 pounds.

While largely carried over from the old GTI, the DSG now features launch control, and it’s incredibly easy to use: Disengage the traction control. Flop the transmission over into Sport. Push the brake pedal in with your left foot. Floor the throttle with your right and watch as the tachometer climbs to 3,200 rpm. Then, simply dump the brake. You are treated to a bit of wheelspin and a slightly faster jaunt to 60 mph. It should be noted that you can get a whole bunch more wheelspin by dumping the clutch with the manual, though Volkswagen claims this way is slower.

So, which transmission to get? Call us Luddites if you must (Luddites!), but if your desire is a satisfying driver’s car, then there is no question that the six-speed manual is the box to get. It’s just more fun. Oh yes, we know that the DSG can change gears faster (VW claims 1/10 of a second) and all that, but it feels artificial. While there are dual-clutch transmissions that float our boat (hello, Nissan GT-R), in the case of the MkVI GTI, the manual transmission is the enthusiast’s way to go. Which is no doubt why Volkswagen sells so many row-your-own GTIs. It’s cheaper, too.

The 2010 Volkswagen GTI MkVI has a lot going for it. As far as hot hatches are concerned, none of the competition offers the same mix of refinement, sophistication and driving good times that the GTI does. The price – starting at $23,290 and hitting $29,030 with all the boxes checked – is right, too. Yes, you can get faster cars for the money. Slightly better handling ones, too. But then again, GTIs have never been about flat-out performance. They’re too civilized, too – dare we say –

nice

. In that regard, the 2010 GTI is a worthy successor to the original 1983 GTI, and we wouldn’t regret owning one. Besides, if big time power and performance are what you’re after, the upcoming Golf GTI-R/R20 is right around the corner. As it stands, the MkVI GTI is a practical albeit fancy little hatchback that’s up to the occasional back road burn.