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Ram truck gets new V6, eight-speed transmission

The Ram pickup scheduled to be introduced in April will offer both the Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 and an eight-speed transmission, according to a Chrysler Group filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The voluntary annual filing--which appeared Tuesday on the automaker's corporate Web site, chryslergroupllc.com--laid out many new features of the upcoming version of the automaker's top-selling vehicle. The new eight-speed transmission "reduces fuel consumption by up to 12 percent over our current five-speed transmissions," such as the one now in the Ram, the filing said.

2013 Mini Cooper Countryman offers seating for five

The 2013 Mini Cooper Countryman is officially for sale, at a cost of $22,700 including $700 in destination charges. The Mini Cooper Countryman will be available with any of Mini’s three engine options for 2013. The base model will get the 1.6-liter making 121 hp and 114 lb-ft of torque, while the Countryman S will get a turbocharged version making 181 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque.

Consumer Electronics Show: Rockin' the Electron in Las Vegas

The average passenger car sold in the United States has about 100 cubic feet of interior volume. That's a lot of room for electrons. At this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, there will be almost no end of new things to do with those electrons, from entertaining occupants to informing them, and many of those new things will be aimed at the automotive market.