Sun-loving off-roaders in the state of California can breathe a collective sigh of relief today as the California Air Resources Board has announced that soft-top versions of the Jeep Wrangler will be exempted from its proposed “Cool Car” regulations.

General Motors’ Pontiac brand is set to ride off into the sunset next year, but the “Driving Excitement” brand– and one of its most famous nameplates –could live on thanks to a well-known aftermarket tuner.

When most think of “green” states and automobiles, California typically sits on the top of that list. But Colorado apparently has plans to not only pass California in some regards, but to leap frog The Golden State completely.

The Mazda RX-8 was one of the first models to rejuvenate the rear-wheel drive sports coupe segments in 2003, but recent entrants like the Chevrolet Camaro and Hyundai Genesis Coupe have really cranked up the heat in the segment. As such, Mazda is readying a new version of the RX-8, but the next-gen car will be more evolutionary than revolutionary.

The United States Treasury Department has announced that Chrysler Financial will wind down its operation by the end of 2011. The former Chrysler financing arm has been struggling since Chrysler filed for bankruptcy on April 30.

Dedicated hybrid models like the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight have proven to be extremely popular over the last several years – particularly in the United States – but Nissan says it has no intentions of entering the hybrid-only segment.

Following its official launch at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show, Dodge has slapped a price tag on its lineup of 2010 Heavy Duty Ram models. Although the 2010 models promise to be even more capable than their outgoing counterparts, Dodge has managed a price cut on the new trucks.

In what is most likely meant to be a very visible display of Ford’s intentions to deliver on their promises to the UAW over recent contract concessions, several sources close to Ford confirm a future for the Kuga in the US.

Confirming earlier rumors, Land Rover managing director Phil Popham has revealed that the iconic off-road brand is readying a replacement for its venerable Defender model. The Land Rover Defender has soldiered on relative unchanged for the past 61 years.

Top-level executives at General Motors and Chrysler have enjoyed cushy paychecks for the better part of six decades, but that practice will likely come to an end in 2010 as the United States government looks to slash executive compensation at publically funded institutions.

In light of a recent tragedy in which an off-duty CHP officer and three members of his family were killed, many have raised questions about what the true cause may have been.

Despite its historically close ties with Volkswagen, Porsche has – for the most part – largely carried on as an independent company. However, with VW set to take a 49.9 percent stake in Porsche, the German sports car maker with have to alter its operations, including wider platform sharing.

When it was first announced, the purists howled in disbelief. The critics, they scoffed like they’ve never scoffed before. Porsche was a builder of sports cars, they growled and snarled!

Porsche should be used to this by now.

Our spy photographers have caught a 2011 GMC Sierra Heavy Duty pickup out and about, with only a few pieces of tape covering the badges. The 2011 GMC Sierra Heavy Duty — along with its Chevrolet Silverado counterpart — are expected to bow during the second half of 2010.

A new focus on quality and design has allowed Hyundai to make some significant moves up the sales charts, with the Korean automaker now setting its focus on improving overall fuel economy. Hyundai currently ranks third in fleet-wide fuel economy, but is eyeing the coveted top spot.

Hyundai’s “Hyundai Assurance Program” has proven to be a smash success — allowing for customers to return a car if the suddenly lose their income — prompting the Korean automaker to consider an extension of the program. Following Hyundai’s launch of the Assurance Program, automakers such as General Motors and Ford launched variations of their own.

Subaru’s version of the FT-86 sports coupe may be lagging behind its Toyota counterpart in the development process, but a new report indicates the Subie version will be well worth the wait. In addition to a standard Subaru model, the Japanese automaker is said to be working on a high-performance variant.

The CR-Z will represent Honda’s first foray into the realm of sporty green cars, but the Japanese automaker is considering moving forward with an all-out eco friendly sports car. A thinly veiled production version of the CR-Z is currently on display at the Tokyo Motor Show.

With the worst of the economic downturn likely behind us, the United States auto market is expected to climb as high as 11.8 million units next year, a new study finds. If that prediction holds true, it would mark the first year-on-year sales increase since 2005.

The global auto market has yet to fully recover from the crash of 2008, but Nissan is ready to call its turnaround plan “mission accomplished”. Nissan revealed on Wednesday that it will soon disband a special task force put together to curtail financial losses.