Laramie Prospector - does that mean you dig holes in the ground and can't get out each time you go wheeling? Laramie Western Sky - Ram box with built in sun roof?
LOL

How about a limited edition DaimlerBenz Ram or Fiat Edition Ram?

Doesn't it make more sense that one Laramie trim would be for the Ram and the other for the Dakota?

I would think it would be Prospector Ram and Western Sky Dakota, or maybe Western Sky Ram and Prospector Dakota. I mean, they gotta get the Dakota off the lots somehow.

@The Luigiian: I like your thinking.

I suspect they are taking a page out of Ford's playbook. The XLT Lariat used to be the premium package, now Ford tops it with the King Ranch, Platinum, and Harley trim packages.
Even Toyota is copying Ford with a Platinum trim level.
There are guys out there willing to pay big bucks for a unique truck. If there is a huge interest in these trucks Ram would be wise to expand the production runs of these LTD trucks. Ram needs to come up with some innovative products to boost sales. Ram needs to aggressively counter the fact that they were outsold by a company that doesn't even make a HD pickup.

Maybe tying to cash in on Ford idea with a Bass Pro Shop edition, riveling the Cabela's edition.

Dodge always had special limited edition trucks,they had many more during these years but here are a few : 40's Power Wagon the 50's the Sweptside,the 60's CSS ,70's Lil Red,80's Conv Dakota,90's SST,00's Ram SRT..So I think a new limited edition is about due last time,was in '06 with the Night Runner on the SRT and Sport models,05 had the return of the Power Wagon,limited editions of Rumble Bee 04-05,Daytona and SRT..I hope a new SRT -10 Ram will come out !!!

Come out with a Ram 1500 Diesel and I'll buy my first Ram !

How about a special edition called... RAM – Fiat1.

Owner: I just bought a RAM truck.

Friend: What model?

Owner: It's the Fiat1 Special Edition

Friend: What kind of special options does it have?

Owner: It uses the metric system and the owners manual is in French.

Friend: Eeek! Good luck with that! (Laughing)

Ok...as you can see...IMHO...the name change from Dodge to RAM is ridiculous. One of the many...many...wrong decisions and directions for that company.

They need to come out with a Glock edition and have the whole truck covered in tenifer.

biz4two: I know it's a joke but you do realize that Fiat is Italian not French right?

Maybe they should be thinking more sensibly and create a "RAM Miser" edition.A worked over V6 engine with increased torque and 25 mpg.Now that would be an eye opener.

Go RAM GO. Nicest looking Heavy Duty pick-up i've ever seen. Western Sky sounds great. Ram sales will go up even without special editions with their best in class interior and awesome Cummins with no Urea Fluid.

@ Paul: They are planning to use Pentastar V6 by 2012. I am hoping it has similiar power numbers as outgoing 4.7L V8.

Western Sky - may be a deep dark brown leather combination, like a belgian draught horse with suede inserts on the door panels.
Laramie Prospector - True Black and/distressed leather with gun metal finish trim, throw in a little dynamite stick red, similar to the viper. Suede inserts on the door panels, black dash. 10in nav screen. light duty diesel - by cummins, geez DOE likes the engine too.
Add light weight sound proofing foam. 6 or 7 speed tranny.
Pretty funny, I think, dreaming of things for an already impressive truck. Have to keep on keepin' on, though.

Lou,
If you're talking about Toyota sales, the Tundra didn't even sell 80,000 units for the YEAR.

@biz4two, Shows how much you know about Fiat, they are Italian not French. Wait till Fiat builds a small diesel for sale in North America and it will wipe your smile off your face as they build excellent diesel engines. Ram name has been around for more than 20 years on their trucks and iss a great name after all a Ram is the most sure footed and capable mountain climbing animal around. And furthermore it is only you self centered american yankees that don't use the metric system, here in Canada and the rest of the world the metric system has been used for decades. Yankee's are just that far behind the times and not smart enouph to figure out the metric system, except for American scientists and engineers who all use the better metric system. Funny you make fun of a company that you obviously know nothing about. Course you probably drive a Ford too.

@joe - if you lool at the total 2009 sales post Toyota (Tundra + Tacoma) outsold Ram (1500 + HD + Dakota)
Here is an exerpt:•Toyota pickups (Tacoma and Tundra) outsold Chrysler pickups (Ram and Dakota) 191,209 units to 187,958 units in full year sales
Ram/Fiat needs to get their act together as they were outsold by Toyota. Guys will argue that full size pickups are what counts but you then must consider the fact that Toyota does not make a HD pickup.

@ LOU, who cares how many Light duty so called trucks toyota sold. They are all destined to prematurly fall apart if used to perform work like tasks. RAM HD can tow two of these trucks on a flatbed without a whimper while a Tundra could not even tow one Ram truck Legally or efficiantly. Besides this post isn't about Toyota crap, its about the great ideas Ram has in future special edition trucks. I hope GM will follow suit and get away from their mundane SLT or LTZ High end Names. If you were to go and look at the new Ram HD trucks inside and out you will see that they have come leaps and bounds lately in quality materials and design. As a GM fan i am really jealous of the new interior of the RAM Laramie models and the best looking of all exterior trucks on the market today. When I'm tired of my ultra reliable Duramax i will be getting the new Ram HD for sure (special edition or not). Cummins with no Urea will also help Ram sales,that is for certain.

@Kevin - If you are in the market for a HD pickup then I would agree with you, but companies sell more light duty trucks than heavy duty, and overall sales are an indicator of how well a company is doing. Ram has the best diesel engine of any pickup, and the best looking 1500 and heavy duty pickup of any company, but they were outsold by a Japanese company that many truck guys hate, and has a no heavy duty truck, has a 1/2 ton with a weak rust prone frame, acceleration problems, and many guys think is butt ugly? Your post proves my point in relation to Toyota. Ram/Chrysler/Dodge/Fiat is in big trouble. They need to come up with products that are going to sell, and make them money.

@Kevin - one more comment - if you removed Dakota and HD Ram from the picture and Tacoma from the picture the sales figures would be close. Sept 2009 RL Polk registrations put Ram 1500 at 113,000 and Tundra at 105,394. That is only 7606 units apart. If you look at 2009 Tacoma vs Dakota sales - it's a hugh gap. Tacoma 111,824 vs Dakota 10,690.
Like I said"Ram/Chrysler/Dodge/Fiat is in big trouble". You may chose to shoot the messenger, but that still does not change the message!

@ Lou, well since this is a truck site i would say that at least the Ram division has come out with a great truck(1500 and heavy duty) and will definatly help in that segmment. As far as their cars and Dakota i hope Fiat can get them on their feet soon,not much of a car or small truck fan so i don't know what to suggest. Ram truck sales are sure to grow now with their new model. Fiat maybe should put one of their good diedel engines in a compact car but with our stringent emission standards it is hard to build cost effective diesel cars for north america. all the best to Fiat ,GM and ford(who was the first to have money issues but were lucky enouph to borrow from financial institutes when loans were cheaper and economy wasn't as dismal. Competition makes for better quality i think anyway

@snowman - I agree with you - Ram has a great truck. Like I said - they have the best diesel engine, and the best looking full size trucks. That is why I think they are in big trouble. All of the pickups are good. Even if you were to nitpick - the gap between the best and worse is small. I hope Chrysler/Fiat does turn things around. Competition is good for the consumer.

@joe - if you lool at the total 2009 sales post Toyota (Tundra + Tacoma) outsold Ram (1500 + HD + Dakota)

-

Who cares? We are talking about the Ram special editions here and you needlessly bring up Toyota Tundra/Tacoma sales again.

Chrysler needs to turn things around. Coming up with good ideas to sell vehicles and giving reasons why they need to do that is not "needless". Many guys on this thread made jokes about Ram special editions. Isn't that "needless"?

The biggest mistake Fiat is making with these trucks is dropping the Dodge name. There's a lot of equity in that name, and once it is gone the identity is lost. They would've been better off dropping Dodge cars and leaving the Dodge name on the trucks. It's just another example of foreigners not understanding the American market.

When they totaled up Tundra/Tacoma numbers and RAM/DAKOTA numbers do you think they figured in Chassis Cab Models. If they did RAM 2500/3500 and STERLING would have to be added in. Chrysler, what ever you call it built and sold more chassis cabs combined (2500/3500/STERLING) than Ford or GM. This is obviously an Apples and Oranges comparison. Toyota probably had more worldwide sales of pickups and probably more sales in the US also. Most Chrysler products are showing an increase in sales in Mexico, Central and South America due to their hook up with FIAT. FIAT sells alot of meat and potato cars around the world, not just high end stuff. They also sell big trucks, tractors, construction equipment, and plumbing supplies. FIAT is so much more a match than a bunch of bankers.

@John - good point. Fiat has the world wide muscle to turn around Chrysler if they make the right moves. I suspect Fiat looks at Chrysler as a way into the North American market. DaimlerBenz wasn't big enough or smart enough to turn things around.

Chrysler's problem is they have no defined class of vehicles.
The 1980s were Chrysler's finest hour,and they had coverage from top to bottom...

Colt Subcompact
Omni Subcompact/compact
024/Charger Subcompact
Aries compact/midsize
Daytona compact
400/600 compact/midsize
Lancer midsize
Diplomat midsize/fullsize

Today you have a make believe crossover as a low end model...Caliber
A controversially styled model as its compact..Avenger
A retro styled Challenger
No convertibles
The "full sized" Charger

And thats all.
Sad.

FIAT needs to clean house.
They need a new subcompact,compact,midsize...
and maybe even an economical sporty coupe to team up with Challenger.
Even more sad is the fact that future models will be FIATs under the skin and not real Mopars.At least Iacocca had real Pentastar equipment to work with....

@Paul - you are correct in the fact that Fiat will fill in the gaps in Chrysler's product line with Fiat products. I suspect Fiat models will eventually dominate Dodge cars, Ram trucks, and Chrysler cars. The rules for Fiat's takeover of Chrysler give an indication where things will go:
* Fiat's ownership stake will increase to 35 percent in three increments as it meets the following criteria: 5 percent for bringing a 40 mpg vehicle platform to Chrysler to be produced in the United States; 5 percent for providing a fuel-efficient engine family to be produced in the United States for use in Chrysler vehicles, and 5 percent for providing Chrysler with access to its global distribution network to export Chrysler vehicles. (Each of the 5 percent increments will be held in trust until Fiat is able to claim them.)
* Fiat will be granted an option to acquire an additional 16 percent shareholding that will bring its total ownership stake to 51 percent.(MSN news)
That spells things out for the car end of the business.
Fiat is planning to bring in mid and large size vans and trucks up to Class 8. I bet these will be rebadged/restyled Iveco trucks with the Ram logo. Ram needs to perform well , LTD Ram models should be used by Ram to feel out the market for various trim packages, and specialized niche vehicles.

How about a custom "hemi'ram" edition....Mopar guys will know,letters spelled out like on a hemi'cuda,and a 6.4 Hemi engine..

For people saying Toyota tacoma/tundra out sold the Ram/Dakota...Remember,Chrysler stopped production for 4 months on these and from March-Aug and not on lots until mid Sept lots were empty of Rams and Dakota's !!! What is killing the Dakota is the price,its more than a loaded F-150 and Ram 1500 !! The 310 horse 4.7 Dakota is a quick truck..

Also,Diaz said Ram is going to have the DODGE name on the truck somewhere.. http://www.detnews.com/article/20091207/AUTO01/912070349/1148/Chrysler-has-big-plans-for-Ram-trucks

"if you lool at the total 2009 sales post Toyota (Tundra + Tacoma) outsold Ram (1500 + HD + Dakota)
Here is an exerpt:•Toyota pickups (Tacoma and Tundra) outsold Chrysler pickups (Ram and Dakota) 191,209 units to 187,958 units in full year sales
Ram/Fiat needs to get their act together as they were outsold by Toyota. Guys will argue that full size pickups are what counts but you then must consider the fact that Toyota does not make a HD pickup." --Lou

I fail to see the logic in your statements. Seeing as how Ram fullsize trucks whooped Toyota's fullsize trucks in sales in 2009 (sold more than twice as many in fact), I don't see why Chrysler would feel threatened by Toyota in the full size market. Toyota's Tacoma is what helped Toyota rocket past Chrysler in truck sales (especially if you see that the Tacoma easily hit over 100k, while the Dakota barely hit over 10k). In fact, the Tacoma literally stomped every other midsize/compact in sales and is the only midsize to hit six figures in sales.

The problem isn't that Chrysler needs better/more options in their fullsize trucks (they already have a very innovative half ton and a strong following for their HDs), it's that they (and every other domestic brand) need to develop and market a better midsize/compact truck to compete with the Tacoma and gain market share in that category. Toyota is not a threat in the fullsize category, and probably won't be for a long time.

@GoneTMW - You hit the nail on the head. 10,000 units for the Dakota is a JOKE. It comes down to 5 things when you want to drive up sales. 1. Market - how are you going to market your vehicle to drive up sales? 2. Cost - not only does the sticker price count but the total cost of ownership. 3. Dependability - how does your product hold up to the competitors? 4. Style - how good does your product look? 5. Horsepower/Fuel Mileage - more and more people are looking at fuel mileage along with horsepower more than ever, everybody knows fuel is going to go back up at some point.

So with that said, Market wise Chrysler is doing a horrible job when it comes to the Ram and Dakota. Right now some people still don't even know to call it a Dodge or a Ram.
Cost wise Ram is doing very good but the Dakota is in the bucket and a very good reason why it only got around 10,000 sales for the year. Its bad when full size pickups cost less on the sticker than a mid size pickup. Ok maybe not on the sticker but by the time you get done dealing I bet you could save money by buying a Ram vs. a Dakota at most dealers right now. Dependability is a gray area for Ram. Guys love the HD's with the Cummins Diesel but the gas jobs have a somewhat questionable reputation outside of the die hard Ram boys who swear by them. Cummins makes the best diesel in a HD pickup right now hands down but a lot of guys that would buy them hold back because of Rams problem areas, mainly with the tranny and rears that have a bad habit of leaving you on the side of the road early on. If this isn't the case now then they need to get the word out or introduce a better warranty. Style - The Ram is the best looking thing on 4 wheels in the pickup world right now so there is nothing to change here. Horsepower sure if you get the Hemi. But with that statement a lot of people remember the early Hemi's as being gas hogs. They need to get the word out that things have changed.

Do you see where I am going with all this. Why do you think Ford is doing such a good job gaining market share and selling trucks right now. Because more than anything else they have gotten the word out and are making people believe (unless you are a die hard GM/Ram guy) that they have changed and are making changes to making a better product, and in many regard they are. 10 new engines and 6 new tranny's. The general public who don't know cubic inch from fuel injection only sees progress and that Ford must be doing something right. Public opinion goes a long way for the general car buyer in todays world. This is what Dodge does not have right now.

@Shawn
@Gonetmw
Both you guys have made some very good points. I love it when excellent counterpoints are made.
Ford is doing very well due to the constant media exposure. Look at how many Ford news items have been on this web site over the last few months. Chrysler/Fiat is not getting the word out about their trucks.
Toyota outsold Ram because they have the best small pickup out there. The big three need to learn from that fact. Ford rresearch had showed that with the economy going down and fuel prices going up - people were leaving HD trucks for F150's, many left F150's for Rangers or CUV's.
There is a huge market potential for a good small truck that is cheeper to buy and run than a full size. Guys out there will still need HD pickups, and 1/2 ton pickups but this market is going to level out with some very slow growth.
Ram needs to downsize the good looking Ram 1500 into a Dakota. They need to make it cheeper than a 1500. Many people would pay the same price of a 1500 if the Dakota looked good and had a 30mpg diesel under the hood.
The compact market is the only place where real growth in sales will occur if there are good products in that segment. This then opens the door for people to develop some "brand loyalty" and move up to 1500's, and HD's if they need them.
Good posts guys. Thanks

@gonetmw - I forgot to add the following - in these tough economic times you need to offer your clients a broad range of choices. Ford has 12 + Raptor = 13 trim levels for the F150. Ram has 6 choices in 1500. In HD Ford has 10 trim choices in both F250 and 350. Ram has 5 + Powerwagon = 6 in 2500, and only 4 levels of trim in 3500. They can do more to attract or retain customers.
Toyota Tundra just added a "Platinum" package to their line. No one can stand pat and expect to survive. Toyota needs to get the Tundra sorted out as it obviously is no longer selling based on Toyota's reputation for good products. I agree with you that the Tundra is no threat to Ram. If Toyota got their crap together the Tundra could be a threat.

@Lou - Thanks you for the comment. I think your comment about Ford sums it up better than what I wrote. The reason they are doing so good right now is because they have a lot of good will and constant media exposure about how they are turning around and getting better. Most auto buyers don't bother with sights like this one when they buy a vehicle. They only know what they like, what price they want it for, and what general media sites or a news web sites might say about a manufacture or a car. Ford has everything going its way so the media is following up with stories every week about its progress which in turn the general public in turn looks at Ford first. Well you get the picture... When you look at a sight like yahoo for example and you see news that Chrysler and GM are losing market share and Chrysler is still posting a loss (I think GM might be close to breaking even not sure) but Ford is making good money for the times we are living in right now what do you think they are going to do? Not to mention a lot of people lost confidence in both GM and Chrysler after the trip to bankruptcy court.

toy-oda riceburner,from the makers of ww2,junk.after they buy one they can't afford a pair of American Carharts.buda buda.God bless AMERICA!!

@ ironblock - "Due to competition from other apparel manufacturers and pressure to drive down prices, many of Carhartt's non-core apparel items have been increasingly outsourced abroad. Some countries where outsourcing is and has been done are: Honduras, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, China, and the Philippines."
Ram is being taken over by Italian (Fiat). If I remember my history - Italy was allied with Germany in WWW2.
Ironhead.. err block, what the F--- does your post have to do with Ram pickups! I'm looking foreward to seeing the special ed Rams.

I heard Ram is coming out with a truck full of solar panels. They are going to call it - Ram Charger........

HEY Fred,It has to do with people bringing up rice burners ie. toyodddas on this thread.OK Mr FLINSTONE....PS If you look at the tags you can get Carhartts made in the good old USA..

@ironblock - Take a look at the window sticker on a Ram HD. It was made in the good old Mexico. Spare me the rice burner crap. Are Ram HD's buritto burners?

Sorry Pal just got my windowsticker out and paperwork guess what no buritto..you must navigate a ricer.Good luck with that..By the way I can weld your yotta frame, OK for you.

must be driving a 1500. how many buritto's can you fit in that Ram box? Make sure you leave room for Italian Fiat sausage.

Yotta? isn't that a character from Star Wars? May the Farce be with you!

I thought Toyota frames were too weak and rusty to weld;)

@ironblock - USA VIN - must be driving one of those old Dodges. I heard they stopped maken' em.