SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Dodge Ram prototypes were spotted testing this week, and photographers managed to snap shots of a couple different versions of Dodge's half-ton truck.

At a recent industry conference in Traverse City, Michigan, Frank Klegon, Chrysler's executive vice president of product development, reiterated earlier statements that Chrysler is focused on producing advanced engines for all of its vehicles, including the Ram.

"A significantly upgraded version of the renowned 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with gains in fuel efficiency, refinement, horsepower and torque will debut in the 2009 model year," said Klegon.

We don't expect the Hemi to receive an increase in displacement; instead it will rely on technology for most of its newfound power.

Chrysler will also offer a new, more fuel-efficient version of the E85 flex-fuel 4.7-liter base V8 engine, shared with the Dodge Dakota midsize pickup and featuring a 30 percent increase in horsepower and a 10 percent increase in torque over the old 4.7-liter V8.

What this means to you: Already one of the best truck engines around, the new Hemi V8 should help give the 2009 Dodge Ram an edge over its competition in the full-size truck segment.