A New York Times article reporting on Fiat’s push to “impose American-style standards” at an Alfa Romeo plant in Southern Italy, where workers workers will have to *gasp* work more hours and cut back on absences. One irate employee told the Times that“… too much work is going to kill our workers”, prompting nods of...
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Fiat has just announced a new special edition matte-black paint scheme for its popular 500 model in Europe. Proving that high-fashion finishes aren’t just for high-priced luxury cars and exotics, Fiat will offer what it calls the Blackjack edition for most 500 models, including the recently-released TwinAir turbocharged two-cylinder model. Along with matte-black paint, the...
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While there’s a lot of excitement building surrounding the return of Fiat to the U.S. and the launch of the Fiat 500, enthusiasts, auto journalists and car snobs alike have been patiently awaiting word that the Italian automaker will also roll out a line of Abarth branded models. Finally, we can confirm that we won’t...
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Time is getting closer for the official Fiat 500 release on American soil, and everyone is getting excited. So much so that Fiat is looking for every possible enthusiast out there that owns a Fiat 500 or 600 built between the 1950s to the 1970s to display their cars at the world famous Concorso Italiano...
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Fiat is reportedly working on a hybrid variant of its 500 TwinAir supermini, which is estimated to get an astonishing 100 mpg. The TwinAir 900cc two-cylinder motor, combined with a hybrid motor and Fiat’s dual clutch transmission, are all expected to fit underneath the hood, due to the compact packaging of all three components. This...
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All will be equipped with a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine and manual gearbox, plus will feature a unique VIN and serialized build plaque
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A Fiat dealer along Paris’ famed Champs-Elysees will play host to the first side-by-side Jeep and Fiat dealer as the brands seek to integrate themselves in anticipation for anticipation for Chrysler’s European rollout. The Motor Village megastore as the dealership is known, also displays vehicles from Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Maserati. Several other automakers...
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In a move reminiscent of the original Fiat 500, the Italian automaker is launching a two cylinder version of their new Fiat 500 hatchback. The two-cylinder model puts out 85 horsepower from a 900 cc two-cylinder engine. The engine uses Fiat’s innovative Multiair system, which is essentially a super-advanced variable valve timing system. With a...
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Chrysler has just announced that it has begun accepting applications for those wanting to establish a Fiat dealership as it prepares to launch the Fiat 500 model by the end of the year. While more specific application guidelines will be sent to prospective dealers, Chrysler has provided some insight into what it is looking for....
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Seriously, let’s take a minute to wonder where we would be without the Internet. The entertainment factor is clearly high, but being able to spy projects from around the world such as this is simply priceless. We thought we had seen it all with the Fiat Limousine we had posted, but this Polish project takes...
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Front wheel drive cars and big power are usually a winning formula to make a car handle like your worst nightmare. If well engineered cars from the factory, like the Mazdaspeed3, have unpleasant torque steer from a 263 horsepower four-cylinder engine, how will a diminutive FIAT 500 deal with similar levels of power? To be...
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Fiat’s Abarth brand has been tuning economical pint-sized Italian runabouts for decades, but under a corporate restructuring the high-performance division is set to expand its expertise. The company’s marketing boss, Antonino Labate has confirmed that select Alfa Romeo products will get Abarth tuning packages. It’s not clear what models will be included, but Alfa does...
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When we first set our eyes (in person) on the Fiat 500 in Abarth form at Tokyo Auto Salon, we couldn’t help but wonder how awesome it would be to see the Fiat 500 on American soil. And now that we’ve spotted it in Detroit and know it’ll be making its way to dealerships by...
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The International Engine Of The Year Awards have been announced, and the big winner this year was Volkswagen’s 1.4L TSI, a miracle of an engine that packs both a turbocharger and a supercharger to coax 178 bhp out of just 1.4L. The full list of winners is below the jump. [Source: International Engine Of The...
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As we suspected when Fiat first launched the Abarth versions of the 500C and Punt Evo, the Italian automaker will soon deliver higher-performance Esseesse trim levels as well. Both models will get more powerful engines, with the Punto Evo’s 1.4-liter turbocharged Multiair increasing from 165-hp to around 180-hp. An even stiffer suspension and more capable...
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The MPV segment is growing quickly and it appears as though Dodge it getting set to join in. In Fiat’s larger plan for the Chrysler Group, company CEO Sergio Marchionne included a seven-seat multi-purpose-vehicle (MPV) destined for U.S. showrooms in 2012. Based on the upcoming Fiat compact car platform this new model would compete against...
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Fulvia. Delta Integrale. Beta Montecarlo. There are some of the storied nameplates a car enthusiast normally associates with the Lancia brand. Now those models will be joined by some less illustrious names, like the Sebring and PT Cruiser if Fiat’s newest scheme comes to fruition. The parent company of Chrysler is hoping to re-badge those...
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Before he set the BMW world on edge with his controversial aesthetics, Chris Bangle had a comfortable post at Fiat, where he designed the Fiat Coupe, a car never sold in North America but regarded as an iconic and revolutionary design. French auto website Cardisiac is reporting that Bangle, who quit BMW in 2009, may be...
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A favorite past time of computer literate car fans is to log on to automotive-related internet forums and criticize the decisions of auto industry types with decades of experience in the field. Everything from marketing campaigns to product choices are questioned, and while this right may be a cornerstone of our free society, often the...
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Fiat’s cute 500 model is set to hit the streets in North America by the end of this year followed by numerous other versions of the Italian mini car. We’ve already reported on the upcoming 4-door 500 model but now there’s word of a name change. According to Car & Driver, the 4-door 500 will...
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Hyundai and Chrysler could partner together for a full-sized truck based off of the Ram, after Chrysler’s deal with Nissan fell apart. Sources say that Hyundai approached Chrysler as late as February regarding a potential tie-up. Hyundai’s lineup is experiencing a renaissance in North America, but the Korean automaker lacks a full-size pickup truck for...
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Chrysler had previously announced that a selection of Fiat-based compact cars was slated to hit the market in early 2012. But in a sign of rapid progress at Chrysler (or anxiety over the supposed apocalypse), CEO Sergio Marchionne said in a conference call that work on the vehicles is advancing sooner than the company anticipated, and...
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We love (well, a few of us here love) superminis more than the latest and greatest supercars. Why? They’re honest, unpretentious, and the literal background of many countries across the globe. In South America, there is no typical two-car garage — everything a family does is done in a small car, like the new Fiat...
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What’s faster, greener, has more traction, and cheaper to run than a “normal” Fiat 500 Abarth? Well, the title of this post and photo have given away the answer. What does Atomik Cars do for you that Fiat doesn’t? First, they install some lithium ion batteries into the cuter-than-Hello Kitty Fiat 500. Then they install...
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