italian car
Ferrari To Offer Free Maintenance Program Stateside
Ferrari‘s complimentary service plan, already available in some world markets, will also be offered in the United States, on vehicles like the FF, 458 Italia and California. “We are currently working out the terms and details to adapt this plan to the U.S. market, which is the largest one for Ferrari,” said Enzo Francesconi, the…
Maserati Sedan To Be Built In Italy After Marchionne Extracts Concessions From Union
Maserati‘s newest sedan, rumored to be a smaller model comparable to a BMW 5-Series in size, will be built in Italy, after a deal was struck between an Italian labor union and Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne. Workers at the factory, formerly managed by Bertone, agreed to longer shifts and shorter breaks in exchange for the…
Dodge Charger Super Bee, Fiat 500 Gucci Edition Confirmed
According to a tweet from Ward’s Auto, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionee has confirmed the existence of two new models in the pipeline, the Dodge Charger Super Bee and a Gucci-branded edition of the Fiat 500. The last generation Super Bee was mechanically identical to the Charger SRT-8, although it came in unique pastel colors and…
Lamborghini Expects China To Overtake United States As Top Market
Lamborghini head Stephan Winkelmann said that China will overtake the United States as its largest market in the very near future. Winklemann said that the exact sales numbers would depend largely on the new Aventador, and how many units it could deliver to China. Q1 2011 sales outstripped those of 2010, even though Lamborghini was…
Ferrari Aiming For Global Sales Of 8,000 Units
Ferrari is aiming for global sales of 8,000 units within 8 years, unprecedented volumes for a sports car maker that has traditionally prided itself on exclusivity and the individual nature of their products. Sales of 6,800 to 7,000 Ferrari cars are expected this year, with the Japanese market being the deciding factor. Ferrari sells about…
Chevrolet Volt Wins World Green Car Of The Year Award
The Chevrolet Volt won the World Green Car of the Year award at the 2011 New York Auto Show, beating out the Nissan Leaf and BMW 320d for the title. The World Car of the Year award is made up of 66 jurors from 25 countries, who are responsible for selecting the vehicles. This year,…
Ferrari’s Next Flagship Will Be Influenced By Bugatti Veyron
Ferrari‘s next flagship supercar, the successor to the 2003 Enzo, will be influenced by the Bugatti Veyron, although Ferrari declined to specify what parts of the vehicle were inspired by the world’s most powerful car. A Ferrari source reportedly told Autocar “The world is a very different place to how it was when the Enzo was launched….
2012 Fiat 500 Cabrio Debuts Ahead Of New York Auto Show Reveal
Fiat has just released photos of their 500 Cabrio, the open-top version of their much-lauded 500 hatchback, a week ahead of its official debut at the New York Auto Show. Rather than a traditional convertible body style like the MINI Cooper, the 500 uses a retractable canvas roof panel that still retains the overall shape…
Fiat Increasing Stake In Chrysler To 30 Percent
Fiat is set to increase ownership in Chrysler, from 25 to 30 percent, within the next few weeks, assuming regulatory bodies are satisfied with Fiat’s ability to meet specific demands for Chrysler. Fiat has already been able to generate $1.5 billion in revenue for Chrysler outside of North America, but still needs to build a…
Chrysler Will Reportedly Forfeit $10,000 For Every Fiat 500 EV It Sells
Gas prices are getting higher and Chrysler would like to sell you its Fiat 500 EV that uses no gas for $10,000 below cost. What’s the catch? No catch, except its cost could be three times higher than a $15,995 gasoline-powered version. Citing the high price of developing an all-electric city car, Chrysler Fiat CEO…
Daft Punk To Auction Off Ferrari For Japanese Disaster Relief
As part of an effort to raise money for the Red Cross’ Japanese disaster relief fund , artists affiliated with the EMI record label are auctioning off various knick-knacks, with everything from stereo equipment to handbags to vacations up for grabs. If you’re reading this, then you’re probably most interested in the 1987 Ferrari 412…
Hyundai Equus Selling Briskly With 5 Percent Of Luxury Market Share
For all the skepticism surrounding the Hyundai Equus, the Korean luxury sedan appears to be doing well, even exceeding Hyundai’s own expectations. Hyundai’s Midwestern PR head Dean Bedore gave us some insight into the success of the Equus, noting that it currently has a 5 percent market share of the luxury car segment, while Hyundai…
Fiat Plans 51% Stake in Chrysler This Year
Fiat may currently own a 25-percent stake in Chrysler, but that’s not enough for them: by the end of the year, says Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, the Italians will increase their stake to over 51% and own more than half of Chrysler. While not an outright merger (because Chrysler is probably pretty wary of those…
P4/5 Competizione Makes Nurburgring Debut
James Glickenhaus took his custom made P4/5 Competizione to the Nurburgring ahead of its first race there at the Nurburgring 24 Hours. Driver Mika Salo was able to get ample seat time in the hand-built racer, but co-driver Luca Cappellari was limited to a single lap after a red flag came out for unidentified reasons….
Jeep Hopes To Sell 125,000 Cars Per Year In Europe By 2014
Jeep is launching an ambitious campaign in Europe to boost sales eight-fold by 2014, with a new premium small SUV helping to lead the way. The next generation Jeep Compass is expected to debut around 2014, and will be based on the same platform as the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, and the Compass will also share…
Alfa Romeo MiTo, Fiat Punto, To Get TwinAir 2-Cylinder Turbo Engine
Fiat’s 900cc TwinAir 2-cylinder turbocharged engine, currently available in the European market Fiat 500, has won critical acclaim for its performance and use of advanced technology, and the motor will soon be available in both the Alfa Romeo MiTo and Fiat Punto. The TwinAir will superceed the current base engines in both cars, rated at…
Maserati To Use Turbochargers, 8-Speed Automatics In Future Cars
Maserati‘s new GranTurismo MC Stradale might be using a nifty new single-clutch automated manual gearbox in its home market of Europe, but North America will get a ZF-built 8-speed automatic. The ZF unit is a precursor to Maserati’s further use of the gearbox, and frankly, North American consumers of the brand will likely not notice…
Dr. Dre Crashes Ferrari While Filming New Video
Dr. Dre’s long awaited new album Detox has had more false starts than the Toyota FT-86, but the legendary hip-hop producer has finally released a single, titled I Need A Doctor. If you like hip-hop music, you’ve doubtlessly heard the song by now, but you might not have seen the video, which involves a horrific…
Lamborghini Aventador In California For Commercial Shoot [Video]
The lucky folks at Inside Line got to spend the day with the all new Lamborghini Aventador supercar, as it shot an on location commercial in California. We won’t spoil all the juicy details for you, but you’re going to want to hit the jump and watch the video. Aside from the wonderful soundtrack, it’s…
Jenson Button To Auction Ferrari 512BB
Famed auction house Bonhams will offer up a Ferrari driven by Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button, but the car for sale isn’t one of the contemporary mega-buck supercars, but a more archaic model that has never attracted much fanfare from the Ferraristi. Button’s ride, a 1978 Ferrari 512BB, is a model known mostly to…
Lamborghini Gallardo Destroyed By Hired Crew After Disgruntled Owner Protests Poor Treatment
A disgruntled Lamborghini owner in China hired a crew to mercilessly disfigure his black Lamborghini Gallardo after the owner felt he received unsatisfactory treatment from Lamborghini China. The owner organized the stunt to mark World Consumer Rights Day. Apparently, the Gallardo was plagued with mechanical issues even after it was serviced by an authorized Chinese outlet. Running…
Fiat 500 Will Fail, Says Ford CEO Alan Mulally
For all the hype surrounding the Fiat 500, Ford‘s CEO, Alan Mulally, has become one of its most prominent detractors, condemning the car to failure before it’s even launched. Speaking to the Italian language magazine Panorama, Mulally remarked “I do not see large market in the U.S.A. for a smaller car than the Fiesta. Those that tried…
Lamborghini Gallardo Belonging To Guy Fieri Stolen
Stolen cars tend to be more mundane vehicles which can easily be exported to another country or chopped up for parts. Or both. But celebrity chef Guy Fieri, host of shows like “Minute To Win It” and “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” had something a little more exotic stolen from him, and the heist’s execution wasn’t exactly normal…
Maserati To Expand Markets Amid Growing Sales
Maserati is reporting a sales increase of 20 percent in 2010 and selling 2,000 cars. Not bad for a car company that only a decade ago was a boutique maker of finnicky but beautiful Italian exotics. In a press conference at the Geneva Auto Show, CEO Harald Wester remarked that 2011 should be a banner…
