Fiat's 500 gets a few but All-Important Tweaks for the American market - Including... Mega Size Cupholders

Auto fans in America have been watching the arrival of the Fiat 500 with a wary eye, unsure of whether or not the adorable city car will be the vehicle to return affordable Italian automobiles to the American market. Finally, the changes deemed necessary for American consumer appeal have been made, and the list isn't exactly surprising.

In order to meet Mini-esque cute-luxury requirements, the car will get a slightly softer ride, stronger engine, and a revised center console to fit 'Murrican cup-holders for those 64-oz. jugs o'cola from KFC. A new set of bumpers and body cladding is also on the menu.

The engine is essentially the same 1.4-liter 4-cylinder found in Europe, equipped with Fiat's MultiAir tech to make it meaner and cleaner. It will be matched to either a new six-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission

The car will be built at Fiat's plant in Toluca, Mexico, so I wouldn't advise heading down to the factory to pick it up without a Kevlar vest and armed security detail. Expect to see the US-spec Fiat 500 (doesn't that sound weird?) on dealer lots in December, with official numbers showing up later this week from Los Angeles.

By Phil Alex

Via: Autonews

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Super Green: The New Wave Of Environmentally Conscious Exotic Supercars

It's not that easy being green, least of all if you're a builder of exotic, high performance supercars or uberluxury sedans. Recently however, there has been a move towards improving fuel economy and reducing emissions by many of the world's biggest and most well known luxury and performance brands.

Take Ferrari's stop-start equipped California HELE or Mercedes-Benz's SLS AMG E-Cell concept, for instance. And there's more on the horizon, including the plug-in hybrid 918 Spyder from Porsche and BMW's Vision EfficientDynamics, the latter of which allegedly will offer M3 performance with a CO2 emissions rating of just 99 grams per kilometer.

And it's not just these four who are in it for the environmental crowd cred: other makers including Lotus, Audi, Lamborghini, Jaguar and Bentley are also looking to green up their model ranges.

This comes as no surprise to Christoph Stuermer, an analyst at IHS Automotive in Frankfurt:

"These upper-end, high-performance cars have always been examples of the best car technology out here, and being green is now part of being technologically advanced They have to come up with something so as not to be seen as technical dinosaurs."

Enrico Galliera, the commercial and marketing senior VP at Ferrari, agrees that it's definitely something that the company's customers are all for:

"When you consider buying a Ferrari, you're considering it for the performance. At the same time, when we approached customers and said, 'Here's a way you can still have that and be greener,' the reaction was extremely positive."

So there you have it. Now you can have your cake and eat it too, though you'll have to pay for the cake part first. And with prices around €180,000 (US$252,376) for the California HELE and an expected €500,000 (US$682,260) for the 918 Spyder that is one expensive, green frosted cake.

PS: Metaphors aren't my strong point...

By Tristan Hankins

Via: WSJ

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In Making the latest Cadillac Escalade More High-Tech, GM Actually Made it Easier to Steal...

According to the Highway Loss Data Institute, the Cadillac Escalade is numero uno when it comes to stolen car claims here in the US. The group says that for the first three years of the third-generation Escalade's production (2007-2009) there have been an average of 10.8 claims - from stealing the rims up to the entire car - for every 1000 insured Escalades. That's approximately five times more claims than the average car.

This surge in Escalade theft isn't just because Cadillac's big SUV is many celebrities' vehicle of choice, however. After 2006, the SUV was actually made easier to steal than most cars because GM did away with the simple yet effective steering wheel lock. Instead, it was replaced by some electronic nannies that were supposed to be "better". Don't worry, the lock's back for 2010, so all you up and coming pimps will have harder-to-jack rides. Watch the report in the video below.

By Phil Alex

Source: NYTimes & WXYS

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VIDEO: Learn how to Drive the Porsche 911 GT3

So, you bought your first Porsche 911 GT3. Good for you, but can you handle this beast? The Germans refined their rear-engine setup for decades, making each generation of the iconic 911 better than before. Still, there are moments when Stuttgart's best can be a handful.

To avoid this, you can take the GT3 to the Porsche Experience Center at Silverstone and learn from chief driving consultant Gordon Robertson how to tackle tight bends, low friction surfaces and, overall, significantly improve your driving skills. Check out the video after the break to see what Mr. Robertson can teach you. For more information visit "porsche.co.uk/experiencshop".

By Csaba Daradics

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