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If Tesla Model 3 is successful, Sergio Marchionne will copy it

Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne hasn't hidden his disdain for electric vehicles, but he would copy the Tesla Model 3 if it is successful, according to Automotive News Europe. If Elon Musk "can show me that the car will be profitable at that price, I will copy the formula, add the Italian design flair and get it to the market within 12 months," Marchionne told Automotive News Europe during FCA's annual meeting in Amsterdam. In terms of pre-orders, the Model 3 is a success. Musk tweeted on April 7 that the company had over 325,000 reservations for the sedan, which he estimated were worth around $14 billion. The car will start at $35,000 before incentives. Marchionne, however, isn't optimistic Tesla can actually make the electric sedan work financially. "I'm am not surprised by the high number of reservations but you have then to build and deliver them and also be profitable," he told ANE. The FCA boss is a noted skeptic of EVs. In 2012, he said that the company only built the 500e because of California's zero-emissions vehicle mandate and to give engineers experience with the technology. He doubled-down in 2014 when he claimed FCA lost $14,000 on each 500e and said he would rather people didn't buy them. More recently, he infamously said "you'd have to shoot me first," before he'd allow a fully electric Ferrari. Related Video:

Marchionne assures Fiat jobs will stay in Italy, amid Chrysler merger talks

Even though Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has repeatedly said he won't pick up, leave Italy and take his Fiat factories with him, his occasional pointed comments about the challenges of running operations in that country has worried Italian politicians dealing with government, economic and labor-force seizures the past few years. After Fiat Industrial announced it was moving its headquarters to London and it was rumored that the car division's HQ would move to Auburn Hills, MI after the merger with Chrysler, it was worried that more Italian jobs would disappear.
Industry Ministry Flavio Zanonato sought assurances from both Marchionne and Fiat chairman John Elkann that they would "commit to the country," and it appears those assurances have been given. Unemployment in Italy is at 20-year-highs and car sales are at 20-year-lows, but Marchionne said "We have confirmed our commitments for Italy" and the company will hold steady on employment. The nation and the corporation said they would work together to "relaunch Italy's car market," although it's not clear what either of them will be able to do beyond wait it out. At the very least, Fiat's stance means there's one less ball the country's politicians have to juggle.

The Fiat 124 Spider configurator is live

Last week, Fiat released pricing on the new 124 Spider, and now the roadster's configurator is online. If you buy the Elaborazione Abarth version of the 124 ( elaborazione means 'processing,' which makes little sense to us), you'll probably be thinking about the leather/Alcantara Recaro seats. They're a $1,195 option that Mazda has no answer for on the MX-5 Miata, but adding them means making a big sacrifice, because you can't get the $3,995 Luxury Collection. The pricey package adds a range of desirable options, including leather (but not Recaro) sport seats, navigation, LED headlights, and a nine-speaker Bose stereo. So, you can either have all that good stuff, or you can get the Recaros. It's not an easy decision at all. The Abarth's other big package is the Safety and Comfort Collection. Its $1,495 price tag adds blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, heated exterior mirrors, and an auto-dimming interior mirror. You can only select this item if you go with the Recaros, since most of the stuff it adds comes with the Luxury Collection. Standalone options include a $1,495 set of Brembo brakes. The black hood decal, featured on both the Geneva and New York Auto Show cars, is conspicuous by its absence. The options lists are simpler for lesser 124 Spiders. The base Classica gets by with a $1,295 Technology Collection (seven-inch display audio, rear-view camera, and push-button start with keyless entry). The mid-range Lusso mirrors the Abarth's mutually exclusive packages, with an identical Safety and Comfort Pack. The $3,795 Premium Collection, meanwhile, offers all the same gear as the Luxury Collection for a little less money. Neither the Classica nor the Lusso offer standalone options. We promise the 124 Spider's configurator is better than whatever else you had planned for this Monday afternoon. Related Video: Related Gallery Abarth 124 Spider News Source: Fiat USAImage Credit: Fiat USA Auto News Fiat Car Buying Convertible Performance fiat 124 spider fiat 124 fiat 124 spider abarth