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Spitballs flying between Nissan and Fiat

At the 2012 LA Auto Show, Fiat brand chief and recently crowned marketing genius, Olivier François, attempted to distance the Fiat 500e from other electric vehicles, asking rhetorically, "Isn't ugliness the worst kind of pollution?" Nissan has apparently taken issue with these comments, feeling slighted for what it considers digs at the Leaf's styling. In a recent interview with Automotive News, Nissan's marketing chief Simon Sproule shot back, "Let's face it, Fiat has not shied away from controversial styling themselves," he continued, "many would describe many of their products as visual pollution." Ouch.
Sproule says that while the 500e is a "me-too" product, made only to appease US emissions regulations, the Leaf is a serious effort at producing an EV. The Nissan marketing boss points out that the Japanese automaker has invested billions in EV development and production facilities, while Fiat will lose $10,000 on every 500e sold.
However sales of the Leaf in the US are down five percent. Nissan sold just 8,330 Leaf's so far this year, but Sproule contends that it has less to do with styling, and more with the charging infrastructure. Sproule also thinks that Nissan hit a balance between styling and practicality with the Leaf: "It's still very recognizable as a five-seat hatchback, fully functioning, absolutely competitive with the packaging of the Golf of any other mainstream vehicle." For a segment where efficiency is king, isn't that what matters most?

Argentinians find stash of never-registered, brand-new 30-year-old Italian cars

While much of the world is sheltering in place, several new, never-registered Italian and French cars exited a 27-year confinement in Argentina. They were left for dead in an abandoned dealership that sold Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Peugeot models in a city named Avellaneda near Buenos Aires, the country's capital. Details surrounding the dealership are murky. Argentina's Autoblog (no relation to us) reported it closed at some point during the 1990s after the owner and his son died in violent circumstances. Automotive archaeology tells your author it likely shut its doors in 1993, because that's the only year in which the first-generation Fiat Ducato launched in 1981 and the post-facelift Fiat Tipo, axed in 1995, overlapped. Both are clearly visible in the photos. What's certain is that someone finally inherited the property in 2020 and wanted the cars gone as quickly as possible in order to sell it. The anonymous owner asked Kaskote Calcos, a local body shop that also runs a used-car lot, to haul them away via Instagram. We're guessing the firm didn't need to be asked twice.           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Axel By Kaskote (@kaskotecalcos) on Mar 24, 2020 at 1:57pm PDT Many of the cars hidden in the dealership were made by Fiat; the photos show several examples of the Tipo, an Uno, a Tempra, and the aforementioned Ducato. An Alfa Romeo 33 wagon and a Peugeot 405 were also stashed in the trove. Most were stored indoors so they weren't damaged by sunlight or humidity, and images of the cars taken after they were pressure-washed confirm they're in like-new condition inside and out. We're told some even started, though for the love of valves and pistons we hope they got a new timing belt before being fired up.  Kaskote Calcos hasn't revealed what it will do with the cars. None are particularly sought-after, they're economy cars that were mass-produced and mass-destroyed, and their current values reflect that. You can get a post-facelift Uno for the price of a few Peroni pints in Italy. The fact that they're new, never-registered examples will undoubtedly increase their appeal, even if registering them could require slashing through jungles of red tape. As a side note, finding a 405 beached in a Fiat dealership isn't as random as it might sound.

The Abarth 695 Biposto Record is 190 hp tribute to speed

Abarth earned an early reputation for tuning big power from small-displacement engines. The company's Fiat Abarth 1000 Monoposto Record set class acceleration records at Monza in 1965, with Carlo Abarth himself behind the wheel. The limited edition 695 Biposto Record now celebrates the 50th anniversary of those titles with the hottest version of the Fiat 500 on the street. Abarth will limit this special 695 Biposto to just 133 examples – the company's number of historic records. They all wear Modena Yellow bodies with Tar Cold Grey trim and an enameled badge. The interior also features a numbered plaque. Beyond these aesthetic tweaks, Abarth sticks with the high-output powertrain of the standard 695 Biposto: a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder sends 190 horsepower to the front wheels through a mechanical locking differential. An Akrapovic exhaust provides great sound, too. Compared to a normal Fiat 500 Abarth, the weight of the Biposto twins drops to 2,198 pounds thanks in part to the removal of the rear seats. The combination of more power and fewer pounds lets the hatchback reach 62 miles per hour in 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 143 mph. Brembo brakes slow things down. Inside, Sabelt buckets with carbon shells hold the two occupants tight with four-point harnesses. Like the standard 695 Biposto, we don't expect the company to offer the Record in the US. They're rather expensive across the pond; The UK press release shows a price there at the current equivalent of $55,680. Related Video: ABARTH ANNOUNCES LIMITED EDITION 695 BIPOSTO RECORD A new, limited edition version of Abarth's stunning 695 biposto, the Record, has just gone on sale, priced GBP36,610 OTR. Just 133 examples of the striking 695 biposto Record will be built for worldwide distribution. An exclusive 'Modena Yellow' finish embellished with 'Tar Cold Grey' trims, enamelled '695 Record' badge on the side and aluminium bonnet are all standard features. This small run of cars – 133 is the number of records held by the Scorpion brand – also feature 18-inch OZ alloy wheels, large Brembo brakes and a throaty Akrapovic exhaust. Inside, there is special instrument panel animation, Sabelt carbon shell seats, four point seatbelts, a cargo net and a unique numbered plate. Based on the sporting, two-seat Abarth 695 biposto, the Record version is powered by the same 190hp 1.4 Turbo T-Jet 16-valve engine.