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Fiat 500X Abarth could pack 200 horsepower

Enticing as some of its products might be, Abarth has been rather limited. Fiat revived the name to serve as its performance sub-brand in 2007, tasking it with producing hot versions of the 500 and Punto. The Punto never even made it to America, and isn't even offered overseas anymore, either. But don't think that Fiat Chrysler is just going to let the Scorpion marque skate by on just one model for much longer. Abarth is expected to offer its own performance version of the upcoming Fiat 124 Spider that's based on the Mazda MX-5 Miata. But that's not all. According to Alfredo Altavilla, FCA's COO for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, the company is closely evaluating a performance version of the 500X (pictured here with Mopar accessories). "Besides the 124 and 500, we are thinking about an all-new addition to the line-up," Altavilla told Auto Express. "The 500X is one of the options being considered." If approved for production, the 500X Abarth would target the likes of the Mini Countryman JCW and Nissan Juke Nismo. It may be too early to make the call on powertrain options, but we could be looking at a retuned version of the adaptable 1.75-liter turbo four in the Alfa Romeo 4C that's also tipped to power the Abarth 124, with around 200 horsepower. That'd put it right in line with the 197 hp in the Juke Nismo, 215 hp in the Juke Nismo RS, and 208 hp in the Countryman JCW. This isn't the first time we've heard the prospect of an Abarth 500X brought up. The last time was the better part of the year ago, when we we hoped the project would lead to an amped-up Jeep Renegade as well. The Italian-American automaker has no intention of phoning it in with the Abarth 500X. "We went a bit too far with the Punto Abarth. Now our customers won't buy a fake. If the 500X becomes the addition to the Abarth line-up, it will be everything but a family version," said Altavilla. "Any new version of an Abarth car should deliver some sort of a performance enhancement, otherwise it is useless."

FCA chairman confirms Marchionne email to Barra

FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne is apparently backing up his talk about the need for consolidation in the auto industry with quite a bit of action. One recent report claimed that he even emailed General Motors CEO Mary Barra to make a deal. FCA chairman John Elkann has now confirmed that the correspondence actually happened, and that it wasn't a one-off occurrence. "It was not the only email, it was not the only conversation," Elkann (pictured above with Marchionne) said, according to Reuters. He is a member of the Agnelli family that has a controlling stake in FCA's stock and is supporting the idea of a merger. The automaker is willing to "act with determination if there are the prerequisites to do something that makes sense," Elkann said. Marchionne has been pushing for industry consolidation for months. While GM has been the main target of late, Ford was also rumored as a partner under consideration. In the past, there have also been reports of FCA negotiating with Volkswagen Group and PSA Peugeot Citroen for mergers, as well. According to Reuters, part of the reason for all of this effort might be as a way for Marchionne to ensure his legacy, though he's denied that. He's reportedly considering retiring after 2018. In his opinion, consolidation is needed because automakers are investing too much money to achieve the same goals. The situation would be better after mergers, and he predicts something to happen before 2018. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Massimo Pinca / AP Photo Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat Sergio Marchionne FCA merger John Elkann

Court ruling to delay Fiat's Chrysler buyout?

We've already reported on the attempts of Fiat to purchase the remaining 41.5-percent stake in Chrysler, currently owned by the United Auto Workers' VEBA healthcare trust. And while the issues still aren't resolved, Fiat has received both a bit of good news and a bit of bad news from a Delaware judge.
The good news is that the court ruled in favor on two key arguments of Fiat's, relating to what is a fair price for the Chrysler shares. The rulings essentially slash half a billion dollars off the price of the 54,000 shares owned by VEBA, according to a report from Reuters.
The bad news is that this makes the UAW an even more difficult opponent in negotiations. Its VEBA fund is meant to cover ever escalating retiree healthcare costs, so naturally, the UAW wants to get as much money as possible. Losing a big chunk of cash isn't likely to make the union more cooperative.