2012 Fiat 500 Lounge Convertible - 1 Owner - Florida Vehicle - Super Low Miles on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Fiat 500 Abarth appears in its fastest form yet

Fiat ended the Abarth-trained 500's career in the United States, but the fun-sized hot hatch is still around in Europe. It just spawned a new limited-edition model named 695 EsseEsse that's lighter and quicker than the production car. Offered exclusively as a hatchback, the 695 EsseEsse wears a redesigned hood that weighs 25% less than the standard car's because it's made out of aluminum instead of steel. If you're taking notes for a car-spotting trip to Italy, keep in mind the new-look panel features a pair of domes not found on the standard 695. Out back, the EsseEsse inherits a sizeable spoiler from the 70th Anniversary model whose angle can be manually adjusted from 0 to 60 degrees. When set to 60 degrees, the wing provides up to 93 pounds of additional downforce. Abarth made no major mechanical modifications to the 695, so power comes from a turbocharged, 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine tuned to develop 180 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. It spins the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission operated with a carbon fiber shift knob, and it exhales through an Akrapovic exhaust system that's lighter than the unit fitted to the standard 695. We're told it sounds better on and off the track, too. Hitting 62 mph from a stop takes 6.7 seconds, and Abarth quotes a top speed of 140 mph when the rear wing is set to 0 degrees. Koni shock absorbers ensure the EsseEsse is just as thrilling on a twisty road as it is in a straight line. Abarth will make 1,390 units of the 695 EsseEsse, and production will be split evenly between Scorpion Black (pictured) and Campovolo Gray. Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but it's of little interest to American enthusiasts because nothing suggests the 500 and its Abarth-tuned derivative will make a comeback in the United States. What's in a name? Rewind to 1964, when the 500 used a rear-mounted air-cooled engine and Abarth operated as a tuner rather than as a sub-brand. It transformed the tiny 500 into a sports car by increasing the two-cylinder's displacement to 690 cubic centimeters (42.1 cubic inches) and fitting it with wider wheel arches, among other modifications. The end result was a 38-horsepower pocket rocket capable of reaching 87 mph, an unbelievable speed at the time.  Abarth named its creation 695 SS, and it wrote out the acronym on the engine cover instead of using the two letters. It's like if Chevrolet had fitted "Impala EssEss" badges to the Impala SS. Production was capped at 1,000 units.

Least favorite vehicles of 2017

The Autoblog staff has driven a lot of vehicles in 2017. This video showcases our least favorite vehicles from this year, along with some thoughts on why they made the list. Wanna read more head over to https://www.autoblog.com/photos/least-favorite-cars-2017/ BMW Fiat Lexus Nissan RAM Toyota Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video nismo nissan sentra fiat 500x Arts and Entertainment 500x bmw m240i rogue

Fiat Chrysler recalls 1.33 million vehicles over fire, air bag risks

WASHINGTON - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said on Friday it is recalling 1.33 million vehicles worldwide in two separate campaigns for potential fire risks and inadvertent airbag deployments. The Italian-American automaker said it is recalling about 770,000 sport utility vehicles because of a wiring issue that may lead to inadvertent deployment of the driver-side air bag and is linked to reports of five related minor injuries, but no crashes. The company said wiring could chafe against pieces of steering-wheel trim, potentially causing a short-circuit and ultimately leading to an inadvertent air bag deployment. The issue could also cause unintended windshield wiper operation or inoperable switches. The recall covers 538,000 2011-2015 Dodge Journey vehicles in North America and 233,000 2011-2015 Fiat Freemont crossovers sold elsewhere. Dealers will inspect and replace the wiring, as needed and equip it with additional protective covering. The automaker is also recalling 565,000 vehicles to replace their alternators because of fire risks. The company said hot ambient temperatures could lead to premature diode wear, may result in a burning odor or smoke, could impact the anti-lock braking system or lead to engine stalls. The company said it is aware of two potentially related accidents but no injuries. The recall covers 2011-2014 model year Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger cars and Dodge Durango SUVs and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs. In October, Fiat Chrysler recalled about 86,000 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks, 3500, 4500 and 5500 chassis cabs from the 2007-2013 model years and 2011-2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit sedans for the same alternator issue. Fiat Chrysler said at the time one minor injury was related to the recall. Dealers will replace the alternators. By David ShepardsonRelated Video: Auto News Chrysler Fiat RAM Safety Coupe SUV Sedan FCA dodge journey fiat chrysler automobiles fiat freemont