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2018 Woodward Dream Cruise: What to know and where to go

If there's anything that proves Detroit's motor-oil-in-the-veins, gearhead bonafides, it's the annual Woodward Dream Cruise, which will bring an anticipated 1.5 million or so people from near and far, plus tens of thousands of classic and custom and just plain weird cars, to a 16-mile portion of Woodward Avenue on Saturday for the 24th year. Loved by gearheads, collectors and the merely curious, who see it as the Motor City's version of Mardi Gras, and loathed by others, who deride it as the world's largest traffic jam, the Dream Cruise is nothing if not an explosion for the senses. What will you see there? Well, as Autoblog Managing Editor Greg Rasa put it last year, "There are historic cars. And works of art. Some are worth vast sums of money, and some are rat rods and rust buckets. And some are bizarre creations that make you ask, 'What were they thinking?'" A few things are certain: You will see many incredible automobiles. There will be plenty of T-shirts and other merch, official and not-so-much. It will be crowded, and probably hot. The Cruise will officially go from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., though of course cruisers have been out already for weeks. And there are plenty of attractions, both on and off the pavement of Woodward. Tony Michaels, the Dream Cruise's executive director, said the event is special for the Detroit region. "Together we celebrate the automobile and what it has meant to us," he told Autoblog. "To see the these fantastic vehicles and the proud owners says so much about who we are and our pride. "People should take it in to see history running 16 miles down Woodward Avenue and to be a part of the greatest automobile event in America." Ford is once again serving as the Dream Cruise presenting sponsor and will hold the 20th anniversary of the Mustang Alley at the corner of Nine Mile and Woodward in Ferndale, where it expects as many as 1,000 Mustangs to line up. It will also show off its lineage of trucks at 13 Mile, along with several performance vehicles at Duggan's Irish Pub at 31501 Woodward in Royal Oak. The company on Thursday unveiled the 2018 Mustang Cobra Jet drag car to celebrate the nameplate's 50th anniversary. Just 68 examples are planned of the $130,000 limited-edition model Other Ford activities include: Sales of tickets for a raffle of a one-off Kona Blue Mustang Bullitt, starting at the media clubhouse at 2 p.m. Friday. The raffle itself takes place in November and will support juvenile diabetes research.

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

2016 Fiat 124 Spider to debut this year

Those enthused by the prospect of a nimble little convertible but not enamored with the styling of the latest Mazda MX-5 Miata (shown above) have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Fiat version. And now we know it's going to break cover later this year. According to Edmunds, which spoke with the Fiat brand's North American chief, Jason Stoicevich, the Fiat 124 Spider will debut later this year either at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September or the LA Auto Show in December. It is expected to begin reaching dealers in 2016. Fiat has yet to confirm whether it'll offer the 124 in North America, but the chances are looking good. "There is a ton of heritage behind that," Stoicevich told Edmunds. "I think that just kind of puts the bow on the showroom for us and fills it out completely." The roadster would bolster a Fiat US lineup that's made up of versions of the 500: the original hatchback, open-roof 500C, electric-powered 500e, and 500L and 500X crossovers. Fiat offers other models overseas, but is said to be preparing a change in direction even in Europe, aligning its portfolio in two pillars built around the 500 and the Panda. Though the 124 will be based on the MX-5's platform and be built alongside it in Japan, the Italian brand will give the convertible its own bodywork and styling. The Italian version of the MX-5 was originally earmarked to wear an Alfa Romeo badge, but Fiat brass decided that Alfas needed to be developed in-house and built in Italy. The decision was then made to give the Fiat brand the convertible instead, though details on what form it will take and what engines will be offered remain a mystery. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club View 30 Photos News Source: EdmundsImage Credit: Mazda LA Auto Show Frankfurt Motor Show Fiat Convertible 2015 LA Auto Show fiat 124 spider fiat 124