Coupe Red Leather Manual Bose Sound Climate Controls 17" Black Wheels on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Recharge Wrap-up: Fiat 500X EV spotted? Senators request biodiesel increase

A group of 32 senators is asking the EPA to approve increased biodiesel volumes in the Renewable Fuel Standard. Delays in approving the RFS for 2014 forward is causing problems for the fuel produces affected by the law. "EPA's delays are endangering our industry," says Imperium Renewables CEO John Plaza. "Biofuel facilities around the nation are sitting idle, workers are being laid off, and some producers have been forced out of business entirely." Producers feel the EPA is underestimating domestic biodiesel production, and are concerned about importing fuel from Argentina. Read more in the press release below. Fiat Chrysler will help Israel develop a natural gas vehicle. The automaker, along with Iveco and Magneti Marelli, signed a memorandum of understanding with Israel's Prime Minister's Office as part of the Israel Fuel Choices Initiative. They are also considering extended research and development relationship with Israeli companies for alternative fuels and smart mobility. Israel seeks to become a hub for alternative fuel technology. Read more at Hybrid Cars. Spy photos suggest Fiat might build an electric 500X as a compliance car for California. The photos, sent by a reader to Green Car Reports, show a camouflaged Fiat 500X that appears to lack a tailpipe, suggesting it could be an EV. It was photographed on its way to Chrysler's SRT Engineering Center, which builds specialized, low-volume vehicles. The gas-powered 500X debuted in North America at the Los Angeles Auto Show last fall, so camouflage seems a bit unusual at this point if it's just a standard powertrain. It's possible the car could be sold mainly in California to comply with the state's zero-emissions requirements for automakers. Read more and see the photos at Green Car Reports. 32 U.S. Senators urge EPA to approve increased biodiesel volumes Imperium Renewables applauds Senators' action SEATTLE, Feb. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A bipartisan group of 32 U.S. senators, including Washington state's Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to move quickly in approving strong biodiesel volumes under the nation's Renewable Fuel Standards. The senators expressed concern about the agency's delays in implementing the RFS standards for 2014, 2015 and 2016, noting that the delays have created tremendous uncertainty for the U.S.

Junkyard Gem: 1981 Fiat Spider 2000

Fiat gave up on the American market after 1982, not returning until nearly three decades later, but dealers here still had brand-new 124 Sport Spiders available all the way to the end. Starting in the 1979 model year, this car became known as the Spider 2000; that's what we've got as today's Junkyard Gem, spotted in a Denver-area self-service yard last month. The 124 Sport Spider made its debut in 1966. Since it was built on the same platform as the 124 sedan, it is thus cousin to the original VAZ-2101 Lada. I've always liked the trunk lock that hides in the final zero of the engine-displacement badge. The 124 Sport Spider sold very well in the United States during the 1970s (in fact, this car was available only in the North American market during the latter half of that decade), and I've found quite a few examples during my junkyard travels over the years. After Fiat departed our shores in 1982, Malcolm Bricklin continued selling these cars (with Pininfarina Azzurra badging) through 1985. This one is in much nicer condition than any 124 Sport Spider I've seen in many years, maybe stretching back to the era when you could still buy these cars new. There's fairly recent body-straightening work, suggesting that someone undertook a restoration effort. This may even be a new-ish convertible top. Power came from this Fiat Twin Cam engine, rated at 102 horsepower in 1981. The 124 Sport Spider's long-term rival in the American market, the MGB, had its last model year in 1980, with the Triumph Spitfire departing at the same time. That left the much more expensive ($14,895 versus $9,899, or $49,500 and $32,895 in 2022 dollars) Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce as the Fiat Spider 2000's primary competitor for the ever-shrinking two-seat convertible market. A five-speed manual came as the default transmission in this car, though a GM-sourced three-speed automatic was available at a cost of 520 bucks (about $1,730 today). I have seen exactly one slushbox-equipped 124 Sport Spider in my life. This is one of the coolest-looking shift-pattern labels in automotive history. The EX. GAS SENSOR warning light was used to warn of an overheating catalytic converter. I like to use these Fiat indicator lights for various projects, though they have become rare in recent decades. At least I'll never run out of early-1970s FASTEN SEAT BELT lights! So, if you're looking for a vintage sports-car project, be sure to consider the Fiat 124 Sport Spider.

Fiat stock rockets up after word of Chrysler deal

Now that Fiat has finalized a deal to purchase the outstanding shares of Chrysler owned by the United Auto Workers' VEBA retiree heathcare fund without having to file for an IPO, you can count the Italian automaker's stockholders among the happy. The Detroit News reports that Fiat stock closed Thursday with a 12-percent gain for the day on the Borsa Italiana, having been up by as much as 15.8 percent during the day's trading, at prices not seen since mid-2011. One trader reasoned the run was because Fiat "paid less than the market had expected and there will be no capital increase to fund this."
But there are some who worry, including bank analysts and unions. The final price of the stake will be $4.35 billion - $1.9 billion in cash from Chrysler, $1.75 billion from Fiat and extraordinary dividends in the amount of $700 million paid over three years. Adding that sum to its ledger will raise Fiat's debt level to roughly 10 billion euros ($13.8 billion), which Citibank says will make it the most indebted OEM in Europe.
Italian unions are also concerned about what the deal means for the future. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has had an at-times contentious relationship with both unions and the Italian government over the future of Italian manufacturing, a fact that makes headlines because Fiat is Italy's largest private employer. At least two left-leaning unions have publicly called on Fiat to give guarantees and to explain what the deal means for its Italian operations, while a centrist union argues this is "good news for Fiat workers, for the auto industry and for our country."