Fiat 500 Gucci on 2040-cars

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2014 Fiat 500L now comes with a complimentary Italian family

Fiat's marketing machine has invaded Funny or Die, and the resulting web commercial is both entertaining and weird. Watch one couple buy the "most stylish" and "roomiest" car they've ever had, thinking they'd be able to transport golf bags and art supplies (and 32 basketballs?) only to have the roomy-for-a-Cinquecento back seat filled with a complimentary Italian family. In real life, we can't see this being a good thing; not only do they take up space, but their added weight most certainly would hurt gas mileage and performance.
But in commercial land, it comes off as funny, and Fiat does prove that the 2014 500L is roomy enough for five people (including the driver), if not golf bags, art supplies and 32 basketballs. Scroll down to watch amusing Internet short below.

Apple enthusiasts sleuth out some Project Titan details

With apologies to Tesla fans, there are, perhaps, no brand enthusiasts quite as enthusiastic as Apple enthusiasts. Every scrap of rumor, innuendo and speculation about the company and its endeavors gets thoroughly investigated, with the results promptly posted to the internet, frequently at the AppleInsider website. So, when news of the Cupertino corporation's Project Titan surfaced – deerstalkers were donned, secret sources tapped, and the game was afoot. So, what have they learned so far? A bit, it seems. Perhaps the most tangible nugget takes the unique shape of the Fiat 600 Multipla, pictured above. SixtyEight LLC, thought by AppleInsider to be the corporate sub-entity under which Project Titan is being conducted, imported a 1957 example of this unique bit of Italian automotive history. We don't know if the this "minivan-type" hauler of yore was brought stateside to serve as inspiration for a new design or whether it might end up being a whimsical technology demonstrator. Perhaps neither. We can only hope – or hope not, depending on how you view this variation of the 600 – that an Apple car will carry some Multipla DNA. What we can be pretty sure of is this: Apple enthusiasts will continue to seek out more clues about this program until it's completely revealed, officially or otherwise. You can read more on the Project Titan sleuthing discoveries here. Feel free, of course, to voice your opinions, clues and speculations in Comments below. Related Video: News Source: AppleInsiderImage Credit: Elmar Peiffer Green Rumormill Fiat Minivan/Van Electric project titan icar

FCA recalling 63k Jeeps, Vipers and Ram ProMaster City vans

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has announced a pair of recalls cover nearly 63,000 vehicles. The bigger of the two actions covers manual-transmission-equipped vehicles from 2006, including the Jeep Liberty and Wrangler, as well as the Dodge Viper. FCA engineers uncovered that the clutch ignition interlock switches use a kind of wire that was part of a previous recall campaign. Because of this, the company said that affected vehicles may not start, although in rare cases, "if recommended starting procedures are not followed," the affected vehicles may lurch forward after turning the key. Those recommended starting procedures "include activating the parking brake, placing the shift lever in neutral and pressing the clutch pedal before turning the vehicle's ignition key." Recall number two affects the company's 2015 Ram ProMaster City cargo and passenger vans. Owners will need to report to dealers to have a piece of tape removed from the side-curtain airbags. The tape is added during assembly and in some cases, may not have been removed. That could prevent the airbags from deploying in the event of a crash. Just under 59,000 vehicles are included in the first recall, including 43,874 in the United States, 11,309 outside of North America, 2,944 in Canada and 706 in Mexico. The ProMaster City recall includes just over 3,900 vehicles. FCA claims it's unaware of any injuries, fatalities or accidents related to either recall and will perform repairs free of charge. Scroll down for the official press release on both campaigns. Related Video: Statement: Clutch Ignition Interlock Switch April 23, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is launching a voluntary recall of an estimated 43,874 older-model U.S.-market cars and SUVs equipped with manual transmissions. The Company will replace their clutch ignition interlock switches at no charge to customers. The action follows an investigation by FCA US engineers that discovered these vehicles are equipped with switches that contain a certain type of wire implicated in a previous campaign. The wire, which was temporarily substituted by a supplier for the specified material, may break. As a result, the vehicles may not start, and in rare cases – if recommended starting procedures are not followed – a vehicle may exhibit unintended movement when its ignition key is turned. FCA US is unaware of aware of any related injuries or accidents involving this population of vehicles.