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Scandal-rocked UAW extends Ford, FCA contracts, prepares to strike GM

DETROIT — Leaders of the United Auto Workers union have extended contracts with Ford and Fiat Chrysler indefinitely, but the pact with General Motors is still set to expire Saturday night. The move puts added pressure on bargainers for both sides as they approach the contract deadline and the union starts to make preparations for a strike. The contract extension was confirmed Friday by UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg, who declined further comment on the talks. The union has picked GM as the target company, meaning it is the focus of bargaining and would be the first company to face a walkout. GMÂ’s contract with the union is scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m. Saturday. ItÂ’s possible that the four-year GM contract also could be extended or a deal could be reached, but itÂ’s more likely that 49,200 UAW members could walk out of GM plants as early as Sunday because union and company demands are so far apart. Picket line schedules already have been posted near the entrance to one local UAW office in Detroit. Art Wheaton, an auto industry expert at the Worker Institute at Cornell University, expects the GM contract to be extended for a time, but he says the gulf between both sides is wide. “GM is looking through the windshield ahead, and it looks like nothing but land mines,” he said of a possible recession, trade disputes and the expense of developing electric and autonomous vehicles. “I think thereÂ’s really going to be a big problem down the road in matching the expectations of the union and the willingness of General Motors to be able to give the membership what it wants.” Plant-level union leaders from all over the country will be in Detroit on Sunday to talk about the next steps, and after that, the union likely will make an announcement. But leaders are likely to face questions about an expanding federal corruption probe that snared a top official on Thursday. Vance Pearson, head of a regional office based near St. Louis, was charged with corruption in an alleged scheme to embezzle union money and spend cash on premium booze, golf clubs, cigars and swanky stays in California. ItÂ’s the same region that UAW President Gary Jones led before taking the unionÂ’s top office last year. Jones and other union executives met privately at a hotel at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Friday. After the meeting broke up, JonesÂ’ driver and others physically blocked an AP reporter from trying to approach him to ask questions.

2017 Fiat 124 Spider questions if the answer is always Miata

It's a popular response among fans of Mazda's iconic, compact, rear-driver roadster – the answer to any question is always Miata. With the new MX-5-based Fiat 124 Spider, though, the Italians could be set to supplant Hiroshima's finest offering. That is partially because the new 124 Spider brings us something we've long been clamoring for in the Miata. Fiat ditched the MX-5's standard-issue 2.0-liter, Skyactiv four-cylinder, and replaced it with the popular 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder from the 500 Abarth. While it's worth getting excited about the new roadster's singing voice, it's the big jump in torque that will truly transform the driving experience. Rather than 148 pound-feet, there's a meaty 184 lb-ft, a figure which is paired with 160 horsepower (five more than the MX-5). As Managing Editor Ewing explained in his by-the-numbers comparison of the two roadsters, it's this new powertrain that has the most potential to change the dynamite MX-5 driving experience. Of course, we won't know how it handles for certain until we get behind the wheel. Stay tuned for that saga. As for the looks, we'd argue that they're largely subjective. Among the Autobloggers in attendance at the 2015 LA Auto Show, opinions seem to be split, with some appreciating the Fiata's extensive overhaul while others (notably professed Miata fanatic Ewing) are set firmly against it. We'd love to hear your take on the new look. Take a peek at our full gallery of images from the car's LA debut, and then register your opinion in Comments. All-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider Revives Legendary Nameplate with Iconic Italian Styling and Dynamic Driving Experience - 2017 Fiat 124 Spider returns nearly 50 years after original introduction Revival of roadster continues expansion of FIAT brand in North America - Delivers iconic Italian style with modern adaptation of original Spider legend - Powered by turbocharged MultiAir 1.4-liter engine for 160 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque, available with manual or automatic transmission Available with an array of safety and security features, plus technologies for added comfort and convenience - First 124 units will be available as limited-production Prima Edizione Lusso Auburn Hills, Mich., Nov 18, 2015 - The all-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider revives the storied nameplate, bringing its classic Italian styling and performance to a new generation.

Fiat teases upcoming new 124 roadster

Enthusiasts have been waiting for some time for the debut of the Fiat 124. And we've had some pretty good glimpses at what to expect along the way. But now Fiat has dropped the first official teaser images to prepare us for the arrival of its upcoming new roadster. The model tipped to revive the number 124 represents Fiat's version of the program that has already given us the new Mazda MX-5 Miata. The Italian counterpart was originally slated to wear the Alfa Romeo badge, but concerns that customers wouldn't welcome an Alfa made in Japan led FCA to repurpose the program as a Fiat. That brand already produces its vehicles in locations around the world, including the 500 in Poland and Mexico, the 500L in Serbia, and the upcoming Tipo in Turkey. Another Fiat made in Japan, then, wouldn't be as much of a stretch as it would be for Alfa Romeo, which manufactures exclusively in Italy. As we were able to see from the most recent spy shots, the Fiat 124 will adopt similar (if not identical) proportions and layout to the MX-5, but with its own unique sheetmetal. And that, as you can see from these line drawings, will include a prominent belt line melding into a muscular rear haunch. Expect FCA's own engines to slot in under the hood, including the turbo four from the Fiat 500 Abarth and the more potent one from the Alfa Romeo 4C. Given Fiat's timing in releasing these teasers, we have a good feeling the 124 could debut at the LA Auto Show later this month. The SoCal auto expo always proves a good setting at which to unveil a new convertible – especially one as vital to a brand's US presence as the 124 will be for Fiat. So watch this space.