Leather Moonroof 4x4 on 2040-cars

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Marchionne uses racial epithet to describe what must power future Alfa Romeo models

Sergio Marchionne and his Fiat empire have a lot riding on the US return of the Alfa Romeo brand. The endeavor has been in progress for what feels like a lifetime - certainly for as long as Fiat has had the Chrysler brand under its Italian wing.
It's not surprising that Fiat CEO Marchionne needs a perfect first Alfa to mark a return to America. And here's where things get dicey. Nobody would argue with Marchionne's insistence that Alfa Romeo's be powered by Italian engines - as Marchionne himself is quoted to have said at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, "There are some things that are well done in Italy."
If not what he said, then, it's how he said it that has eyebrows raised. "I cannot come up with a schlock product, I just won't. I won't put an American engine into that car. With all due respect to my American friends, it needs to be a wop engine." Wait, what's that?

2013 Jeep Wrangler Moab Edition

There will forever be a soft spot in my heart for the Jeep Wrangler. The last one I owned was red, and, as a 1990 model, had the square headlights derided by Jeep enthusiasts who grew up on the Civilian Jeeps that descended from their General Purpose military ancestors. As a teenager, I couldn't have cared less what shape its headlights happened to be - to me, a Jeep Wrangler represented freedom; a carefree do-it-all machine equally at home with the top stowed away in the summer or with the heater on full blast in the snowy clutches of Old Man Winter. In Dr. Seuss parlance, my square-headlighted Sneetch was just as worthy as any round-headlighted Sneetch.
All that said, I'll be the first person to advise against buying a Jeep Wrangler of any sort for owners who don't plan to use it as its makers intend. There's no good reason to punish yourself with a stiff and springy ride, a loud and somewhat drafty (though generally water-resistant) interior or the poor fuel economy expected of a block-shaped vehicle if you don't enjoy its other, more exciting benefits.
Of course, Jeep has done its darndest over the years to make the Wrangler as civilized as possible while keeping it as capable as federal law will allow. The 2013 Jeep Wrangler Moab edition is one of Jeep's latest attempts to attract attention from the upper reaches of the active lifestyle set, and I spent a week with one to see what makes the Moab special.

What will Detroit do with the abandoned AMC headquarters?

As with so many other industrial and residential properties in Detroit, the former headquarters for the American Motors Corporation is having a hard time finding a reputable buyer. In October the Wayne County Treasurer held a tax foreclosure auction of 25,000 properties that included the AMC building, the starting bid being $500. Nicholas Casab won the building for $500, but the county voided the sale when Casab didn't pay the $232,000 in back property taxes. Detroit authorities haven't commented on the failed sale, but the city has until January 4 to decide if it wants to keep the building. If it doesn't want to hold onto it, the 1.5-million-square-foot property on 57 acres might be ceded to the Wayne County Land Bank Corporation. No matter who holds the deed come January 5, all anyone really wants is for someone to take possession of the building who will actually turn it into something useful and viable. The property opened in 1927 as a factory for the Kelvinator Corporation. Over the following decades, Kelvinator merged with the Nash Motor Company, and that merged entity merged with Hudson Motor Car Co, becoming American Motors. Chrysler took over the building in 1987 when it bought AMC, then shuttered it in 2009. The complex has produced refrigerators, Sikorsky helicopters, Jeeps, AMCs, and was used as an engineering center for Jeeps and other Chrysler products. Having been through several hands in the past six years, it is cited as part of the cycle of abandonment plaguing Detroit. Related Video: News Source: Detroit Free Press Government/Legal Chrysler Jeep Auctions Detroit amc