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Lucid Air and Maserati MC20 unveiled | Autoblog Podcast #644

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Byron Hurd. Before they get to the juicy news of the week, they chat about the cars they've been driving, including a Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R, Audi A6 Allroad, Mazda CX-9 and Kia Niro. It's been a busy week in the news department, with GM investing in Nikola, Lucid Motors launching the Air electric sedan, Maserati unveiling the MC20 mid-engined supercar and a farewell to the Lexus GS. Then they talk about having a newfound respect for the Fox Body Mustang and the Mazda CX-9. Autoblog Podcast #644 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R 2020 Audi A6 Allroad 2020 Mazda CX-9 2020 Kia Niro GM buys $2 billion stake in Nikola, will build Badger hydrogen-electric pickup Update: Short-seller accuses Nikola of fraud and Nikola threatens to sue Lucid Air production electric luxury sedan is a dream revealed Lucid Air's modular powertrain opens up serious performance possibilities Lucid Motors teases electric SUV at Air debut Mid-engined, 621-horsepower MC20 inaugurates a new era for Maserati All future Maseratis will borrow styling cues from the MC20  2023 Maserati MC20 Folgore planned with three-motor electric powertrain Lexus GS dead for 2021 Respect to: Fox Body Mustang Mazda CX-9 Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Maserati showcasing opulent Levante options in New York

Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley said last year that it was a mistake to pair Maserati with Alfa Romeo because it suggested Maserati was a mass-market brand. Now on its own, this year the house of the trident begins to unfurl its luxury wings. The Ghibli, Quattroporte, and GranTurismo Convertible will be on hand, but focus rests on the Levante SUV for the New York Auto Show. Maserati plans North American debuts of its One of One Customization Program and the brand-exclusive Pelletessuta interior designed by Ermenegildo Zegna. One of One ushers Maserati buyers into the same realm of possibilities that BMW's Individual or Porsche Exclusiv does for those German brands, the standard over the gateway reading, "Anything is Possible." Up to now, the GranTurismo - the carmaker's second-oldest offering - has offered the greatest range of customization. Yet those stock choices in hue and finish pale when compared to One of One's "thousands of interior and exterior options" wrought by "Italian artisanal craftsmanship." As Maserati did in Geneva when debuting the program, a celebrity will visit the New York show stand to take delivery of "their never seen before" One of One Levante GTS. The general population gets the keys to the One of One program "in the near future." The other show car will be a bronze Zegna Levante S Q4 GranSport with the new Pelletessuta woven Nappa leather interior. Said to be a lightweight material created by the Italian fashion house, both durable and comfortable, Pelletessuta will only be available in Maseratis. The carmaker seems to have done us a disservice by posting photos of the material in black, or perhaps they're trying to lure us to the show to see it for ourselves. The new leather won't be available in North America until spring of 2020, so if your mind had already begun considering a calico-cat-matched One of One interior in a Gattara-colored Ghibli, it's going to be a minute.

Marchionne says no offers are on the table for Fiat Chrysler

MONZA, Italy (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler (FCA) has not received any offer for the company nor is the world's seventh-largest carmaker working on any "big deal", Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Saturday. Speaking on the sidelines of the Italian Formula One Grand Prix, Marchionne said the focus remained on executing the company's business plan to 2018. Asked whether FCA had been approached by someone or whether there was an offer on the table, he simply said: "No." The company's share price jumped to record highs last month after reports of interest for the group or some of its brands from China. China's Great Wall Motor Co Ltd openly said it was interested in FCA, but had not held talks or signed a deal with executives at the Italian-American automaker. The stock move was also helped by expectations that the company might separate from some of its units. Marchionne reiterated on Saturday that FCA was working on a plan to "purify" its portfolio and that units, such as the components businesses, would be separated from the group. He hopes to complete that process by the end of 2018. "There are activities within the group that do not belong to a car manufacturer, for example the components businesses. The group needs to be cleared of those things," he told journalists. Asked whether an announcement could come this year, Marchionne said it was up to the board to decide and that it would next meet at the end of September. He said the time was not right for a spin-off of luxury brand Maserati and premium Alfa Romeo and the two brands needed to become self-sustainable entities first and "have the muscle to stand on their feet, make sufficient cash". "The way we see it now, it's almost impossible, if not impossible, to see a spin-off of Alfa Romeo/Maserati, these are two entities that are immature and in a development phase," he said. "It's the wrong moment, we are not in a condition to do it." He said the concept of separating the two brands from FCA's mass market business made sense and did not rule out this happening in future, but not under his tenure, which lasts until April 2019. "If there is an opportunity in future, it would certainly happen after I'm gone. It won't happen while Marchionne is around," he said.