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Macron and Le Pen decry 'shocking' Stellantis CEO pay

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right challenger in the French presidential vote, Marine Le Pen, on Friday both decried as “shocking” the multimillion euro payout to the CEO of carmaker Stellantis. Stellantis CEO Carlos TavaresÂ’ remuneration package of 19.15 million euros just a year after the company was formed became an issue as Macron and Le Pen campaigned ahead of the April 24 runoff vote. Polls show purchasing power and inflation are a top voter concern. Stellantis was formed last year through the merger of PSA Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Centrist President Emmanuel Macron, perceived by many voters as being too pro-business, called the pay package “astronomical” and pushed for a Europe-wide effort to set ceilings on “abusive” executive pay. “ItÂ’s shocking, itÂ’s excessive,” he said Friday on broadcaster France-Info. “People canÂ’t have problems with purchasing power, difficulties, the anguish theyÂ’re living with, and see these sums. Otherwise, society will explode.” Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who enjoys support from many working-class voters, called for bringing in more workers as shareholders. “Of course itÂ’s shocking, and itÂ’s even more shocking when it is the CEOs who have pushed their society into difficulty,” she said Friday on BFM television. “One of the ways to diminish this pay, which is often out of proportion with economic life, is perhaps to allow workers in as shareholders.” Stellantis continued to back the package despite a 52.1% to 47.9% vote rejecting it at an annual shareholders' meeting chaired from the Netherlands, where the company is legally based, on Wednesday. The company, citing Dutch civil code, noted that the vote is advisory and not binding. The company later said in a statement that it took note of the vote, and will explain in an upcoming 2022 remuneration report “how this vote has been taken into account.” In the 2021 report, the company identified peer group companies that it used as a salary benchmark, including U.S. companies like Boeing, Exxon Mobile, General Electric as well as carmakers Ford and General Motors. Stellantis, whose brands include Peugeot, Fiat, Jeep, Opel and Maserati, reported net profits last year had tripled to 13.4 billion euros ($15.2 billion). The French government is the third-largest shareholder in Stellantis, with a 6.15% stake through the Bpifrance Participations S.A. French public investment bank.

Orange 2007 Maserati MC12 Versione Corsa is a 755-hp track tiger, and it's for sale

Maserati will enter a new era when it launches an all-new vehicle called the MC20 in May. As the name tips, the upcoming super sports car will be the spiritual successor to the MC12, one of the greatest Maseratis (and greatest cars) ever produced. So the timing couldn't have matched up any better when the ultimate form of the MC12 popped up for sale. Girardo & Co. is currently offering an orange-over-black MC12 Versione Corsa, one of only 12 ever built, and it is undeniably special. Girardo touts the MC12 Corsa as the most powerful Maserati ever built, not surprising considering the Ferrari Enzo-sourced MC12 was related to a race car. The MC12 was the road-going homologated version of the MC12 GT1, which dominated during its time in international GT racing. The GT1 had an air-restricted 6.0-liter V12 that made 580 bhp, while the MC12 made 630. But the Corsa was different. The Corsa, which is not street-legal and is intended for non-competitive track use only, is based on the GT1, but it didn't have to play by all of the rules and regulations required of a race car. That meant no air intake restrictions. With the shackles off, the Corsa's V12 increased its output to 755 horsepower at 8,000 rpm. Weighing in at 2,535 pounds without liquids, thanks in part to the carbon fiber and Nomex honeycomb sandwich monocoque, the Corsa is capable of a 202.5-mph top speed. Maserati claims zero to 124 mph in 6.4 seconds. Gear work is handled by a six-speed sequential semi-automatic Cambiocorsa gearbox, and stopping power comes from carbon ceramic brakes. Whereas Maserati built 50 examples of the MC12 road car, the Corsa model was significantly more limited. In total, 13 examples were built, and one was a prototype. This specific car, chassis No. ZAMDF44B000029631, is No. 8 of 12, and it has an interior plaque that says, "Commemorates the victory at its maiden long distance race the 24hrs of Spa. A first in racing history." Originally, the cars were offered to top-tier customers through invitation to purchase the vehicle for $1.1 million, by today's conversion rates.  Although the price is not listed, we expect today's purchase number to be significantly higher. In 2017, a different Corsa was listed for $2.75 million. Check out more details and photos on Girardo & Co. Related Video:    

2017 Maserati Quattroporte First Drive

When German companies launch a new luxury sedan, they chat about more power, better economy, and leveraged links to Silicon Valley's hottest microchip and graphics powerhouses. It's not like that in Italy. The Mediterranean peninsula only has one authentic maker of luxury sedans, and cutting-edge consumer technology has never been Maserati's forte. Beautiful cars, sure. Compelling engine notes, yup. The prioritization of handling emotion above cornering speed and even ride quality? Absolutely. Three years ago Maserati thought that blueprint would be enough for its all-new Quattroporte. It wasn't. For starters, the car wasn't beautiful. Compared to the filigreed purity of its predecessor, the QP (as they call it in Modena) looked awkward, even clunky. A big part of that was the sheer scope of the 124.8-inch wheelbase, which made it nigh impossible to deliver the proportional elegance and unfussed panel pressings of its predecessor. Still, the added length provided rear legroom that takes surveyors to measure. More important than what it had (and whether that was good or bad) was what it didn't have. There was no button on the remote to open the trunk, no self-parking system, no reversing camera, definitely no 360-degree camera setup, no radar cruise control, no semi-autonomous steering, and no modern navigation or infotainment. By far the biggest Maserati (at 207.2 inches, it dwarfs most of the standard versions of almost any sedan, anywhere), the Quattroporte now has some small visual changes and enough driver-assistance stuff (like radar cruise) to bring it up to German levels. At least, that's the on-paper argument. Not one of the 2017 model's visual upgrades is metallic. The changes include a new plastic grille (inspired by the design language of the Alfieri concept car), updated lights, and some very subtle differences between the sportier GranSport and the more luxurious GranLusso versions, two new trim packages. The aero guys have been busy, too, with a flat floor and a new Air Shutter that lowers drag by 10 percent and by itself improves the fuel consumption by three percent (anything else is down to stop-start). In a tech, tech, tech world, the Quattroporte is the anti-Tesla. There are no plans to give the big boy any form of hybrid power much less a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Maserati's engineers look at you funny for mentioning hydrogen fuel cell or battery-electric power.