2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder E-gear Convertible on 2040-cars

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Fiat Chrysler's profit boosted by Ram and Jeep in North America

MILAN/DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler took the market by surprise by sticking to its full-year profit guidance on Wednesday after a strong performance from its Ram pickup truck in North America helped it defy an industry slowdown. Chief Executive Mike Manley, in FCA's first earnings release since a failed attempt to merge with France's Renault, also left the door open to that or other deals. "We are open to opportunity," Manley said on a call with analysts. "I have no doubt why there still would be interest in it," he added, when pressed on what it would take to revive talks with Renault. Manley declined to comment further. FCA last month abandoned its $35 billion merger offer for Renault, blaming French politics for scuttling what would have been a landmark deal to create the world's third-biggest automaker. Manley said a merger was not a must-have and Fiat Chrysler's business plan was strong. The company said it remained confident its adjusted earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) would top last year's 6.7 billion euros ($7.5 billion). Given disappointing forecasts from other automakers this earnings season, FCA's confirmation of the outlook sent Milan-listed shares in the Italian-American automaker, whose other brands include Jeep, up over 4%. A broad-based auto sales downturn has rattled the sector, forcing FCA's competitors — including Renault, Daimler and Aston Martin — to cut their sales forecasts after second-quarter results, while U.S. carmaker Ford gave a weaker-than-expected 2019 profit outlook. Japan's Nissan, a long-term partner of Renault, said it would cut 12,500 jobs by 2023 after its earnings collapsed. In the second quarter FCA's adjusted EBIT totaled 1.52 billion euros, versus analysts' expectations of 1.43 billion euros, according to a Reuters poll. FCA's U.S. shipments were down 12% in the second quarter but the group said that the successful performance of its Ram brand resulted in an enhanced share of the large pickup truck market of 27.9%, up 7 percentage points from last year. Adjusted EBIT margin in North America rose to 8.9% from 6.5% in the first quarter, thanks to strong demand for the heavy-duty Ram and the new Jeep Gladiator pickup. Chief Financial Officer Richard Palmer also said FCA expected to report up to 10% margins in the region in both the third and fourth quarters.

We drive the cars of Furious 7... in Forza Horizon 2 [w/video]

On March 27, Turn 10 Studios, the folks behind the Forza Motorsport series, and Universal Pictures, the studio responsible for the Fast and Furious franchise, gave us a match made in heaven, announcing a "standalone expansion" featuring the two franchises. Called Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast and Furious, it features the cars from the latest film installment, unique missions and the voice-acting of Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, who plays tech guru Tej Parker on camera. A Fast and Furious video game? Seems like a no brainer. It gets better. Rather than limiting the Fast and Furious Edition cars to the expansion game, Turn 10 made them available through one of their (some may say notorious) downloadable content packages. Eight of the expansion's 11 cars were made available for just $4.99 (the only cars that weren't included were the Fast and Furious Edition Nissan GT-R, while the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport and McLaren P1 are already available in-game). What's cool ais that the cars featured in both games are visually identical to the vehicles driven by the stars of Furious 7. Each in-game car has an on-screen parallel that plays a role in advancing the film's story. Considering that we're unlikely to score seat time in Dominic Toretto's real Dodge Charger, then, we figured we'd take to the game and test the car in the digital realm. We've got nine little cluster reviews, covering the cars both in the game and how they appear in the movies. And don't worry, there are no major spoilers here. Click on for the cars of Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast and Furious. 1970 Dodge Charger R/T Fast and Furious Edition Supercharged 7.2L V8 / 900 HP / 663 LB-FT The one vehicle that is mandatory in a Fast and Furious video game, Dom's hot-rodded 1970 Dodge Charger, is as much a character in the films as its driver. Furious 7 marks the fourth appearance of this Mopar beast in the series. Not surprisingly it's a handful to drive, wildly quick and with a four-speed transmission packed full of very tall gears. But beyond that, it's arguably the coolest of the FF Edition cars. This black beauty is exactly as it appears in the latest installment of the film, with the video game version featuring intricate little details, like the moving parts on the BDS supercharger. It's an iconic car, and it's treated as such in the game.

2022 Maserati Ghibli, Levante and Quattroporte get new trim levels

Maserati's three-car lineup soldiers into 2022 with some new trim levels for the Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans and the Levante crossover SUV. Say arrivederci to the GranLusso and GranSport nameplates and buongiorno to the new GT and Modena monikers. They join the Trofeo, which arrived last year as the top-of-the-line variant for sedans after having been introduced on the Levante in 2018. In the Ghibli, the GT is powered by the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 making 345 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. It also gets 18-inch alloy wheels and chrome accents outside, with leather "comfort" seats and Dark Mirror trim inside. The Ghibli Modena features a 424-horsepower version of the V6 engine with 428 lb-ft. Restyled bumpers with black inserts and 20-inch wheels complete the look outside, while the interior boasts "wraparound" leather seats. The top-drawer Ghibli Trofeo returns with its Ferrari-built 580-horsepower twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 with 538 lb-ft of torque (top speed: 203 miles per hour). The Ghibli Trofeo is also denoted by its carbon-fiber exterior trim, 21-inch wheels and red brake calipers. The Quattroporte GT uses the same 345-hp twin-turbo V6 as the Ghibli GT. The bigger sedan does upgrade to 19-inch wheels outside and what Maserati refers to as "radica" trim inside. In the Quattroporte also, the Modena again uses the 424-hp V6, rolls on 20-inch wheels and is dressed up inside with piano black accents. The Quattroporte Trofeo also rocks the 580-horse twin-turbo V8, carbon-fiber exterior, 21-inch wheels and red brake calipers. The Levante GT again uses the 345-hp V6 but deviates from the sedans with its 19-inch wheels and piano black interior accents. The Levante Modena gets the 424-hp V6, but a Levante-exclusive Modena S model swaps in a 550-hp version of the turbocharged V8. The Levante Modena S also has black exterior elements (the Nerrissimo Pack) and red calipers. The Levante Trofeo gets the full 580-horse version of the V8, again with carbon-fiber exterior trim and 21-inch wheels (with 22-inch available). Pricing has not yet been released for the 2022 Maseratis, although the cars are available to order starting July 1. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.