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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #299 LIVE!

We record Episode #299 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #299
2013 Honda Accord

Fiat/PSA's dominance in small vans hangs up EU's merger approval

BRUSSELS — EU antitrust regulators are concerned about Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot / PSA's combined high market share in small vans and may require concessions to clear their $50 billion merger, people familiar with the matter said. The companies, which are seeking to create the world's fourth biggest carmaker, were told of the European Commission's concerns last week. If Fiat and PSA fail to dispel the European Commission's doubts in the next two days and subsequently decline to offer concessions by Wednesday, the deadline for doing so, the deal would face a four-month-long investigation. The EU competition enforcer, which has set a June 17 deadline for its preliminary review, declined to comment. Fiat was not immediately available for comment while PSA had no immediate comment. Hiving off overlapping businesses, usually a regulatory demand to ensure more competition, could prove tricky for the carmakers because of the technicalities. Fiat and PSA are looking to merge to help offset slowing demand and shoulder the cost of making cleaner vehicles to meet tougher emissions regulations. The deal puts under one roof the Italian carmaker's brands such as Fiat, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Maserati and the French company's Peugeot, Opel and DS. Related Video: Government/Legal Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Citroen Opel Peugeot

Karl Lagerfeld in absurd Opel Corsa cat photo shoot making-of video

With his shock of white hair and penchant for wearing gloves and black sunglasses, fashion mogul Karl Lagerfeld isn't a hard guy to pick out of a crowd. But while he is best known for designing haute couture, Lagerfeld also has a passion for photography and his cat, Choupette. Both of them are being featured in bizarre advertising for the Opel Corsa in Europe, and a new, making-of video makes the whole process look even weirder.
Choupette, which has its own Twitter page, is moved around the Corsa, and Choupette going from looking vaguely scared to occasionally bored and even just angry at everything that's going on. It's hard to imagine pictures of a kitty selling many Opel hatchbacks. However, everyone here appears to be taking the photo shoot very seriously, and the stern mood just makes the proceedings seem that much more absurd.
Of course, if the Internet has proven anything, people love looking at cats, and getting Lagerfeld to shoot the car makes sense. He has done similar advertising before but has moved down the price ladder with each new job. In 2007, he shot a calendar of the Audi R8 exclusively for owners of the supercar. The designer returned a few years later with Volkswagen to advertise German special editions of the Polo, Golf and Golf Plus.