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The Fiat 124 Spider configurator is live

Last week, Fiat released pricing on the new 124 Spider, and now the roadster's configurator is online. If you buy the Elaborazione Abarth version of the 124 ( elaborazione means 'processing,' which makes little sense to us), you'll probably be thinking about the leather/Alcantara Recaro seats. They're a $1,195 option that Mazda has no answer for on the MX-5 Miata, but adding them means making a big sacrifice, because you can't get the $3,995 Luxury Collection. The pricey package adds a range of desirable options, including leather (but not Recaro) sport seats, navigation, LED headlights, and a nine-speaker Bose stereo. So, you can either have all that good stuff, or you can get the Recaros. It's not an easy decision at all. The Abarth's other big package is the Safety and Comfort Collection. Its $1,495 price tag adds blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, heated exterior mirrors, and an auto-dimming interior mirror. You can only select this item if you go with the Recaros, since most of the stuff it adds comes with the Luxury Collection. Standalone options include a $1,495 set of Brembo brakes. The black hood decal, featured on both the Geneva and New York Auto Show cars, is conspicuous by its absence. The options lists are simpler for lesser 124 Spiders. The base Classica gets by with a $1,295 Technology Collection (seven-inch display audio, rear-view camera, and push-button start with keyless entry). The mid-range Lusso mirrors the Abarth's mutually exclusive packages, with an identical Safety and Comfort Pack. The $3,795 Premium Collection, meanwhile, offers all the same gear as the Luxury Collection for a little less money. Neither the Classica nor the Lusso offer standalone options. We promise the 124 Spider's configurator is better than whatever else you had planned for this Monday afternoon. Related Video: Related Gallery Abarth 124 Spider News Source: Fiat USAImage Credit: Fiat USA Auto News Fiat Car Buying Convertible Performance fiat 124 spider fiat 124 fiat 124 spider abarth

UAW may be key to forced FCA merger with GM

Sergio Marchionne doesn't give up on a business deal easily. While outwardly not much has recently been said about FCA's attempted merger with General Motors, Marchionne might be hoping to garner a powerful, new ally that could help break things wide open. The United Auto Workers retiree health care trust is the single largest shareholder of GM with 8.7 percent of the stock, and having its support would certainly improve FCA's position in getting a deal done. "Whatever happens in terms of consolidation, it would never be done without the consent and support of the UAW," Marchionne said when FCA recently began contract talks with the UAW, The Detroit News reports. The boss is also allegedly on good terms with the union president Dennis Williams. Still, using the organization for a hostile takeover could be very difficult because of the way its votes are structured. Other activist investors might already be on board, though. Marchionne believes that consolidation in the industry is vital because automakers are investing to create the same technologies. A GM/FCA merger still has many roadblocks, though, including the fact that Marchionne's company is smaller than GM. From a regulatory perspective, the size of the merged company could raise serious anti-trust concerns among regulators, according to The Detroit News. There's also the concern for lost jobs from redundant work with the two combined businesses. Even if the UAW angle doesn't work out, there are contingency plans afoot for other merger targets. According to The Detroit News speaking to anonymous insiders, FCA bigwigs have a meeting in London on Thursday to take a close look at other options. In addition to GM, they are investigating possible deals with Volkswagen and the Renault-Nissan Alliance. In the past, PSA Peugeot Citroen and multiple Asian automakers have also been brought up as partners, and UBS has reportedly been providing financial advice on what to do.

Strike looms for FCA workers as soon as Wednesday night

A strike is on the very near horizon for at least some United Auto Workers members at FCA US. On October 6, the union sent a letter to the automaker that officially announced the termination of its agreements with the company as of 11:59 PM on Wednesday, October 7. Assuming that a deal or extension hasn't happened by that time, workers could hit the picket line. While neither side is talking much publicly, it does appear that negotiations are still underway. In a very brief statement, the automaker simply says: "FCA US confirms that it has received strike notification from the UAW. The Company continues to work with the UAW in a constructive manner to reach a new agreement." The UAW seems equally receptive, and it says in a post on Facebook: "Negotiations with FCA continue. Your bargaining team is hard at work and we will continue to post updates when there is more to report." If a strike happens, it could put a serious financial burden on FCA US. Economist Sean McAlinden from the Center for Automotive Research estimates the cost at as much as $40 million per week, according to Reuters. The union hasn't clarified at this time whether all of its workers with the automaker would stop working or if the picket lines would only be at specific plants. The first tentative agreement posted to UAW members working with FCA US utterly failed in voting. Raises and a healthcare co-op would have been among the new benefits. However, the employees were upset that the proposed deal retained a two-tier wage structure, and they also didn't like the lack of details about rumors of major production changes.