2014 Fiat 500l Trekking on 2040-cars

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James Bond to drive Fiat 500 in next film

After the return of James Bond's classic Aston Martin DB5 for some scenes in SkyFall, the spy with a license to kill is reportedly hopping into something much more mainstream for his next film. The upcoming Bond movie allegedly features a car chase through Rome in a Fiat 500, according to Sky News from info obtained by Italian news agency ANSA. The Italian capital is also rumored to play host to other action scenes in the film, and shooting for these portions allegedly runs through February and March of 2015. There's no word yet whether a modern or vintage 500 would be the star, but using a current 500 Abarth could keep things exciting, although we hope James gets behind the wheel of something a bit more exciting along the way, too. Regardless of which Fiat Bond drives, it still wouldn't match the Citroen 2CV chase in For Your Eyes Only as the spy's most plebeian automotive choice. The name for the next Bond movie isn't revealed yet, but filming is supposed to start in the coming weeks, according to Sky News. Daniel Craig returns for his fourth outing as the world's most famous fictitious spy, and Sam Mendes is reportedly in the director's chair again after helming SkyFall, as well.

Fiat seeking $10B in financing to buy Chrysler

As Fiat looks to become the full owner of Chrysler, all it has standing in its way is the retiree trust of the United Auto Workers, which currently holds the remaining 41.5 percent of the company as the result of the Pentastar's bankruptcy deal. The Detroit News is reporting that that Fiat is currently talking to numerous banks in an attempt to raise around $10 billion to fund the purchase of Chrysler's remaining stake with enough left over to refinance the debt of both companies. We've known that Fiat has been working to obtain the capital to buy out Chrysler for some time now, but this is the first time we've seen Fiat tip its hand about how much cash it thinks it will need to close the deal.
The first order of business is a legal dispute over the value of the UAW's stake in Chrysler, which the report indicates could cost Fiat around $3.5 billion. The acquisition of remaining shares could happen by this summer, but it sounds like CEO Sergio Marchionne (above) might not be ready for a full merger until next year.

Six 'shut up and take my money' cars

Any time you see this iconic moment in pop culture - Shut up and take my money! - posted in response to a new car reveal, rumor for an upcoming model or even lip-service to a vehicle that should exist, you can bet there's some intrinsic good in the idea. Though depending on the person offering up the cash, that good could take the form of extraordinary form, functionality, weight savings, power, handling, etc. You get the idea.
In fact, when I first proposed this list, I reached out to the Autoblog staff to help me brainstorm. Here are some of the ideas they offered up that I ultimately didn't use: Jaguar XE Coupe, Pagani Huayra Roadster, Mercedes-Benz S-Class "parade car" (cabriolet), Morgan 3-Wheeler with Ducati V-twin, Ford Transit Connectamino (pickup), Mercedes CLA63 AMG, Ford Fusion 5.0, BMW i8 Spyder, Lexus RC-F Shooting Brake, Volvo XC90 Polestar. Oh, and things we collectively wanted to stick Dodge's Hellcat in were almost as numerous as models that Fiat Chrysler Automotive currently makes (though none quite so compelling as the Grand Cherokee you see above.)
Ultimately though, while I used a couple of ideas from my colleagues, the list of cars I'd shell out for unquestionably is very personal. Though it isn't complete, what follows is a selection of cars whose very existence would prompt me - or the trust-fund-baby versions of me - to utter without hesitation: "Shut up and take my money."