2002 Toyota Mr2 Spyder Base Convertible 2-door 1.8l Semi-auto Trans on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Stellantis will enter joint venture with Samsung SDI for EV batteries

SEOUL — South Korean battery maker Samsung SDI Co Ltd and global automaker Stellantis NV have agreed to jointly produce electric vehicle (EV) batteries for the North American market, a person familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Samsung SDI, an affiliate of South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics, already has EV battery plants in South Korea, China and Hungary, which supply customers such as BMW and Ford. "The two companies (Samsung SDI and Stellantis) have struck a MOU (memorandum of understanding) to produce EV batteries for North America," the person with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The source spoke of condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The person said the location of the battery joint venture is under review and will be announced later. In July, Reuters reported that Samsung SDI may build a battery plant in the United States, citing a company source. South Korea's Yonhap news agency earlier reported the two companies plan to build a factory in the United States, citing industry sources. Samsung SDI and Stellantis did not have immediate comment when reached by Reuters. Stellantis on Monday struck a preliminary deal with battery maker South Korea's LG Energy Solution (LGES) to produce battery cells and modules for North America. Shares of Samsung SDI were up 2.6% as of 0300 GMT, versus a 0.6% rise in the KOSPI benchmark index. Related video: Green Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Citroen Lancia Opel Peugeot Vauxhall

Little Red Racing Car Kickstarter project a father/son affair [w/video]

Tales of fathers and sons, whether told for adults or for children, never go out of style. It's appropriate then that The Little Red Racing Car, a story about a father and son finding and restoring a 1955 Maserati 300S, is such a stylish piece of work.
Author Dwight Knowlton first started working on The Little Red Racing Car when, after his son was born, he "went looking for the perfect Father/Son/Car book" and couldn't find one. Knowlton's artwork in has been influenced heavily by vintage automotive advertising and Grand Prix posters, and has a very clean, art deco vibe as a result.
Of course, TLRRC is still just a work in progress. Knowlton is hoping the Kickstarter community will help to get the ball rolling, and raise $25,000 to the book printed and distributed. The author even has a stretch goal to have the whole shebang made into and animated film - we love big dreams. Follow on below to hear Knowlton's pitch in his own words, or jump over to his Kickstarter page to look further or buy-in.

Mysterious Maserati test mule could be upcoming Alfa Romeo Giulia

Well well well, what have we here? The truth is that we don't know. It seems to be a Maserati Ghibli, but since that model is already out on the market, we're likely looking at something else. Just what is the question, and the answer likely lies in the wheelbase. While this test mule, spied undergoing cold-weather testing in northern Sweden, is clearly wearing the bodywork (and likely most of the mechanical bits) from the Ghibli, it's riding on a shortened wheelbase. Which tells us this could be one of two things: it's likely to be a test mule either for the upcoming Maserati Alfieri sports car, or for the new Alfa Romeo Giulia. The Alfieri was presented in concept form at the Geneva Motor Show back in March, foreshadowing a new sports car to serve as a halo model in the Maserati lineup. The production version is expected to be smaller and nimbler than the existing GranTurismo and positioned against the likes of the Porsche 911, Jaguar F-Type and Mercedes-AMG GT, to name just a few. The Giulia, meanwhile, is slated to be the first all-new Alfa Romeo since the arrival of the 4C last year and the Italian marque's first mainstream model since the launch of the Giulietta in 2010. The new sedan is expected to go after the likes of the BMW 3 Series and the new Jaguar XE, slotting in below the larger Maserati Ghibli that seeks to challenge the 5 Series and XF. If this is indeed a test mule for the new Alfa sedan, the quad tailpipes would seem, as our spy photographers point out, to indicate it's laying the groundwork for the GTA performance version. One way or another, there's something enticing to be coming soon from Italy, so watch this space.