1966 Fiat 500 on 2040-cars

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Gio Ponti's '50s-era Linea Diamante is a brand new old car

Art Basel has grown to expansive levels in the past decade. The historic global modern and contemporary art tour has integrated itself in automotive culture through various initiatives such as its partnership with BMW. But for those who are interested strictly in the relationship between automobiles and art and design, there is a different Basel: Grand Basel, a new show launched this year in Switzerland. There, alongside automobiles of timeless importance, a never-realized car design from the '50s debuted for the first time. That car is the Linea Diamante, which roughly translates to Diamond Line. The design was originally conceptualized in 1952 by Gio Ponti and Alberto Rosselli for Carrozzeria Touring. It was intended for an Alfa Romeo 1900 chassis, yet looked nothing like any Alfa, or any other vehicle, of the time. Grand Basel describes itself as a place where "the finest automobiles of the past, present, and future are discussed in the cultural context of art, design, architecture, and lifestyle." In that vein, the Linea Diamante is now viewed as a design far ahead of its time. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. With a shape similar to that of a Saab 900, which didn't debut until the late '70s, the Linea looked nothing like the over-stylized bubbly curvaceous designs of the '50s. Hoping to oppose the less practical car bodies that created large cavernous interiors, Ponti set out to craft a suit that isolated passengers from the outside less. The result is a boxy vehicle with a wide-open cabin. The panels are flat, the nose is low, the greenhouse is upright and tall, and the rear angles straight down like a hatchback. Though it was an eyesore to many at the time, the design created better visibility, an airy-feeling cabin, and maintained practical space. The rear seats are even adjustable, an unheard-of feature for the period. It is also on this car that Ponti formed a relationship with Pirelli (he later designed the Pirelli Tower in Milan). Furthering the futuristic premise of the vehicle, the Linea had a wrap-around rubber bumper with spring-mounted pieces at the front and rear for extra safety in the event of an accident. As a nod to this collaboration, Pirelli provided the tires for the modern replica. When Carrozzeria Touring turned the wild concept down, Ponti turned to Fiat, but the design was thought to be too outrageous.

2022 Fiat 500X gets Yacht Club Capri special edition

Fifteen years ago, Fiat released a product roadmap identifying 10 new models to appear between 2007 and 2010 that would join seven extant models across Europe and the U.S. Today, Fiat's home market of Italy only sells five models, three of them versions of the 500, and the U.S. has just one, the 500X. As for that model, it sold 1,443 units here in 2020; based on the 980 sales through the end of September this year, Fiat won't even reach that abysmal mark. Yet the show must go on, so Fiat's got two touches of flair in store for the 2022 500X. Starting small, there will be an "Al-Fresco" retractable fabric roof available for all trims. To ensure the sprezzatura a 500X driver demands, the top can be had in four colors, three of them being black, gray, or red.  The last color, blue, is reserved for the bigger news: A new Yacht Club Capri trim, a special edition model that is also blue. The model is named for the island of Capri, not far from Naples, Italy, and the numerous yachts that stop in there. Based on the penultimate Sport trim, it comes awash in Venenzia blue paint and sits on 18-inch wheels with Venezia blue accents outside, and gets Yacht Club Capri badging. Inside, Ivory leather seats with blue piping face an instrument panel with a woodgrain insert and shift lever given a satin finish. In other markets this same model is known as the Yachting Collector's Edition and is also available on the two-door all-electric 500, the build allotment limited to 500 numbered units. Fiat didn't mention limited production for the U.S. Every 500X is powered by a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 177 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque sending power to all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic. Fiat hasn't officially released pricing, but based on information found on auto pricing sites, it appears the automaker could have a $680 price increase in mind. Fiat says the current four trims will carry over, Pop, Trekking, Sport, and Trekking Plus. According to the info we found, only three are priced so far. Tentative pricing for 2022, including the whopping $1,495 destination charge, is: Pop: $28,120 Trekking: $29,255 Sport: $30,110 Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Towing with the 2016 Ram lineup [w/video]

I do not tow things. Ever. Yet I recently found myself at the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles proving grounds in Chelsea, MI, where I'd be testing the hauling capabilities of Ram's current product range. This experience was not only a perfect education for a towing novice like me, but allowed me to tow far more weight than I'd ever consider hauling the real world, and all within the safe confines of the Chelsea Proving Grounds. There was an extremely diverse array of vehicles at my disposal, including Ram's gasoline- and diesel-powered offerings with trucks ranging from the 1500 on up through the 5500 Chassis Cab, as well ProMaster vans. Beyond that, FCA brought out a number of vintage Dodge pickups for me to play with, while also working with Case IH to provide a track-loader I could test. I put together a range of videos covering everything from the classics to the production trucks to the construction equipment. And despite some technical difficulties – you'll notice a distinct lack of in-car videos, with blame going to a corrupted micro SD card – I've assembled ten videos that give an up-close look at Ram's offerings. 2015 Ram ProMaster City Let's start small. The ProMaster City only has a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds. That's a reasonably impressive figure for a van that uses the same powertrain as a Chrysler 200. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder and nine-speed automatic weren't really bothered with the extra weight added by the trailer. Even when accelerating at freeway speeds, the ProMaster City didn't feel out of breath or hampered by its load. That said, the rear of the van was unloaded, which probably wouldn't be the case for most consumers. It's unclear how the City would feel if its driver were taking advantage of the max payload (1,883 pounds) and towing. 2015 Ram ProMaster 1500 To be polite, the Ram ProMaster is a difficult vehicle to like. Its awkward seating position is bus-like and lacks the visibility enjoyed by the Ford Transit or the utter driving comfort of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Its 3.0-liter, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, meanwhile, is something of an anomaly. While it's potent for a four-cylinder diesel, producing 295 pound-feet of torque and 174 horsepower, those numbers don't feel all that impressive when loaded down. The model I tested was barely using half of its 5,100-pound maximum towing weight and was loaded down with just 500 of its 3,620-pound payload. Yet it lacked the pluckiness of the smaller City.