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Playboy's Playmate of the Year gets a Fiat 124 Spider

As Playboy's latest – and possibly last – Playmate of the Year, we have little doubt that Eugena Washington can get a ride in just about any car she wants. But for the next two years she'll be driving herself around in a 2017 Fiat 124 Spider – the model that FCA has fittingly positioned as the automotive equivalent of Viagra. A two-year lease on the Japanese-made, Italian-styled roadster is part of Washington's prize package for winning the magazine's top honor, along with $100,000 in cash. The actress and model has already made it to the top three in the seventh season of Tyra Banks' show America's Next Top Model and has appeared in advertising campaigns for Lexus, Target, and an array of cosmetics brands. Eugena is the publication's 57th Playmate of the Year, and the third black woman to receive the title (following 1990's Renee Tenison and Ida Ljungqvist in 2009). But she may also be the last as the magazine, in an historic move, transitions away from nudity in print and into the mainstream to compete with publications like GQ and Vanity Fair. Related Video: Eugena Washington, Playboy's 2016 Playmate of the Year, With All-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider May 12, 2016 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Eugena Washington, an accomplished model and actress from Palmdale, California, has been named Playboy's 2016 Playmate of the Year. Along with her title, Washington receives $100,000 in prize money and a two-year lease on the all-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider. Reviving the storied nameplate, the all-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider brings its classic Italian styling and performance to a new generation. Paying homage to the original 124 Spider nearly 50 years after its introduction, the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider delivers the ultimate Italian roadster experience with driving excitement, technology and safety combined with iconic Italian design. Washington is featured on the cover and a 10-page pictorial inside Playboy's June 2016 issue. Click here for more from the May 11 announcement. ### Playboy Names Eugena Washington Its 2016 Playmate Of The Year LOS ANGELES, May 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Eugena Washington, an accomplished model and actress from Palmdale, California, has been named Playboy's 2016 Playmate of the Year and will be formally introduced to press today at the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills, California.

Marchionne's FCA-GM merger might come after Ferrari spinoff

Sergio Marchionne is continuing to rumble about working out a merger with General Motors, but don't expect anything big to happen before at least early next year. That's because Marchionne would likely wait for the Ferrari spin-off to be complete before beginning his next big deal, according to Automotive News. While the Ferrari IPO on the New York Stock Exchange is expected in the coming weeks, that only concerns 10 percent of the shares. The remaining 80 percent of stock is being distributed among shareholders in 2016. Piero Ferrari holds the final 10 percent with no intention to sell. This strategy allows FCA to claim 80 percent of the Prancing Horse's profits in the automaker's 2015 financial results. According to Automotive News, the tactic has other advantages, as well. FCA would be flush with cash by waiting for the spin-off to be complete, and it would keep Ferrari separate if a GM merger actually happens. Marchionne thinks Ferrari could be valued at over $11 billion in the IPO, and it could make FCA $3.3 billion richer when complete. Marchionne believes a combined FCA/GM could sell 17 million vehicles a year globally and rake in $30 billion in earnings. In the CEO's opinion, the two automakers are wasting money by developing components to do the same things on their vehicles. Although, so far the General's top execs are rebuffing all of his advances.

2019 Fiat 500X First Drive Review | Anchor's away!

MALIBU, Calif. — We lived with the Fiat 500X for a year and were pleasantly surprised by everything it had to offer but — and this is a big but, a but worthy of Sir Mix-a-LotÂ’s affection — the entire powertrain.  ItÂ’s no small feat that the small crossover was able to charm us despite our distaste for the very thing that makes it move. For 2019Â’s mid-cycle facelift, Fiat has addressed that exact issue. Gone is the old, naturally aspirated 2.4-liter inline-four that Fiat called the Tigershark, but we called a boat anchor. It was noisy, unresponsive, and an insult to tiger sharks. We preferred the lower-spec 1.4-liter turbo to the higher-spec 2.4, and suggested that it should be offered on all trims. Now the sole engine on all trim levels is a turbocharged 1.3-liter with stop-start and Multiair III, FiatÂ’s third-generation cam-less variable intake valve system. Fiat also eliminated the front-wheel-drive option for 2019, making all 500Xs all-wheel drive. Though the motor is down three horsepower overall — 177 versus the TigersharkÂ’s 180 — it more than makes up for it in torque. The outgoing engine produced 175 lb-ft at a lofty 3,900 rpm, which wasnÂ’t really useful in real-world driving. The 2019 comes with 210 lb-ft at a mere 2,200 rpm, giving drivers significantly more grunt at the low end. Beyond that, Fiat says the engine is less thirsty than the 2.4-liter — the only engine available in 2018 all-wheel-drive models — returning 24 city and 30 highway mpg. ThatÂ’s 3 mpg better in the city and 1 on the highway, made possible with more efficient technologies like needle roller bearings around the exhaust cam, a variable displacement oil pump, and an integrated charge-air cooler and exhaust manifold. We'll note that the 2018 500X equipped with front-wheel drive, the 1.4-liter turbocharged engine and six-speed manual transmission is still the most efficient of them all, returning 25 city and 33 highway mpg. “The engine is about 80 pounds lighter than the 2.4,” chief engineer Adam Remesz told us, putting total curb weight for the AWD model with 17-inch alloys at 3,305 pounds. Improved efficiency also means reduced CO2 emissions, down from 264 grams per mile to 242. According to Remesz, thatÂ’s “about the amount expelled by an average adult male running a 10k race.” Sure. The new mill mostly addresses our biggest gripe with the 500X. The throttle feels peppier, and rolling acceleration is much improved.