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Swatch unleashes fleet of Fiats to sell MoonSwatches across the U.S.

The Omega Speedmaster is one of the most sought-after and iconic watches ever made, so it was no surprise when parent company Swatch got in on the action with a series of unique, entry-level quartz “MoonSwatch” collaboration watches. Buying the hot-selling bio-ceramic watches has been a chore, as Swatch only offers them in its limited number of stores. To help meet demand and promote the watches, the company is releasing a fleet of Fiat Cinquecentos to select locations where theyÂ’ll sell the timepieces on the streets. The MoonSwatch retails for $260, but their limited release pushed online resale “values” over $1,000 in some cases. The planet-themed watches arenÂ’t limited, but Swatch refuses to sell them online. The Fiat fleet will feature the same themes and visit cities around the country starting October 22. Swatch's “Mission to Mars” car will start its journey in Miami and hit other cities around Florida, while the “Mission to the Sun” Fiat will tour major metro areas in California. The blue “Mission to Neptune” car will visit locations in the Midwest. Though the tour began in July, the American portion doesnÂ’t start until this weekend. In all, eleven vehicles will travel the globe selling the watch. Swatch hasnÂ’t given out a set schedule and doesnÂ’t plan to, only saying that the cars will cover three regions in the United States. If you live in one of the regions listed, your best bet to snag a MoonSwatch is to keep your eyes peeled. Swatch also hasnÂ’t detailed which watch models each car will offer, so finding one doesnÂ’t guarantee youÂ’ll get the planet/color you want. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Weird Car News Fiat watch

New Fiat Chrysler CEO picks management team to tackle industry in flux

MILAN/DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler's new boss unveiled his management team on Monday, seeking to revive the automaker in Europe, forge ahead in North America and keep the group in contention in the industry's race to develop self-driving and electric cars. Mike Manley took over in July after long-time chief Sergio Marchionne fell ill and later died after succumbing to complications from surgery. British-born Manley has since pledged to carry through a strategy Marchionne outlined in June to keep FCA "strong and independent." "The next five years will continue to be extremely challenging for our industry, with tougher regulations, intense competition and probably slower industry growth around the world," Manley said in a letter to employees on Monday. "Nevertheless, with a laser focus on execution and a continued flexibility that allows us to adjust as circumstances change ... we have a clear line of sight to achieving our five-year ambitions." Manley appointed Pietro Gorlier, thus far chief operating officer of FCA's components business, as FCA's next European chief to tackle a region where profitability is below that of peers, many workers are stuck in furloughs and various plants run at below capacity. The carmaker's previous European chief Alfredo Altavilla left after FCA appointed Manley as Marchionne's successor. As head of the components unit, Gorlier has also led Magneti Marelli, the parts unit that FCA may either spin off or sell. He will be succeeded at Magneti Marelli by the parts maker's lighting division head Ermanno Ferrari. Japan's Calsonic Kansei has been in talks with FCA about buying the unit, sources familiar with the matter have said, but no binding agreement has been reached and the deal could still fall apart. Choosing an Italian as head of Europe might soothe some fears in Italy that FCA could weaken its link to Fiat's roots. In his last strategy unveiled in June, Marchionne vowed to convert Italian plants to churn out Alfa Romeos, Jeeps and Maseratis instead of less profitable mass market vehicles to preserve jobs and boost margins. Europe will also become a big part of the company's electrification drive. FCA will copy in Europe what worked in the United States, where it retooled plants to build pricier SUVs and trucks in a move since emulated by bigger rivals Ford and GM. Manley also named new managers to succeed him at Jeep and RAM, the two brands which have been driving profits in recent years and remain at the core of growth plans.

FCA's Pentastar V6 gets more power, efficiency for 2016

Already a vital member of FCA's powertrain lineup, the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 is receiving major efficiency improvements for 2016. Thanks to a massive amount of new tech attached to the mill, fuel economy is up six percent, and torque below 3,000 rpm jumps nearly 15 percent. The updates arrive first in the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee, but they should proliferate to other models eventually. At least in the Grand Cherokee, the tweaks push power up five horsepower to 295 ponies. FCA's engineers went through the Pentastar from top to bottom to eke out as much efficiency as possible. For example, there's now a two-speed variable-valve lift system that can run in low- or high-lift modes. This upgrade is responsible for 2.7-percent better economy, the company claims. A new intake manifold with longer runners and updated variable-valve times also helps boost the torque output. Further improvements come from pushing the compression ratio to 11.3:1, from 10.2:1 before. Perhaps most impressive is that despite all of the innovations, the latest Pentastar actually weighs four pounds less than the current version. Beyond the Pentastar improvements, all of the FCA US gasoline engines, except for the Viper's 8.4-liter V10, will be E15-compatible for 2016. The company says that it wants to be ready for the higher ethanol content fuel's greater use in the near future.