2013 Fiat 500c Abarth on 2040-cars

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Fiat debuts 500 Ribelle, 500L Urbana Trekking

Fiat has introduced a pair of special edition models at the 2014 Miami Auto Show, trotting out the 500 Ribelle and the 500L Urbana Trekking.
The smaller of the two, the compact 500 Ribelle, expands on the 500's retro-chic looks by adding a red roof, spoiler and mirror caps, which should contrast nicely with the limited color palette of Bianco, Billet Argento, Grigio and Nero Puro. Aside from the paint changes, Fiat has added gloss black headlight and taillight bezels and black wheels. The cabin comes with a choice of two upholstery colors: gray and red or gray and black.
The five-door 500L Urbana Trekking adds a few pieces of matte-painted trim, in the form of new mirror caps, side sills and body side molding. Matte-black, 17-inch wheels spice up the exterior and match the standard black roof, while Fiat's six selectable colors (Verde Bosco Perla, Rosso Perla, Giallo, Bianco, Grigio Scuro and Blue Tornado) add a degree of customization to the limited-edition five-door. For some reason, the pretty matte paint shown in the gallery was a one-off item for the debut car, and won't be offered to consumers. Gloss black interior trim pieces and a mix of black leather and leatherette change up the interior ever so slightly. Beats Audio and satellite radio are both standard features.

Marchionne uses racial epithet to describe what must power future Alfa Romeo models

Sergio Marchionne and his Fiat empire have a lot riding on the US return of the Alfa Romeo brand. The endeavor has been in progress for what feels like a lifetime - certainly for as long as Fiat has had the Chrysler brand under its Italian wing.
It's not surprising that Fiat CEO Marchionne needs a perfect first Alfa to mark a return to America. And here's where things get dicey. Nobody would argue with Marchionne's insistence that Alfa Romeo's be powered by Italian engines - as Marchionne himself is quoted to have said at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, "There are some things that are well done in Italy."
If not what he said, then, it's how he said it that has eyebrows raised. "I cannot come up with a schlock product, I just won't. I won't put an American engine into that car. With all due respect to my American friends, it needs to be a wop engine." Wait, what's that?

Fiat turns to Funny or Die with new Italian-centric video spots

The web video might be the sitcom of the modern age as the main way people consume comedy. Even if you don't want to sit down and watch a TV show, you can dedicate just a few minutes for a laugh from a brief film. Fiat found huge success last year with its Backseat Italians ad for the 500L on Funny or Die, with over 1.6 million views as of this writing. So the Italian automaker is playing on its country's stereotypes again in a new online series called Neighbors.
The concept behind the videos is super-simple. An attractive Italian couple with their Fiat 500L moves in next door to a stereotypical suburban family and hilarity ensues. Most of the shorts play up humorous misunderstandings in translation like with the phrase "When in Rome..." So far, the best of the bunch is probably Express Lane to Trouble about what happens when you drink too much espresso. If you like what you see, there are still two more episodes on the way soon.
Scroll down to watch all five current videos. They're only a few minutes long and should at least provide a good chuckle. You can also read Fiat's press release about the stunt, below.