Fiat 500 Arbath on 2040-cars

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Nissan didn't have much say in merger talks, but it had what FCA wanted

TOKYO — Nissan wasn't consulted on the proposed merger between its alliance partner Renault and Fiat Chrysler, but the Japanese automaker's reluctance to go along may have helped bring about the surprise collapse of the talks. While Nissan Motor Co. had a weaker bargaining position from the start, with its financial performance crumbling after the arrest last year of its star executive Carlos Ghosn, it still had as its crown jewel the technology of electric vehicles and hybrids that Fiat Chrysler wanted. The board of Renault, meeting Thursday, didn't get as far as voting on the proposal, announced last week, which would have created the world's third biggest automaker, trailing only Volkswagen AG of Germany and Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. When the French government, Renault's top shareholder with a 15% stake, asked for more time to convince Nissan, Fiat Chrysler Chairman John Elkann abruptly withdrew the offer. Although analysts say reviving the talks isn't out of the question, they say trust among the players appears to have been broken. "The other companies made the mistake of underestimating Nissan's determination to say, 'No,' " said Katsuya Takeuchi, senior analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities in Tokyo. The Note, an electric car with a small gas engine to charge its battery, was Japan's No. 1 selling car, the first time in 50 years that a Nissan beat Toyota and Honda. Renault and Fiat Chrysler highlighted possible synergies that come from sharing parts and research costs as the benefits of the merger. But what Fiat Chrysler lacks and really wanted was what's called in the industry "electrification technology," Takeuchi said. With emissions regulations getting stricter around the world, having such technology is crucial. Yokohama-based Nissan makes the world's best-selling electric car Leaf. Its Note, an electric car equipped with a small gas engine to charge its battery, was Japan's No. 1 selling car for the fiscal year through March, the first time in 50 years that a Nissan model beat Toyota and Honda Motor Co. for that title. Nissan is also a leader in autonomous-driving technology, another area all the automakers are trying to innovate. "Although Nissan had no say, its cautionary stance on the merger ended up being very meaningful," Takeuchi said.

The Fiat 500 GQ Edition is not all that it appears to be

With Fiat's business model effectively previewed by rival Mini's moves toward success throughout the years, it's certainly no surprise to see the Italianate 500 start to cough up some limited edition models. The 500C has already, and famously teamed with Gucci (via a small J.Lo kerfuffle) and now Fiat has brought a 500 GQ Edition to Geneva, presumably for gentlemen drivers with style.
The co-branding with Gentleman's Quarterly includes orange GQ badges that match 500 logos of the same color. The show car seen here is presented in a matte grey and carbon black paint scheme that will not be offered for the public when the car goes on sale in Europe (500 Bait and Switch Edition is more like it). Instead, European customers will get a two-tone metallic grey/black 500S, with chromed mirror caps, unique 16-inch wheels, orange brake calipers. Inside we're told the car will offer unique leather seats and a leather-covered gear knob.
See the show car in our gallery above, and scroll down below for the press release.

Fiat 500 Lego Ideas kit is super cool and close to production

Back in 2016, we highlighted an awesome Lego Fiat 500 model that was submitted to the Lego Ideas website. The website, for those of you unfamiliar, is where Lego fans can submit their creations to potentially become production kits that other people could buy. That kit was still in the early stages of hitting 10,000 supporters, the number needed to officially be considered by Lego. We have learned that the kit is now really close to hitting the goal. It has reached 8,255 supporters at the time of writing, and it has 139 days remaining to hit the goal. It's worth supporting, too, if you haven't. We felt that way when we first wrote about it. We were impressed by its opening doors, hood, trunk lid and sunroof. Plus, it's full of cool little details such as windshield wipers, a spare tire under the hood, a little rendition of the 500's already small engine in the back, and a nicely detailed interior. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. We're also impressed at how the creators, Felix Stiessen and Gabriele Zannotti, have been refining the model since we last saw it. It now has clear bricks to form a solid windshield, and there are a number of areas in which the model has been smoothed out and cleaned up. The car's front and roof are key examples. The bumper is now rounded at the corners, and the hood takes advantage of more curved pieces that slope forward for a rounder look. If you want the chance to get one of these 500 kits yourself, definitely go to the Lego Ideas website, sign up, and hit the support button. It doesn't cost anything, and you can find other neat kits to support. There's a very real possibility of the kit reaching production, too. A really cool Lego Caterham kit that garnered enough support on Lego Ideas was approved for production back in 2016, and it's still available for purchase at the Lego website for $79.99. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lego Fiat 500 Image Credit: Felix Stiessen and Gabriele Zannotti Toys/Games Fiat Hatchback Classics Lego