Fiat 500 U.s. Edition Frog Eye on 2040-cars

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The next steps automakers could take after sales drop again in April

DETROIT (Reuters) - Major automakers on Tuesday posted declines in U.S. new vehicle sales for April in a sign the long boom cycle that lifted the American auto industry to record sales last year is losing steam, sending carmaker stocks down. The drop in sales versus April 2016 came on the heels of a disappointing March, which automakers had shrugged off as just a bad month. But two straight weak months has heightened Wall Street worries the cyclical industry is on a downward swing after a nearly uninterrupted boom since the Great Recession's end in 2010. Auto sales were a drag on U.S. first-quarter gross domestic product, with the economy growing at an annual rate of just 0.7 percent according to an advance estimate published by the Commerce Department last Friday. Excluding the auto sector the GDP growth rate would have been 1.2 percent. Industry consultant Autodata put the industry's seasonally adjusted annualized rate of sales at 16.88 million units for April, below the average of 17.2 million units predicted by analysts polled by Reuters. General Motors Co shares fell 2.9 percent while Ford Motor Co slid 4.3 percent and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's U.S.-traded shares tumbled 4.2 percent. The U.S. auto industry faces multiple challenges. Sales are slipping and vehicle inventory levels have risen even as carmakers have hiked discounts to lure customers. A flood of used vehicles from the boom cycle are increasingly competing with new cars. The question for automakers: How much and for how long to curtail production this summer, which will result in worker layoffs? To bring down stocks of unsold vehicles, the Detroit automakers need to cut production, and offer more discounts without creating "an incentives war," said Mark Wakefield, head of the North American automotive practice for AlixPartners in Southfield, Michigan. "We see multiple weeks (of production) being taken out on the car side," he said, "and some softness on the truck side." Rival automakers will be watching each other to see if one is cutting prices to gain market share from another, he said, instead of just clearing inventory. INVESTORS DIGEST BAD NEWS Just last week GM reported a record first-quarter profit, but that had almost zero impact on the automaker's stock. The iconic carmaker, whose own interest was once conflated with that of America's, has slipped behind luxury carmaker Tesla Inc in terms of valuation.

Abarth 124 Spider is one furious Fiata

If you've been thinking of picking up a nimble new roadster, but can't decide between the Mazda MX-5 Miata and its Italian counterpart the Fiat 124 Spider, the vehicle you see here might tip the balance. It's the new Abarth 124 Spider, tuned by the Italian automaker's performance division. And it's just made its debut here on the floor of the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. The Abarth version, of course, is based on the Fiat model, which in turn is based on the Mazda. But the one with the Scorpion emblem offers a number of performance upgrades. Under the hood is still a 1.4-liter turbo four, producing the same 184 pound-feet of torque, but in Abarth spec offers a more prodigious 170 horsepower (up from 160). Buyers will still be able to choose between a six-speed manual or automatic transmission, but the rest of the components are no-brainers: Brembo brakes, Bilstein dampers, and a Record Monza exhaust. The steering is electrically assisted, but it has a proper mechanical limited slip differential, there's a Sport button, and the electronic nannies can be fully defeated for hooning around on track. The sum total is a 0-62 time quoted at 6.8 seconds and a top speed at 143 miles per hour. Bear in mind that these are specs for the European model, though, and could change if and when the Abarth spider makes its way to our shores. View 11 Photos Of course the technicians at Mirafiori didn't leave it there, equipping the Abarth 124 Spider with an array of visual enhancements as well. There's a full aero kit, larger air vents, 17-inch alloys, and a black hood to cut down on glare (and make it look more businesslike). The interior is all done up in Alcantara, with a small-diameter steering wheel, short gear lever, aluminum pedals... the works. As if all that isn't enough to get your motor running, Abarth has also worked up a rally version to recall its glory days of old. The Abarth 124 Rally is built to FIA R-GT regulations, and ditches the 1.4-liter engine for a 1.8 mounted further back and producing an impressive 300 hp. It also has a fixed roof, full roll cage, and a long list of other competition-spec upgrades that are too long to list here, but you can read all about them in the second of the two press releases below. View 17 Photos This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Meet the Greenest and Meanest vehicles of 2016

If you've been keeping track, you won't be surprised with the number one entry in this year's list of greenest cars from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). In fact, the top three spots on the 2016 list are all the same as they were in 2015. After that, things get interesting. For one thing, this is the first Greenest list that doesn't have any purely internal combustion engine powertrain on it. Hybrids, yes, but if you want to be one of the top 12 greenest cars this year, you'd better have some sort of electric angle. ACEEE says that the conventional, gas-powered Smart Fortwo and Chevrolet Spark just missed the cut. In a statement, ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan said, "The 2016 scores are in, and plug-in electric vehicles are outpacing all other vehicle offerings in terms of environmental friendliness." Like last year, one of the noticeable vehicles missing from the green list is the Tesla Model S. One reason? ACEEE takes curb weight into account (lighter is better), and the Model S is a heavy beast. The ACEEE doesn't just look at the clean side of the ledger. It also puts out a "meanest" list. These are the vehicles that pollute the most, not only from their tailpipes, but also any pollution created during the entire manufacturing process, from mining the raw materials to the energy used to produce the vehicle at the factory. The entire list, from greenest to meanest, is done using a "cradle to grave" analysis. You can see how the ACEEE determines its rankings here, explore the entire greenest cars site here, or click through our galleries to see which vehicles are extra green (above) or extra mean (below) this year. 12: Mercedes-Benz GL550 4MATIC View 12 Photos More Electric Cars than Ever on Greenest Vehicles List Electric Vehicles Nab 9 out of Top 12 Spots in ACEEE's Environmental Vehicle Rankings Washington, DC: Despite a tumultuous year for the automotive industry, manufacturers have continued to offer exciting technology options for a growing vehicle market. Today at greenercars.org, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released its 19th annual comprehensive environmental ratings for vehicles. The following vehicles comprise the Greenest List for 2016: Greenest Score 1. Mercedes-Benz Smart ForTwo Electric Drive Convertible / Coupe 63 2. Chevrolet Spark EV 63 3. Fiat 500E 62 4. Toyota Prius Eco 61 5. Volkswagen E-Golf 61 6. Nissan Leaf S / Leaf SV 61 7. Kia Soul Electric 59 8.