Nearly New, Needed More Space... Comfort And Convenience Pkg. on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 2012 Fiat 500 Pop

FCA just announced that the Fiat 500 hatchback and convertible get the US-market axe after this year, not even a decade after the car reintroduced us to the Fiat marque. I've been seeing crashed 500s in big American wrecking yards for years now, but now some non-crunched examples are showing up on my junkyard journeys. I decided that I'd commemorate the rise and fall of the 500 by photographing this giallo 2012 500 Pop, found in Denver. According to an industry person who wishes to remain anonymous, Fiat was short on automatic-equipped 500s for 2012 (the first model year of North American sales), so a few hundred of the early Pop-trim-level cars got yellow or red paint and these black stripes and badging to help them move off the showroom floors despite their sales-killing third pedals. Soon after, the Fiat 500 Stinger appeared. I don't know why anyone wouldn't have preferred this car with the manual transmission, but reality dictates that little economy cars with three pedals can be virtually unsellable once they get some miles on the clock. This 500 has some body damage (that might have happened after it got to the junkyard) but looks pretty clean overall. Sold new in Colorado, will be crushed in Colorado seven years later. The Multi-Air four-banger in the '12 500 generated 101 horsepower, which wasn't much for a 2,500-pound car (by 21st-century standards). For commuting purposes, though, it was fine, and the 5-speed made it reasonably fun. Pop was the cheapest trim level for the 2012 500, so the interior didn't offer much snazz beyond the body-colored dash panels. Now that these cars have become so cheap, it's time to consider the most crazy-per-dollar junkyard engine swaps for them. Think a narrow-angle turbocharged V6 would fit in a 500? This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The next wave of Italians has come to America … and they've come to party.

2020 Colorado Winter Driver's Notes | Behind the Wheel S02 // E12

2020 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 I’ve had bad luck with SUVs this winter. Especially performance ones. First, I got a 2019 Range Rover Sport SVR delivered on summers right as two feet of snow fell, rendering it undriveable. Then, coronavirus cancelled Easter Jeep Safari as well as my trip out to Moab in the 2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Diesel. Thankfully, when this 469 horsepower luxury mall crawler was dropped off, the sun shone down and the snow (mostly) held off.  The first thing that I noticed was there were a few blank buttons throughout the cabin, something that you may see in an entry model vehicle, but IÂ’m not accustomed to seeing in an AMG. Not a great look for a vehicle with an $80,000 price tag. Thankfully that was where the disappointment ended. As soon as you press the start button, the engine fires up and the exhaust note is incredible. Hopping on the highway ramp near my house, I floored it, and the biturbo V8 had me pressed back into the driver's seat, and this wasnÂ’t even the S version that our staff drove last year. Inside and out, the GLC 63 was everything youÂ’d expect from Mercedes. The interior was immaculate, and while the infotainment wheel and touch pad may take some getting used to for someone who isnÂ’t familiar, by now I have it down so that I can use it without looking. And while the V8 left me smiling ear to ear, I was most impressed by the amount of useable interior space there is. I happened to be moving at the time of this review and while all of my large furniture was shoved into the back of a moving van, I was able to fit almost everything else in the back of the GLC. 2019 and 2020 Fiat 500X Trekking ItÂ’s hard to say goodbye to an AMG and then turn around and be excited when a Fiat 500X pulls in your driveway (I know, I know, automotive journalist problems). That being said, when the red Fiat pulled up, I found myself admiring it. I am very familiar with the 500X. Back in 2016 Autoblog had one for a year as our long term test vehicle. I drove that car everywhere, multiple trips up north in Michigan, and even tracked it at Gingerman Raceway for a few laps before the brakes started smoking.  The 2019 model I had in my driveway and the 2020 model I drove in the snow up in the mountains feel very similar to that car. The interior is stylish and surprisingly roomy. The greenhouse is airy.

France tries to dodge blame for blowing up FCA-Renault merger deal

PARIS — France sought to fend off a hail of criticism on Thursday after it was blamed for scuppering a $35 billion-plus merger between carmakers Fiat-Chrysler and Renault only 10 days after it was officially announced. Shares in Italian-American FCA and France's Renault fell sharply in early trading after FCA pulled out of talks, saying "the political conditions in France do not currently exist for such a combination to proceed successfully." French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said the government, which has a 15% stake in Renault, had engaged constructively, but had not been prepared to back a deal without the endorsement of Renault's current alliance partner Nissan. Nissan had said it would abstain at a Renault board meeting to vote on the merger proposal. However, a source close to FCA played down the significance of Nissan's stance in the discussions, believing French President Emmanuel Macron was looking for a way out of the deal after coming under pressure at home. Context The FCA-Renault talks were conducted against the backdrop of a French public outcry over 1,044 layoffs at a General Electric factory. The U.S. company had promised to safeguard jobs there when it acquired France's Alstom in 2015. The collapse of the deal, which would have created the world's third-biggest carmaker behind Japan's Toyota and Germany's Volkswagen, revives questions about how both FCA and Renault will meet the challenges of costly investments in electric and self-driving cars on their own. The merger had aimed to achieve 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in annual synergies, with FCA gaining access to Renault's and Nissan's superior electric drive technology and the French firm getting a share of FCA's lucrative Jeep and Ram brands. FCA has long been looking for a merger partner, and some analysts say its search for a deal is becoming more urgent as it is ill-prepared for tougher new regulations on emissions. It previously held unsuccessful talks with Peugeot maker PSA Group, in which the French state also owns a stake. French budget minister Gerald Darmanin said the door should not be closed on the possibility of a deal with Renault, adding Paris would be happy to re-examine any new proposal from FCA. "Talks could resume at some time in the future," he told FranceInfo radio.