1969 Fiat 500l Restored Original 2 Cylinder 500cc Motor on 2040-cars

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Fiat 500e order guide shows $32,500 starting price for the U.S. market

UPDATE: After publishing this post, Fiat announced its Fiat Pass with some images of the 500e Red, one of the initial trims to ship to U.S. dealers. The pass is "a digital collectible that acts as a social VIN to unlock fun rewards and extraordinary experiences that celebrate the FIAT brand’s iconic heritage and its shared, sustainable future." The benefits of signing up for an as-yet-unknown price include priority access to order the 500e Red, digital art, "mobility credit" for driving the 500e, and "priority access to future vehicle releases." Here's a photo of the 500e Red, followed by the original post: Last year, Fiat said its cute, dinky 500e electric hatchback would go on sale here at the beginning of 2024. We're not far from the calendar's big turn. Fiat's U.S. site opens with a banner telling us, "Get ready to revel in the details," December 5 being the day to unlock 500e specs and to "Take a closer look at all-electric Italian engineering." While we wait, Cars Direct did its usual, finding an early order guide with an MSRP for the 500e: $32,500, excluding destination. If that's the number that ends up on window stickers, the electric two-door would fall between the two trims of the single ICE four-door Fiat currently sells here, the $30,245 500X Pop Techy Traveler and the $33,275 500X Sport Sporty Socialite. All prices exclude the destination charge unless noted. This MSRP also puts the 500e under all but four EVs on the market at the moment, the $28,140 Nissan Leaf, the $26,500 Chevrolet Bolt, and the $27,850 Bolt EUV, and the $30,900 Mini Cooper SE. In fact, $32,500 is less than the price of the bygone 500e; when it left the market in 2019, it cost $33,210. That's an ostensible difference of $710, however — and this might be the most frightening sentence we write all day — the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator tells us that $33,210 in May 2019 is equivalent to $39,898.76 in October of this year. We only have European specs to go on until December 5. In Italy, the 500e runs on a 42-kWh battery powering a single motor on the front axle capable of 117 horsepower but restricted to a maximum power rating of 94. Range on the WLTP cycle is 199 miles. Our EPA-rated range will be lower, although it should handily beat the 84-mile estimated range of the old car.

2015 Fiat Ducato and French siblings get prettier face, finer features

The Ram ProMaster only introduced itself to US buyers - prognathous jaw first - last year, but it might quickly be the recipient of some plastic surgery. Above is the new face of the 2015 Fiat Ducato, which does duty as our ProMaster, the Citroën Jumper and the Peugeot Boxer and will be officially unveiled on May 12. Its face still slopes forward all the way to the bottom, but the distance and weight of the jutting chin has been greatly reduced by curving lines that more artfully integrate the new three-piece bumper with the sheetmetal. That bumper can be had in two colors, and the front end also gets new, sleeker headlights with LED DRLs.
Trims are named Classic, Tecno and Lounge, and all benefit from ESP, a new underride guard and an upgraded cockpit with touches like better seats, Bluetooth and a clipboard that can be affixed to the dash and is robust enough to hold smartphones and tablets. High-zoot options - which would give the ProMaster better fight against the Mercedes Sprinter if they carry over to our market - include lane departure assist.
The Ducato will come with choices of three roof heights, four lengths and eight capacity ratings. You'll find info on that and much more in the press releases from Fiat and Peugeot below, and we'll find out more about how the ProMaster will benefit in a few weeks.

Zender Abarth 500 Corsa Stradale Concept has our attention at last

While this writer knows Zender as the maker of (mostly) fine body kits for German marques such as Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the company has also been known to make kits for Italian autos. Its latest product, for example, has been applied to the Fiat 500 Abarth, resulting in what it calls the Abarth 500 Corsa Stradale Concept. We're not quite sure how we managed to miss it at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with its bulging fender flares, new front and rear fascias and side skirts, exhaust pipes poking from the bumper/diffuser, 18-inch alloy wheels and huge rear spoiler - but better late than never.
Not only does the kit lend the little Fiat a more aggressive stance, the body pieces also are made of lightweight carbon fiber, which is fitting for a car wearing the Corsa Stradale name (which roughly translates to "Road Race"). Also fitting is the 76-horsepower bump to 236 hp from the 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine. That substantial power increase comes courtesy of a larger turbocharger, modified pistons and camshafts, revised fuel injection with a bigger fuel pressure regulator, upgraded engine management and a stainless-steel exhaust system. So equipped, Zender claims the Corsa Stradale Concept does 0-62 miles per hour in 6.5 seconds, a 0.7-second improvement over the stock Abarth, and 0-124 mph in 24.7 seconds. It continues past the stock Abarth's 130-mph top speed and is claimed to top out at 144 mph.
A reworked height-adjustable coilover suspension helps keep body motions in check, and Zender has also upgraded the interior slightly, with custom sport seats in two-tone leather and stainless-steel pedals and door-sill garnishes.