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Is this 1983 Fiat Spider EV conversion worth Porsche 911 GTS money?

$140,000 can buy a lot of car. Nothing about Fiat Spiders built in the 1980s would be described as "a lot," unless you're referring to the quantity of maintenance that is sometimes required just to keep them on the road. In that context, this eBay find, a 1983 Pininfarina Spider America EV conversion, might be a bit of a two-for-one. Not only do you get a lot more power, but you might even get a lot more reliability.  Sure, you could score a brand-new Porsche 911 Carrera GTS for the price of this humble Italian roadster, but the fine folks of Roadster Salon think they might be able to make it worth your while.  This conversion retains the stock five-speed manual transmission, but mates it to a dual-motor electric drive unit that produces an unspecified amount of horsepower and more than 200 pound-feet of torque. Admittedly, those numbers don't really stack up nicely against the brand-new Porsche's, but, hey, at least it's a manual? The power unit itself is supplied by Electric GT, which has carved out a niche for itself developing electric "crate motors" that are as close to plug-and-play as possible, which should be a point in favor of this conversion's overall build quality, as custom fabrication would have been kept to a minimum.  Roadster Salon will also go over the suspension and steering components, updating them to modern standards (and ostensibly to support the extra power from the EV conversion), so you're getting more for your money than just some electron-pumping spinny bits.  So, it's much fancier than your run-of-the-mill 1980s Fiat Spider; you just have to spend a lot more money for the privilege. Like, an astronomical amount. Oh, and the car hasn't actually been built yet; what you're bidding for is a build slot in a forthcoming 2020-21 production allocation.  If you desperately want your own Fiat Pininfarina Spider America EV but can't stomach the $139,995 price tag, we have great news. Roadster Salon will sell you an "EV Junior" variant, which retails for just $89,995 — a bargain! Alternatively, you can wait for Electric GT to finalize its crate Fiat crate EV motors for mass production and just slap one together yourself. How hard can it be?

Fiat Chrysler faces $79 million U.S. penalty for fuel economy shortfall

WASHINGTON — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV on Wednesday said it faces a $79 million U.S. civil penalty for failing to meet 2017 fuel economy requirements, as regulators reported more automakers were falling short of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions standards. The Italian-American automaker said the payment is not expected to have a material impact on its business. Of 18 major carmakers in the United States, 13 including Fiat Chrysler failed to comply with fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards for the 2017 model year without using credits, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The agency said its review of model year 2017 vehicles showed "automakers falling further behind current standards." The 2017 model fleet fell 1 1/2 miles per gallon short of the 33.8 mpg standard based on yearly performance without including credits, NHTSA reported. The shortfall was a half-mile per gallon for the 2016 model year. NHTSA said more automakers were failing to comply with standards for the 2018 and 2019 model years, "and the potential penalties on automakers, which are passed along to consumers, are expected to continue to increase." The Trump administration has used the widening gap between the emissions of automakers' U.S. fleets, which are skewing toward larger vehicles, and national vehicle CO2 emissions standards to bolster its case for freezing vehicle emissions and mileage standards at current levels through 2026. Environmental groups and regulators in California and other states are fighting against any rollback in standards, saying tough rules are needed to address climate change and reduce consumer outlays for fuel. NHTSA and the Environmental Protection Agency are working to finalize as early as next month a rewrite of the Obama administrationÂ’s fuel efficiency requirements, which call for sharp reductions in fleet-wide emissions by 2026. Fiat Chrysler is paying fines for the shortfall in its domestic passenger car fleet, which includes several front-wheel-drive Jeep and rear-drive Dodge SUVs and some sedans and muscle cars. The automaker killed its slow-selling domestic small and midsize sedans. After paying $77.3 million last year for a 2016 model year fuel-economy shortfall, a Fiat Chrysler spokesman confirmed Wednesday the company had received a letter on the 2017 penalty and has 60 days to pay the fine.

Fiat/PSA's dominance in small vans hangs up EU's merger approval

BRUSSELS — EU antitrust regulators are concerned about Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot / PSA's combined high market share in small vans and may require concessions to clear their $50 billion merger, people familiar with the matter said. The companies, which are seeking to create the world's fourth biggest carmaker, were told of the European Commission's concerns last week. If Fiat and PSA fail to dispel the European Commission's doubts in the next two days and subsequently decline to offer concessions by Wednesday, the deadline for doing so, the deal would face a four-month-long investigation. The EU competition enforcer, which has set a June 17 deadline for its preliminary review, declined to comment. Fiat was not immediately available for comment while PSA had no immediate comment. Hiving off overlapping businesses, usually a regulatory demand to ensure more competition, could prove tricky for the carmakers because of the technicalities. Fiat and PSA are looking to merge to help offset slowing demand and shoulder the cost of making cleaner vehicles to meet tougher emissions regulations. The deal puts under one roof the Italian carmaker's brands such as Fiat, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Maserati and the French company's Peugeot, Opel and DS. Related Video: Government/Legal Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Citroen Opel Peugeot