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Latin music star Ren? P?rez destroys own Maserati to send kids a message

Can destroying a car be art? That question comes a bit too late for the Maserati Quattroporte seen above. The act depicted is from the music video for Adentro by Puerto Rican hip-hop act Calle 13 new single.
While the video is not yet online, the making-of featurette is available below and shows the luxury sedan getting beat with a baseball bat (and more) by the group's frontman René Pérez. According to Latin Gossip, Pérez wants to send his fans a message not to place too high a value in material objects. The Maserati represents a time in his life of too much excess, it seems...
The guy might have an argument, but it still seems pretty wasteful to destroy a perfectly good Italian sports sedan. We will be curious to see how far the destruction goes, but you can get a peak at it in the video below.

Fiat Chrysler's Q3 profit boosted by strong North American earnings

MILAN, Italy — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) reported a 17 percent jump in third-quarter adjusted operating profit on Tuesday, helped by a strong performance in its key North American market and improving operations in Europe and Latin America. The world's seventh-largest carmaker still makes the lion's share of its profits in North America, so improving, or at least maintaining, its margins there is a key focus. The carmaker reported an 8 percent adjusted operating profit margin in the region, up from 7.6 percent a year ago, despite a drop in sales and shipments. "FCA's profitability in North America remained strong in the quarter despite a weakening market there," a Milan-based analyst said. FCA's profitability compares with an 8.3 percent North America margin reached in the quarter by bigger U.S. rival GM , showing CEO Sergio Marchionne making progress towards his goal of closing the margin gap with GM and the company's other U.S. rival, Ford, by 2018. The company's confirmation of its full-year outlook also pushed shares higher, a trader added. The stock was up 2.8 percent by 1129 GMT, outperforming a 1 percent rise in the European auto index. FCA has been retooling some U.S. factories to boost output of sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) and trucks while ending production of some unprofitable sedans to strengthen profitability as the U.S. car market comes off its peak. The company said a drop in North America shipments due to lower fleet sales and discontinued models was partially offset by higher deliveries of Ram trucks and two models from the Alfa Romeo stable: the Stelvio sport utility vehicle and Giulia sedan. Profitability also improved in Europe, helped by sales of the Stelvio and the new Jeep Compass, and Latin America, while margins at Maserati remained strong at 13.8 percent due to strong demand for its first SUV, the Levante. In a later conference call, investors are looking for hints on the new strategy to 2022 which the company promised to unveil early next year. Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said earlier this year that FCA would streamline its portfolio and that components businesses, including Magneti Marelli, would be separated from the group, possibly via a spin-off. While FCA confirmed its targets this year, doubts remain about its exposure to a weakening U.S. market, recall costs and potential fines over emissions after it was targeted by European and U.S.

Maserati offers Extra10 limited powertrain warranty on all new vehicles

Maserati is still trying to get its sales forecasts to match its sales results. A raft of new product should keep the Italians on the list of vehicles to compare when shopping for luxury performance, but reliability concerns continue to cast shadows. With the Grecale on the way, Maserati will likely begin luring buyers focused a lot more on reliability than the usual Quattroporte owner. To address potential mechanical doubts, Maserati's offering a new Extra10 Warranty Program around the world on every new model to allay some fears. The 10-year limited powertrain warranty covers the engine and transmission or transaxle. The good news is that not only will it be available to North and South American buyers from October 1, 2022, certain current owners whose Maseratis are no more than 9.5 years old will be eligible, and the warranty doesn't cap mileage.  It won't be free, but few such warranties are. It's offered as an add-on to Maserati's extended warranty offerings, which can cover a powertrain for up to seven years and unlimited miles so long as extensions are purchased within the warranty and mileage periods. The present plans already include benefits like roadside assistance and help with onward travel. Extra10 throws in other sweeteners like pick-up and return service and a courtesy car. The automaker has made Extra10 transferrable, too, "aimed at consolidating the value of its cars over time, guaranteeing total peace of mind by combining top performance and the driving pleasure typical of every Trident car." Finally, Maserati says "Customers have the option of purchasing extended powertrain coverage in one-year increments (e.g., 5th year to 10th year of ownership)," so there's no large lump sum necessary.  Once October hits, interested owners should visit their Maserati dealers to see if their vehicles are eligible. The program excludes cars that have been raced "or tampered with," cars that have been in major accidents, and cars that are stolen. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.