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Strains between France and Italy risk Renault-FCA merger

PARIS/ROME — Fiat Chrysler's proposed $35 billion merger with Renault has cheered investors, won conditional support from Paris and Rome and even earned cautious backing from trade unions. Beneath this veneer, however, the bold attempt to create the world's third-largest carmaker risks becoming rapidly embroiled in the fraught relationship between France's europhile President Emmanuel Macron and Italy's euroskeptic leaders. For while Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini hailed the proposal as a "brilliant operation," Italy's creaking, state-subsidized Fiat factories are likely to bear the brunt of any production-related cost savings. FCA and Renault said this week that more than 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) of annual savings would come mainly from combining platforms, consolidating powertrain and electrification investments and the benefits of increased scale. Salvini and France's Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, who called the deal a "good opportunity" to build a European industrial champion able to compete with China and the United States, have both said they want guarantees on local jobs. "It's not every day that I agree with Salvini," said Le Maire, whose government appears to hold the trump cards. When it comes to where any job cuts fall, France will be helped by its existing 15 percent holding in Renault, whose superior efficiency at its five French plants makes it better placed to handle a supply glut, the demise of the petrol engine and the investments needed for electric and autonomous vehicles. "It will take many, many years to find real savings, and ugly political and operational realities can often swamp the potential of such new entities," Bernstein analyst Max Warburton said of the FCA-Renault plan to rival Japan's Toyota and Germany's Volkswagen. Advantage France? As well as Italy's government having to cope with the aftermath of European elections, which coincided with news of the FCA-Renault plans, political leaders in Rome were only informed shortly before the deal was made public, an FCA source said. This contrasted with the way the French government was treated, with Fiat Chrysler Chairman John Elkann, a fluent French speaker, letting it know of his merger proposal to Renault weeks ago, a French government official said.

Nissan teases sedan concept for Beijing [w/video]

Nissan is giving us the first tease of its creatively named New Sedan Concept that is premiering at the Beijing Motor Show on April 20. The single image shows the vehicle wearing a diaphanous robe that is just translucent enough to make out its headlights, V-shaped grille and badge. The rest is still a mystery.
The New Sedan Concept is aimed at young, digitally focused Chinese buyers, according to Nissan. Its look came from a collaboration between the company's design centers in China and Japan and was led by Chief Creative Officer Shiro Nakamura. However, the teaser certainly makes the New Sedan look a lot like the Sport Sedan Concept from the 2014 Detroit Auto Show. Hopefully, this is truly a new model and not just a repaint.
Scroll down for the full press release and a video of executive design director Mamoru Aoki discussing the new concept and previous ones.

Nissan Silvia smuggler faces maximum 20-year, $250k sentence

Thinking about trying to sneak a JDM car into the United States? Better think twice, because according to the Clarion-Ledger, one man in Mississippi has found himself in hot water for smuggling a Nissan Silvia into the country. Few details of the case are available, but the Silvia has a strong following among JDM enthusiasts despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that it was never officially sold Stateside. The low-slung coupe was offered in Japan and other markets from 1964 through 1968 and again from 1974 to 2002. Though it was powered principally with a four-cylinder engine, its front-engine/rear-drive layout made it popular on the tuning and drifting scenes. The 240SX that was offered Stateside was related, but not strictly speaking the same vehicle. It's likely because the Silvia was never certified for use on American roads (and because the culprit apparently didn't go through the correct channels) that the unidentified man in Ocean Springs, MS, is reportedly facing a $250,000 fine and up to 20 years in prison. Here's hoping whatever else he's got in the driveway is just as fast, because it looks like he'll have a lot of time to make up for. News Source: The Clarion-LedgerImage Credit: Copyright 2015 AOL Government/Legal Nissan Coupe import gray market nissan silvia