La Dolce Veloce

Forbes reports that Fiat is going to buy Maserati from Ferrari. Seeing how Fiat already owns 56% of Ferrari, I have a feeling the negotiations were short and they’re getting Maserati at a great price. This could be the first step in Fiat’s return to America. Their Alfa Romeo brand has been producing some great cars that I’d love to see here (they also own the Lancia brand).

This comes shortly after General Motors agreed to pay Fiat $2 billion. The details of that are a bit confusing; basically, GM invested money in Fiat way back when, and as part of that deal there was a clause that could force GM to buy the rest of Fiat by some date. GM’s payoff is part of a deal to cancel that clause. Considering Fiat lost around one billion dollars last year, you can see how this isn’t an ‘asset’ GM would be interested in obtaining and how a two billion dollar payoff could actually be considered a (relatively) good deal.

Yet another reason to go to Geneva in March! Pagani will show their new Zonda F, a special edition of the Pagani dedicated to the Juan Manuel Fangio. The Zonda is generally regarded as the purest, most extreme supercar available. An optional Clubsport edition will come with 650hp (564 ft-lbs), while the standard Zonda F is motivated by 602hp (550 ft-lbs). See the rest of this post for more pictures.

Continue Reading »

Beautiful! It’ll be for sale soon through Sector111. 224lb (101kg) weight savings! When the time comes to repaint my Elise, I think I’ll get this body kit instead.

Continue Reading »

This time around, the advertising geniuses behind the Mini Cooper ad campaigns have created a website to help you spot “counterfeit” Mini Coopers. Neat idea, the website is good for a chuckle or two. Check it out here.

Coming soon, another fantastic alternative to the SUV – the Saab 9-3 wagon. It’ll be propelled by a turbocharged 2.8 liter V6 producing around 250hp.

The Dodge Neon has received much praise for its design and drivability, but its once original design is showing its age. This spring, Dodge will show the Caliber concept vehicle at the Geneva Motor Show. The Caliber is due to replace the beloved Neon. Its side profile is much like the Toyota Matrix, which is not a bad thing – this mini-wagon shape is attractive and provides for a lot of interior space.

Ferrari unveiled the drop top sibling to its fantastic 430 (or rather, WILL unveil it at the Geneva Motor Show in March). This is one of the few convertibles that I think actually look *good*.