ET's Automotive Blog

GAC Fiat presented their new model line up during the Beijing Auto Show showcasing Fiat favorites like the Fiat 500C, Fiat 500 designed by Gucci, and the Italian brand’s first sedan assembled entirely in China, the Fiat Viaggio. The Viaggio announces the resources that Fiat has and demonstrates the direction the brand wants to take in the automotive market of China.

The Viaggio was the big hit in the stall of GAC Fiat in Beijing. The vehicle is the first project of Fiat Chrysler and the first local production of GAC Fiat that is expected to make a good statement in the segment of compact sedans. The Viaggio is satisfying equation made of power, sophistication, fuel efficiency, vehicle dynamics, and technology.

The first batch of the Fiat Viaggio will be hitting the production line before July and roll out for delivery before the end of the year.

Aside from the Fiat Viaggio, the carmaker also showcased their 500 Collezione spearheaded by the Fiat 500C and the 500 by Gucci.

The Fiat 500 by Gucci was created after a collaboration with the luxury designer house of Gucci and Fiat. The special edition Fiat 500 was designed by Frida Giannini, the creative director of Gucci, working with the Style Center of Fiat.

The Fiat 500C brings some convertible love across the Mediterranean so the Chinese consumer can have some fun driving while enjoying the sun.

The Fiat Freemont is a crossover SUV that was first introduced in China last January, and has received praises from the public and the dealers. The ride is available as a seven-seater that is perfect for Chinese consumers who want to mix the daily functionality of the vehicle with some style.

Mitsubishi recently unveiled the new Outlander prior to its debut next month in Geneva. The third generation of Outlander will have several variants including a plug-in hybrid which has a fuel mileage of 140 miles per gallon and a carbon dioxide emission of just around 50 grams per kilometer.

The Outlander was previewed during the motor show in Tokyo recently as the concept P-MiEV II. The production version of the Outlander has only minor changes from its concept car phase with a softened fascia, revised grille, fog lights, and a redesigned front bumper.

The wing mirrors seen on the concept vehicle was replaced with conventional mirrors. The design of the Outlander is described by the carmaker as safe, simple, and solid.

Initial reports do not reveal the interior and the rear portion of the new Outlander. Mitsubishi hints though that the interior will be similar to the current Outlander. The seven seat cabin is dominated by soft-touch elements. The dashboard was also redesigned to promote better concentration of the driver. The steering wheel was built to be multifunctional plus the instrument panel was designed to be clearer.

Additional features include a re-engineered steering column, xenon headlamps with wide vision, powered tailgate, dual zone for the air-con, and flat area for the cargo. Mitsubishi also added safety features like a warning system when you depart from your lane, cruise control, and mitigation system for forward collision.

The new Outlander gives consumers an option to get a MIVEC 2.0L petrol engine or a MIVEC 2.2L diesel powerplant. You can also get the Outlander as a 4WD or a 2WD. It comes with a start-stop technology, mode for eco driving, and a 6-speed automatic transmission. The new Outlander aims to have an emission of just 130 grams per kilometer of CO2 for the conventional units.

There will also be a plug in version that will pair a 2.0L petrol engine with electric motors for the front wheels. It can go for 30 miles using pure electric power and registers a combined mileage of 141 miles per gallon.

So how do you celebrate the sale of 500,000 vehicles less than 31 months after its launch? Fiat joins the social networking fad by releasing a 500,000th special edition which is covered with faces. Seventy percent of these beauty shots will be allotted to all owners of a Fiat 500. The remaining 30% can be booked by other Fiat customers, celebrities, and fans.

Fiat announces that starting May 3, you can book a spot at the Fiat special edition by logging on to www.fiat500.com. The website is equipped with a special application which allows visitors to view the plan of this special Fiat 500. There will be free spaces given to the first ones to log in. Of course, you’ll have to prove your eligibility, one way or another. To book a spot, you will have to send a close-up photograph of yourself as well.

This special edition Fiat 500 will be shown in all future car events and international auto shows involving the manufacturer. The car should be ready three weeks after the announced booking stage.

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If we can trust the U.S. Patent drawings of the anticipated entry-level Buick lightweight sedan, it’s safe to say that it’s identical to the Chinese-market Buick Excelle whose prototype was seen without any camouflage recently. The production-version of this car is due 2012.

It’s no surprise that GM will be keeping all of the features of the China Buick, but we wonder if they’ll be retaining the “Excelle” nameplate for the North American release of the coupe. One thing’s for sure, though. The General will be releasing the North American Baby Buick in 2011, a year before the purportedly identical model’s release in China.

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Hennessey Performance Engineering has been pimping and pumping more power into speed monsters like the Dodge Viper, Chevrolet Corvette, and the Ford GT. These cars have been tuned capable to melt tires. Apparently the previous tuning jobs were just a mere warm up for Hennessey since its wildest creation is yet to come in the form of the Venom GT.

The plans about the Venom GT were announced back in 2007 but the car has gone through a ton of revisions while on the drawing board. The car looks like the Lotus Elise because it is a matte black Elise. The Hennessey Venom GT is a perfect combination of a lightweight chassis from Britain and a powerful V8 from the U.S.

Hennessey also followed the dictum of Lotus to give excellent performance by keeping the car very light. So, the tuning firm made the car, even its rims, from carbon fiber.

The figures are crazy with a base version of 725 horsepower and other variants that can give out 1,000 and 1,200 horsepower. The Venom GT is still scheduled for testing by Hennessey but the numbers are estimated to be like these: 0 to 60 mph in a blink of 2.4 seconds and 0 to 100 mph in a jaw dropping 5.3 seconds. Your face might be stretched when you reach the top speed of 262 mph. Hennessey also claims a 0 to 200 to 0 in 20 seconds.

Based on these collection of statistics you should understand that getting a good insurance for the Venom will be all but cheap. Though, you can always try to crawl the web to search for some attractive auto insurance quotes. Very often you can save a big amount of money by searching online, so start looking right now!

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Last January, Alfa Romeo announced their plans of coming up with a bunch of concept cars to preview the 159 sedan replacement. This week at the Geneva Motor Show, the first of the trio car concepts have been uncovered. Alfa Romeo unveiled the Pinifarina designed 2uettottanta Concept.

Pininfarina was tasked to come up with a design for a convertible concept vehicle. The design firm came up with the two-seater idea inspired by the old and classic Alfa Romeos. Those who ogled at the 2uettottanta has labeled it as the modern version of the  convertible 1966 Duetto which was used by Dustin Hoffman in the Hollywood movie The Graduate.

The red 2uettottanta has a typical Alfa Romeo red bodywork. It has dimensions of 5.9 feet in width, 13.8 ft in length, 4.2 ft in height, and has an 8.2 ft wheelbase.

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The Pagani Zonda is among the most exclusive supercars in the globe. Last year the carmakern released the Zonda Cinque Roadster and the Coupe. Both supercars had a limited run of five cars.

The Geneva Motor Show next week will play host to the next edition of the Zonda called the Tricolore. This Zonda might also be the last version from Pagani as it will end its run soon before the C hits the production floor.

The replacement for the Pagani Zonda will be the C9. Before the new Pagani comes out, the Zonda will have its last hoorah with the special edition Pagani Zonda Tricolore.

Aptly called Tricolore, the car dons the green, white, and red stripes in honor of the air force aerobatics of the country where the Zonda is built. The stripes highlight the exterior and interior of the supercar. The Tricolore also gets LED daytime lights. The finishing is in cool weave of carbon-titanium and in blue lacquer.

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Michael Macht just recently took the driver seat at Porsche as the CEO but the man has some real guts and is stepping on it metal to metal as he look ahead to double the sales of the company compared to their current stats.

The previous financial year highlights a 75,200 units rolling of their stores or a bad 24% drop in sales. Trying to get as much as twice the number of cars sold last year will not be an easy task but the recently unveiled Panamera will definitely help the brand stretch its reach. Just like the SUV Cayenne which lifted the Porsche badge from the sports car only market, the Panamera is set to help grab a bigger chunk of the market.

During an interview with a German newspaper, the Porsche CEO pointed out the introduction of new models as key to achieving their mid and long term goals. He disclosed that with their current line up, the brand might let go of some exclusivity to get to the 150,000 target.

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General Motors sidelined its plans of producing the 2010 Camaro convertible and the Z28 variant when it was pushed against the wall of bankruptcy a few months ago. New information reveals that the car manufacturer is turning on the green light for the Z28.

According to an insider, the Camaro Z28 is set to hit their assembly line. The body architecture for the body of the car is on its final phase but they are still tweaking on the calibration needed for the engine and will need at least a year more so it will be ready for consumers.

The new breed of Camaro will sport a distinct body kit, a raised bonnet to give space to the intercooler assembly and the supercharger, newly designed rear spoiler, and customized rims.

Most likely a supercharged LSA V8 6.2L Cadillac CTS-V engine will be installed in the engine bay of the Chevrolet Z28. This will be coupled with a six speed manual gearbox with an option for automatic transmission. This set up boasts of 556 horsepower output.

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