When a carmaker announces a European-exclusive limited edition, we often feel upset. Sometimes we even get irate. And then there are the instances like this one when we just chuckle and nod.

Not that there’s anything exactly wrong with the Fiat 500 “America.” We’re sure it drives just the same as a regular 500, since, of course, Fiat hasn’t changed anything mechanical. It’s just that we’re not quite sold on the “Old Glory” livery, which doesn’t exactly work for the U.S. market. Think about it: Here the car would likely be perceived as a patriotic statement at odds with the car’s foreign nameplate.

Overseas, well, we’re still not sure why an American-flag bedecked car that looks like it styled in the aisles of Pep Boys might be desirable, especially given the long-running European sentiment towards us ugly Americans … but it’s fashion, and who are we to argue with the Italians about that? That this is a numbered run of just 1,000 cars (500 two-doors and 500 convertibles) does mean that you won’t encounter many others sporting the same side mirror covers, graphics, stickers and color-trimmed alloys or the red seats and contrasting white dashboard inside. Click past the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Fiat 500 America not available in its namesake

Fiat 500 America not available in its namesake originally appeared on 7×69 on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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According to research by Edmunds.com, the $19,711 average transaction price of the 2012 Hyundai Elantra is besting that of its chief rivals, the Toyota Corolla by $1,500 and the new Honda Civic by $500. The great big cherry on top of that sundae for Hyundai? Elantra sales were up more than 40 percent last year.

The sales success of the Elantra wasn’t much of a surprise even before the car went on sale, the transaction-price story is an eye-opener. We don’t have a breakdown on model mix, but a base Elantra with a six-speed manual is $17,220 and the Limited is $21,320 (both prices include $725 destination). The Elantra’s small-money options, like an iPod connector, match those of the competition, and even its three upmarket packages, two for the GLS and one for the Limited, contain features mostly available on the Corolla or Civic.

Point being, the Elantra doesn’t have a single killer app to explain its position. But all of its touches – one extra gear on the manual, two extra on the automatic, its newness and its design, its competitive gas mileage and its rearview camera that can’t be had on the competition, for instance, appear to be the cause. There’s also the fact that dealers don’t have to put much (if anything) on the hood since the factory still can’t make enough of them to satisfy demand.

Nor is this only a tale of the Elantra; the Sonata has narrowed its average transaction price to within $900 of both Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. And according to Hyundai CEO John Krafcik, we aren’t anywhere near the end of the company’s aspirations: “We’re in the middle of a very long journey.” Indeed, even new Elantra itself hasn’t reached top speed yet – a new Coupe and five-door GT are on the way to round out the family for 2013.

Customers paying more for Hyundai Elantra than Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla originally appeared on 7×69 on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Word has it Chrysler is looking to establish a base of operations in downtown Detroit in a move that would strengthen its “Imported from Detroit” image. The company is based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a short hike from downtown proper, but reports say the automaker has signed a lease for 20,000 square feet in the Motor City. (There’s no indication that Chrysler is contemplating moving its headquarters and the space on offer wouldn’t be enough to do so anyhow). Despite this, according to a bit of rumormongering in Crain’s Detroit Business, Chrysler will set up camp in downtown’s Dime Building, but not before unleashing an impressive renovation on the structure.

That’s not all there is to the story, however. You see, the Dime Building is owned by none other than Dan Gilbert, the founder of Quicken Loans and majority owner of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. Gilbert was one of a handful of individuals who came together to purchase the $225 million loan against Chrysler World Headquarters back in 2010. Rumors immediately began circulating that Gilbert used his position with the headquarters loan to coerce Chrysler, and more importantly, CEO Sergio Marchionne, into leasing the Dime Building instead of alternative locations within the city. Gilbert, who has been on a real estate binge as of late, is said to be the third largest land owner in Detroit behind General Motors and the city itself.

Quicken Loans has since stated the Dime deal was the result of little more than a strong pitch and Chrysler has also denied any behind-the-scenes influence on the decision.

Chrysler working to gain foothold in downtown Detroit with Quicken tycoon Gilbert? originally appeared on 7×69 on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota has let slip a few additional teasers for the company’s FT-Bh concept headed to the Geneva Motor Show in March. As you may recall, the vehicle is an engineering study designed to evaluate what kind of emission reductions can be accomplished in the city car segment without resorting to exotic materials or science-fiction drivetrains. Toyota says the concept emits around 50 percent less CO2 than your run-of-the-mill supermini thanks in part to the fact that it tips the scales at a feathery 1,763 pounds.

The hybrid’s aerodynamic shape and efficient powertrain also contribute to the reduction. While the FT-Bh isn’t headed to production any time soon, there’s a good chance some of the vehicle’s tricks may show up on consumer models in the near future. Hit the jump to check out a short teaser video and the press release, and be sure to stay tuned for our live Geneva Motor Show coverage.

Continue reading Toyota releases new FT-Bh teasers ahead of Geneva

Toyota releases new FT-Bh teasers ahead of Geneva originally appeared on 7×69 on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dodge, or rather SRT (we’re still getting used to it being its own brand), has been busy teasing us with the new Viper that will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely done flaunting the performance capabilities of the old model. Only a few short months ago, SRT released a video of the Viper ACR reclaiming the lap record at the Nürburgring for a production car with a time of 7:12.13, taking the title away from the Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition.

Now the Viper Club of America has released a new video of the race-only Viper ACR-X tackling the Green Hell, and the result is even more impressive. The V10-powered spec racer lapped the circuit in just 7:03.058, more than nine seconds quicker than its roadgoing brother. It makes us wonder when we’ll start seeing six-minute lap times at the Nürburgring.

You can see a video of the impressive lap after the jump, including real-time stats like g-force and downforce included in the footage.

Continue reading SRT’s race-only Viper ACR-X laps Nürburgring in 7:03.058

SRT’s race-only Viper ACR-X laps Nürburgring in 7:03.058 originally appeared on 7×69 on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Soft Top Worthy Of The Best 911 Ever

Gran Canaria is a volcanic nexus of disconnected associations, a bit of everything from a bit of everywhere. Geographically and geologically, this third largest of the Canary Islands belongs to Africa. Climatologically, it belongs to the Macaronesia Ecoregion. Its name is said to have come from an ancient Mauritanian king who, according to Pliny the Elder, named it Islas Canarias – Island of the Dogs – because of the numerous canines upon it. Politically, Gran Canaria belongs to Spain, which is why the tallest mountain in Spain is on neighboring island Tenerife. Linguistically, however, the Canarios dialect can be challenging for Spanish speakers to understand.

The island occupies just 600 square miles, but it’s otherwise all over the map. Yet it shares one crucial thing with the 2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet that we flew there to drive: purpose. You have to want to get to Gran Canaria – it doesn’t just happen.

Such is the case with Porsche’s latest top-dollar droptop – neither luck nor accident could have created it; the men responsible wanted this very car. The 991 Cabriolet is the sum of 30 years of 911 convertibles, and for proof of purpose, you need only know that a team of engineers has been devoted to the roof – and just the roof – on this car since 2004. For that effort they would like that their creation, and the car beneath it, earn the same the accolade bestowed on the hardtop for three months now: the best ever.

It is. But there’s more to it than a little extra fabric…

Continue reading 2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet [w/video]

2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet [w/video] originally appeared on 7×69 on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda is recalling some of its previous-generation Odyssey minivans due to potentially faulty gas-filled struts on vehicles equipped with a power rear liftgate. A total of 45,747 vehicles are affected by this recall, all of which are from the 2008 and 2009 model years.

According to the official release from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the faulty struts in these vehicles are prone to early life failures due to a “manufacturing flaw” (that’s as specific as it gets), an issue that can result in the leak of pressurized gas. These struts aid in opening and closing the power liftgate, and if there isn’t enough pressurized gas in the strut, performance can be diminished and can lead to unexpected liftgate closure, potentially causing an injury.

Honda will notify its owners beginning in mid-March, and dealers will replace both gas struts free of charge. For the full details, follow the jump to read NHTSA’s report.

Continue reading Honda recalls over 45,000 Odyssey minivans over liftgate failures

Honda recalls over 45,000 Odyssey minivans over liftgate failures originally appeared on 7×69 on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some automakers try their damnedest to keep their new products under wraps until they’re good and ready to show it to the world. (And of those, some succeed more than others.) Others, meanwhile, steadily leak out photos and details – through official channels or back ones – to keep us hooked. We’re not quite sure which approach Volvo meant to take with its all-new V40, but we do know we’ve seen more of this car that’s yet to be released than we’ve seen of others that have. This, however, is our best look at the new Swedish hatch yet.

Ostensibly, this new V40 could replace the C30 hatchback, S40 sedan and V50 wagon in one fell swoop, but we probably won’t know more until the Geneva Motor Show. These leaked images come courtesy of the Facebook page of Motoryzacyjny – a Polish car mag whose name this blogger, for all his Eastern European shtetl roots, can’t pronounce any better than the rest of you – and it shows us what appears to be a rather shapely sports hatch that aims to give the likes of the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series a run for their money.

Of course, since the range has not yet been officially launched, we’ve yet to receive word on whether the V40 will make the transatlantic voyage forged by its Viking ancestors to the New World in which we live, but one can hope. One can certainly hope.

Striking Viking: Volvo V40 slips out on Facebook ahead of Geneva originally appeared on 7×69 on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’ve seen the Grand Sport. You’ve seen the Super Sport. Now meet the Super Grand Sport.

Actually, Bugatti calls its latest version of the Veyron the Vitesse – French for “speed” – but it is essentially a combination of the best traits of the Grand Sport and Super Sport models. The Grand Sport, as you may recall, is the convertible (or targa) version of the Alsatian supercar, while the Super Sport is the more powerful, record-breaking version.

As expected, Molsheim has taken the 1,200-horsepower version of the Veyron’s engine – all eight liters, sixteen cylinders, four turbochargers and (while we’re counting) ten radiators of it – from the Super Sport and combined it with the open-top body-style of the Grand Sport. The result is what Bugatti calls (and we have every reason to believe is indeed) the most powerful production roadster of all time, and with time, it will undoubtedly prove the fastest too.

In the meantime, Bugatti plans to unveil its newest seven-figure model at the rapidly approaching Geneva Motor Show, but you can check it out now in the pair of high-resolution images below and the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Bugatti presents new Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse for Geneva debut

Bugatti presents new Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse for Geneva debut originally appeared on 7×69 on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automotive News is reporting that stories in two other papers, France’s La Tribune and England’s The Financial Times, assert that General Motors and PSA Peugeot Citroën are “in advanced talks about an alliance.” Neither maker would comment on the stories, but it has been well documented that both are looking to turn around their European operations. Peugeot’s parent announced 6,000 job cuts late last year and the immediate cessation of Le Mans racing this year. Opel lost hundreds of millions last year and took on a new CEO with a near-vertical climb ahead based on the prognosis for the European market.

If the talks are concluded in the way reports indicate, Opel/Vauxhall and Peugeot would cooperate on projects from developing engines and transmissions to complete models that each could sell. Peugeot already has partnerships with several other automakers, but none are as involved as this one could potentially be. It’s understood that no shares in either company would change hands, but a partnership this intense would still require the approval of the Peugeot family.

We wonder if Opel/Vauxhall and Peugeot can do together what each can’t seem to achieve alone. Sure, Opel could lower its development costs and with a joint model Peugeot could gain less expensive access to wider markets, but can the two different cultures create cars that would serve their respective brands? Suggestions are that talks are far enough along that an agreement, if achieved, could be announced at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

GM, Peugeot in “advanced alliance talks” originally appeared on 7×69 on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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