FCA – Page 1118 – I wish I had more to offer

Aeva raises $45 million for autonomous car sensors that can measure velocity

Myriad sensors go into making autonomous cars tick. Drive.ai‘s fleet of Nissan NV200 vans pack lidar (laser-based sensors that measure the distance between themselves and objects) in addition to radar, GPS, and inertial measurement units. Google spinoff Waymo’s Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Vans are similarly equipped with lidar, radar, and cameras. But Soroush Salehian and Mina Rezk, the… Continue reading Aeva raises $45 million for autonomous car sensors that can measure velocity

FCA CEO Issues letter to Employees

FCA CEO Issues letter to Employees Go to Source

Moody’s improves outlook on FCA N.V.’s rating

Moody’s improves outlook on FCA N.V.’s rating Go to Source

Thieves target Fiat Chrysler for 4th time in 2018

Original Article

The Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2 unveiled – the first models in a new concept of limited-edition special series called ‘Icona’

“ The Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2 unveiled – the first models in a new concept of limited-edition special series called ‘Icona’ Iconic cars whose sophisticated design and engineering is inspired by legendary Ferrari Sports cars of the past Maranello, 18 September 2018 – The new Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2 have been unveiled on… Continue reading The Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2 unveiled – the first models in a new concept of limited-edition special series called ‘Icona’

Lamborghini sees India among top 10 global markets in 5 years

PUNE: Italian super sports car maker Automobili Lamborghini expects India to break into its top ten global markets in the next five years with its new SUV Urus, set to help drive up volumes in the country, a top company official said Thursday. The company, which sold 26 units in India last year, expects to… Continue reading Lamborghini sees India among top 10 global markets in 5 years

The VW Beetle is dead: Again. Here are 5 other resurrected cars that suffered the same fate

The VW Beetle is dead. Again. Here are 5 other once-resurrected cars that suffered the same fate

Manjunath Kiran | AFP | Getty Images

Robert Ferris | @RobertoFerris

5:20 PM ET Sat, 15 Sept 2018

Occasionally, car companies bring back old nameplates in the hope of stoking nostalgia and giving an old name a fresh new look. But it doesn't always work out.
The revived and redesigned Volkswagen Beetle was apparently one such case. Originally developed at the behest of Adolf Hitler in the late 1930s, the car later achieved astronomical sales figures in the 1960s, and became an icon of the era.
Volkswagen stopped selling the original version in the United States in the late 1970s, but continued to produce Beetles in other countries, then introduced a revived version in the 1990s. The car was a hit with many car buyers: Notably, Hillary and then-President Bill Clinton bought a redesigned Beetle for their daughter Chelsea.
But as sales slowed, Volkswagen decided to pull the plug. On Thursday, the automaker said the production of the car will end next year.
Volkswagen is not alone. Here are some other attempts by car companies to recall the past that did not last.

Comeback

Volkswagen stuck with the new Beetle for roughly two decades, decades but in the end decided it was not worth keeping, as consumers continue to shift into SUVs and crossovers.

Franziska Krug | German Select | Getty Images

Ford Thunderbird

The Ford Thunderbird was a coveted car in the 1950s and 60s. The Beach Boys even referred to the “T-Bird” in one of their hit songs “Fun, Fun, Fun”…

Dean Treml | Getty Images

The 90s version

…But Ford's attempt to release an updated version in the 1990s with retro styling fell flat, and the car was eventually discontinued.

Heritage Images | Hulton Archive | Getty Images

Dodge Dart

Dodge has resurrected a few of its most famous nameplates, such as the Charger, the Challenger, and had tried the same approach with the Dart. The first Dart was an affordable and wildly popular car in the 1960s and 1970s…

Bettmann | Getty Images

Flash forward to 2013

…Fiat-Chrysler brought back the nameplate in 2013 to attract customers looking for small cars. The new Dart probably could not have been much more different from its ancestor, and the car was only in production for a few years. It ended with the 2016 model year.

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Mercury Cougar

The Mercury Cougar began life in 1967 as a slightly upscale stablemate to Ford's Mustang pony car. It went through several different designs over the years, and slowly morphed into more of a sedate sedan by the time it was discontinued in 1997…

Gabe Souza | Portland Press Herald | Getty Images

Back with a sportier design

…Two years later, though, Mercury brought the Cougar back with a leaner, sportier design with quirky touches, such as bulbous headlights and taillights. It was only in production for a few years before Ford discontinued it.

Scott Olson | Getty Images

Pontiac GTO

One of the original true muscle cars, the GTO was big, loud and fast when it was first released in the mid-1960s. It remained in production for about a decade.

Getty Images

From a land Down Under

Pontiac resurrected the name and slapped it on a modified version of a Monaro, a car made by General Motors' Australian Holden brand. While the redesigned GTO earned praise for its performance, the model was killed after just two years. Soon after that, GM completely ended production of all Pontiac models during its bailout by the U.S. government.

Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Ford Taurus

When the Taurus was first released in 1985 it was a revelation: A sedan with European styling that could be had at the price of a Ford. It was later replaced with the Ford 500.
That was a mistake, said independent auto analyst and industry veteran John Wolkonowicz. Former Ford CEO Alan Mulally pushed Ford to resurrect the Taurus nameplate.

But the revived Taurus never quite attained the cachet with consumers the original had. Ford has recently said it will discontinue the model in North America, along with nearly all of its other sedans.

Interview d’Arnaud Belloni, Directeur Marketing de Citroën.

Lorsqu’on parle marketing dans l’automobile, son nom résonne comme une référence. Arnaud Belloni a en effet occupé dans cette industrie de nombreuses fonctions, d’abord chez Renault, ensuite au sein du groupe VW puis plus de onze ans chez Fiat-Chrysler avant d’intégrer le Groupe PSA en tant que Directeur Marketing Monde de Citroën en septembre 2015.… Continue reading Interview d’Arnaud Belloni, Directeur Marketing de Citroën.

Ferrari reveals its most powerful road car ever

Ferrari unveiled two new car models on September 18 2018. They are titled the Monza SP1 and Monza SP2.

Ferrari has debuted two brand new road cars, claiming they are fitted with the most powerful engine ever built by the Italian car maker.

The luxury sports car maker took the wraps off the Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2 at the firm's famous Maranello factory in Italy on Tuesday.

Ferrari said in a press release that the latest models are first in a limited series called “Icona”. The name has been chosen to reference the firms famous racing cars of the 1950's. The SP1 has only one seat while the SP2 allows for one passenger.

The interior of the Ferrari Monza SP2. The car houses the Italian firm's most powerful ever engine built for a road car.

The firm said the V12 810 brake horse power engine housed in both models is the most powerful motor drive ever built at Maranello. Other official statistics published by the firm said either car can reach 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) in 2.9 seconds. Ferrari said the limited edition would run to a maximum of 500 cars.

The Monza's bodyshell is built entirely from carbon fibre and neither model comes with a roof or windscreen. Ferrari said a “virtual wind shield” is placed behind the instrumentation panel to push air flow above the driver who is sat in a Formula 1 style cockpit.

What's ahead for Ferrari under Louis Camilleri
11:36 AM ET Mon, 23 July 2018 | 01:52

The cars were unveiled at the end of the firm's first capital markets day since the passing of former CEO Sergio Marchionne.

Shares in the supercar maker see-sawed after the company announced a new earnings target range for 2022 of between 1.8 and 2 billion euros ($2.1 -2.3bn).

That represents a pull back from the 2 billion euro target put in place by Marchionne but new boss Louis Camilleri described it as “ambitious but doable”.

A bird's eye view of Ferrari's Monza SP1, unveiled on September 18 2018.

DBZ Centenary Collection: Classic joins contemporary in unique centenary tribute

Published: Sep 18, 2018

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by
Neil Allison

In 2019, legendary Italian design house Zagato celebrates its centenary. For 58 of those hundred years, Aston Martin and Zagato have enjoyed a remarkable creative partnership. One in which these two iconic brands have created some of the world’s most desirable and stimulating cars, from the first DB4 GT Zagato to the latest Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake.

19 September 2018, Gaydon: In 2019, legendary Italian design house Zagato celebrates its centenary. For 58 of those hundred years, Aston Martin and Zagato have enjoyed a remarkable creative partnership. One in which these two iconic brands have created some of the world’s most desirable and stimulating cars, from the first DB4 GT Zagato to the latest Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake.
To commemorate this landmark year, Aston Martin and Zagato are continuing their historic partnership with a truly unique collaboration. One that will come to fruition in Zagato’s centenary year with the remarkable DBZ Centenary Collection – a unique project that pays tribute to an icon of the past and creates a classic of the future.
Speaking of the DBZ Zagato Collection, Andy Palmer, Aston Martin’s Chief Executive Officer, added: “The partnership between Aston Martin and Zagato is one of the most fruitful and enduring in the automotive world. With Zagato celebrating its centenary next year, what better way to celebrate this landmark – and the long-standing bond between our two great companies – than creating these 19 pairs of cars. As an engineer I would always say my favourite Aston Martin is the next one, but I have to say I’m struggling to think of a finer two-car garage than this!”
Andrea Zagato, the head of the Milan-based design house, founded by his grandfather in 1919, continued: “Great Britain has always appreciated our work. In particular, I must say I’m honoured and very proud that Aston Martin has chosen to celebrate our long-standing partnership with this unique DBZ Centenary Collection.”
With a build run strictly limited to just 19 pairs, this exceptional duo comprises a new, track-only DB4 GT Zagato Continuation and a new, road-legal DBS GT Zagato. The DB4 GT Zagato will be built at Aston Martin Works, Newport Pagnell – the original home of the DB4 – while the new DBS GT Zagato will be produced at Gaydon, Aston Martin’s global headquarters. Perfectly bookending Aston Martin and Zagato’s shared history, the DBZ Centenary Collection will be sure to take their place amongst the most coveted cars in the world.
Built to race against the might of Ferrari in the 1960’s, the DB4 GT Zagato was a thoroughbred machine. Evolved for the rigours of motor racing and blessed with breath taking beauty, just 19 were built. Drawing on Aston Martin Works’ unrivalled knowledge and expertise the 2019 DB4 GT Zagato Continuations will be completely authentic and meticulously crafted cars that are true to those original Zagato-bodied DB4 GTs produced by Aston Martin and Zagato in 1960.
Now the largest, best equipped and most knowledgeable Aston Martin restoration centre in the world, the invaluable and highly specialist skills nurtured at Aston Martin Works are perfectly suited to Aston Martin’s celebrated Continuation projects. Each of the 19 DB4 GT Zagato Continuation cars will be built to the highest possible quality using a blend of David Brown-era old world craftsmanship, with the sympathetic application of modern engineering advancements and performance enhancements.
Originally built as an evolution of the short-chassis DB4 GT, the DB4 GT Zagato Continuation follows the same recipe, with thin-gauge aluminium body panels, dressing a lightweight tubular frame. To improve the accuracy and consistency of the panels, the continuation car’s bodywork uses state-of-the-art digital scanning technology, before being hand-finished in time-honoured tradition. Beneath the bonnet sits a version of the celebrated Tadek Marek-designed straight-six cylinder engine with two spark plugs per cylinder, transmitting its 380bhp to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential, for an authentic and unforgettable driving experience.
Paul Spires, Managing Director at Aston Martin Works, said of the DB4 GT Zagato Continuation: “It has been my pleasure and privilege to oversee many exceptional projects here at Aston Martin Works, but creating nineteen DB4 GT Zagato Continuations as one half of the DBZ Centenary Collection is a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We will bring all our hand-craftsmanship and expertise to bear in building these nineteen Continuation cars, sympathetically incorporating the very latest engineering advancements and performance enhancements, but remaining true to the purity and authenticity of the original design”.
The second half of the DBZ Centenary Collection is the DBS GT Zagato, which takes Aston Martin’s most potent series production car – the brand new DBS Superleggera – as the starting point for Aston Martin and Zagato’s latest and most exclusive offering.
Created to embody the next evolution in Aston Martin Zagato design language, the exterior of the car will be characterised by a new proportion featuring a fresh interpretation of the iconic double-bubble roof. Together with a striking front grille treatment and a dramatically truncated tail the DBS GT Zagato will present an amplified physique and an unmistakable presence. One that combines classic Zagato hallmarks with spectacular new signatures. Paired to the build run of 19 DB4 GT Zagato Continuations, the DBS GT Zagato will also be the rarest of all the modern-era Aston Martin Zagatos.
Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer, said: “Aston Martin and Zagato is a uniquely dynamic union. One that unites the former’s love of proportion and clean, simple forms with the latter’s daring and maverick eye. Never afraid to push the boundaries, the partnership has resulted in some fabulous cars. Most recently the quartet of Vanquish Zagatos, which spanned the extremes of design expression with Coupe, Roadster, Speedster and Shooting Brake versions. However, Zagato’s centenary demanded something extra special, and the Zagato Collection is just that: One car that pays tribute to a timeless icon; another that writes a fearless new chapter for future generations to admire.”
The DBZ Century Collection will be priced at £6m plus taxes. First deliveries to customers will commence QTR 4 2019 for the DB4 GT Zagato Continuation and QTR 4 2020 for the DBS GT Zagato.