AutoShortNews » Fiat

FIAT 500c — “My World” by J. Lo

Admin — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 07:38:08 +0000

The Smoking Gun reports that Lopez’ scenes were actually filmed in Los Angeles, and Big Block, an LA-based digital production studio, was brought in to make it appear as though J.Lo was actually driving through her hometown. Lopez was born in the Bronx in 1969 and in the ad, states, “This is my world. This place inspires me.”

Local business people shown in the ad, including barber shop owner Eligio Cueto, confirmed “it wasn’t her.” TSG reports that as the Fiat and the commercial camera crew drove by his storefront, he noticed that “a double that looked like her” was behind the wheel. Shooting in one city and making it look like another is nothing new – it’s done all the time in movies, television shows, and all manner of videos. But given how the commercial is written in such a personalized manner, and given how much of lightning rod the campaign has been within the advertising and marketing community, this latest development isn’t likely to win the campaign any more respect.

Source: The Smoking Gun

Italian sex appeal Fiat 500 Abarth

Admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:27:17 +0000

We have no idea what the heart-stoppingly gorgeous Italian model in the new commercial is saying, but then we don’t really care. All we know is we’ll never look at this hatchback quite the same.

2011 International Engine of the Year Awards dominate by Ferrari and Fiat

Admin — Thu, 19 May 2011 09:36:54 +0000

Italy knows how to put an engine together – at least, according to the International Engine of the Year voting committee. The votes have been tallied, and Fiat has taken home four out of 12 awards. The company’s 875-cc TwinAir mill has earned the title of Best New Engine of 2011, Green Engine of the Year, Sub 1.0-liter Engine of the Year and International Engine of the Year. Ferrari helped Italy earn two more awards, with the 458′s 4.5-liter V8 unit being crowned Best Engine Above 4.0-liters and Best Performance engine. All told, Italian powerplants claimed half of the awards handed out.

[Source: International Engine of the Year Awards]

2012 Fiat 500 fuel economy numbers fall short of 40 mpg

Admin — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 15:54:31 +0000

2011 marks the official return of Fiat here in the United States, with the adorable little 500 hitting dealerships in the coming weeks. With Fiat’s MultiAir 1.4-liter engine under the hood, you’d be right to expect top-notch fuel economy numbers. And while the 500′s EPA ratings of 30 miles per gallon in the city and 38 mpg on the highway aren’t bad, it’s not exactly what we were hoping for.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Chinese customer orders $670k gilded Fiat 500

Admin — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:49:02 +0000

The beauty of the Fiat 500 is that it’s loaded with Italian style, but comes cheaper than anything this side of a Vespa. So if you were in the market, how much would you consider spending on a Cinquecento? $20K? Maybe $30k for a fully-loaded Abarth? How about €500,000? That’s equivalent to about $670,000, and stands as the absurd price some anonymous Chinese businessman has apparently paid for a particularly opulent tacky example of the retro minicar.

[Source: Fenice Milano via CarScoop]

Fiat 500 Bicolore debuts at Bologna Motor Show

Admin — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 16:02:05 +0000

Fiat describes the Bicolore as “an unprecedented combination that recalls the retro world of ’50s American cars and pop art.” The automaker continues, calling the special edition 500 a model “that celebrates the car’s more eco-friendly and sporty spirits.” The Bicolore is powered by one of Fiat’s most fuel efficient engines available: the turbocharged two-cylinder 0.9-liter TwinAir, which cranks out 85 horsepower.

[Source: Fiat]

First U.S. ad for the Fiat 500

Admin — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 17:10:52 +0000

The enthusiast hordes have been gearing up for the arrival of the Fiat 500 for some time now. At last, Fiat has prepared its ad campaign to let the more casual car fan know what’s about to hit, and the initial result feels, to us, a lot less exciting than the car itself. Think Anthony Robbins meets a Target commercial, with a little bit of a white 500 thrown in. Or just think Moby since, with no disrespect to the musician himself, his tunes have become the soundtrack to tapioca advertising.

2011 Fiat 500 Sport ready for North America

Admin — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:28:03 +0000

Chrysler has officially pulled back the covers on the American version of the Fiat 500 Sport. The pint-sized hatchback will be dueling with the Mini Cooper on our shores in short order, powered by none-other than the Fiat 1.4-liter turbocharged Multiair four-cylinder engine. The Pentastar hasn’t released power figures for the American version of the powerplant, nor do we know official fuel economy numbers.

[Source: Chrysler]

Fiat wants to sell 50,000 500s in the U.S.

Admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:35:47 +0000

Chrysler is set to debut its American-spec Fiat 500 at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show with the first examples being sold near the end of 2010. During the 2011 calendar year, Chrysler hopes to sell 50,000 of the Mini Cooper fighters, including the 500 Cabrio, which goes on sale sometime in 2011.

[Source: Associated Press via Google]

Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari: Is it worth $47,000?

Admin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:47:07 +0000

How much would you be willing to pay for a Fiat 500? Fifteen grand? Twenty? Thirty? How about nearly $50,000. That’s how much the crème-de-la-crème Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari is going for now that it’s reaching the market. For a quick refresher, the special-edition 500 was unveiled almost a year ago at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It packs a 180-horsepower 1.4-liter 16-valve turbocharged four-pot, beefed-up suspension, wheels and brakes and a special paint scheme inspired by its big brother, the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. A scant 152 examples are being produced in right-hand drive for the British market, and each is carrying a whopping price tag of £29,600, or about $47k in American greenbacks.

[Source: Fiat]