Cars Model 2013 2014 2015

Friday, 1 March 2013

Like Jeep, Fisker Twitter account briefly hacked, offers way to lose body fat

Like Jeep, Fisker Twitter account briefly hacked, offers way to lose body fat In the overall scheme of things, having your Twitter account hacked isn't as bad as a flood or a fire. So, perhaps the "The Fastest Way To Lose BodyFat in (2)Weeks" tweet that Fisker Automotive sent out today isn't going to cause anyone to lose sleep, especially since it was almost instantly fixed. Not long after the body fat tweet went out, someone at Fisker took charge and wrote: "We know that the fans and followers of Fiskerauto don't need to lose weight... Disregard our last tweet as we were hacked like other OEMS."

Like Jeep, Fisker Twitter account briefly hacked, offers way to lose body fat

Like Jeep, Fisker Twitter account briefly hacked, offers way to lose body fat logo

Roger Ormisher, Fisker's senior director of global corporate communications & PR, told AutoblogGreen, "We became aware of the offending tweet in less than 30 minutes and promptly posted an apology. No information was taken and we will continue to monitor and our Social Media channels closely."

Like Jeep, Fisker Twitter account briefly hacked, offers way to lose body fat

This is the latest in a string of high-profile Twitter hacks, including attacks against Jeep and Burger King. In those events, the hackers mucked around with background images and sent out some profane tweets. At least the Fisker hacker kept it clean, which is fitting.

Like Jeep, Fisker Twitter account briefly hacked, offers way to lose body fat

Fisker reportedly drops $33MM lawsuit over Sandy damaged cars

Fisker reportedly drops $33MM lawsuit over Sandy damaged cars In the wake of Superstorm Sandy hitting the east coast, Fisker Automotive and insurer XL Insurance wound up in a legal battle over 338 Karma models destroyed in the storm. The cars were sitting in Port Newark, New Jersey when the enormous storm struck, washing away $33 million worth of viable automobiles. Fisker sued XL Insurance in New York State Supreme Court after the company denied coverage for the loss.

Fisker reportedly drops $33MM lawsuit over Sandy damaged cars

Both sides reportedly reached an agreement to drop the legal action on Thursday without publicly stating a reason for the truce. In lieu of an actual reason, here's some conjecture: the cars may be worth more to Fisker as an uncompensated loss, as pending legal battles make the beleaguered niche automaker much less attractive to potential investors or suitors.

Fisker reportedly drops $33MM lawsuit over Sandy damaged cars

Mazda and Fiat finalize deal for Alfa roadster, next-gen MX-5 Miata

Mazda and Fiat finalize deal for Alfa roadster, next-gen MX-5 Miata Although a little bit later than expected, Mazda and Fiat have signed a final agreement that will bring a next-generation MX-5 Miata to the Japanese automaker and a new roadster to Alfa Romeo. When the proposed arrangement was announced back in May, the two automakers had hoped to seal the deal last year, but it doesn't appear that the production timeline for these cars has slipped any, with both expected to start rolling off assembly lines in 2015.

Mazda and Fiat finalize deal for Alfa roadster, next-gen MX-5 Miata

Mazda and Fiat finalize deal for Alfa roadster, next-gen MX-5 Miata

Mazda and Fiat finalize deal for Alfa roadster, next-gen MX-5 Miata

Mazda and Fiat finalize deal for Alfa roadster, next-gen MX-5 Miata logo

Mazda and Fiat finalize deal for Alfa roadster, next-gen MX-5 Miata front view

Mazda and Fiat finalize deal for Alfa roadster, next-gen MX-5 Miata rear view

Other than a shared chassis with a rear-wheel-drive layout, it sounds like the two cars are still planned to be distinct in their own ways from their styling right down to their engines. Mazda will produce both cars at a plant in Hiroshima, Japan, but it isn't clear what role each automaker will play in the cars' developmental process. The big question, of course, is what clever portmanteau name we can come up with, like Toyobaru. Mazda Romeo is the easy choice, but Alfazda might roll off the tongue a little better.

Mazda and Fiat finalize deal for Alfa roadster, next-gen MX-5 Miata Scroll down for a brief press release from both automakers.

Fiat 500 least safe vehicle to drive according to insurance website

Fiat 500 least safe vehicle to drive according to insurance website When the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crashed a 2012 Fiat 500, the little car got the best scores in all categories. It's a safe car, then, right?

Fiat 500 least safe vehicle to drive according to insurance website

"If safety is a priority, you should avoid the smallest cars," advises Russ Rader, spokesperson for IIHS. "Weight counts. Smaller, lighter cars are safer than they used to be, but all things being equal, people riding in bigger, heavier vehicles get more protection in crashes."

That's why, despite its near-perfect crash-test score, the Fiat 500 is No. 1 on Insure.com's list of worst vehicles for protecting passengers from injuries. In an accident with a larger object, the Fiat's safety cage and array of air bags do what they can to protect passenges, but like eggs in a coffee can, the passengers get thrown about and smashed up.

Fiat 500 least safe vehicle to drive according to insurance website

If the Fiat 500 is like a coffee can, then a fullsize GMC pickup (which tops the website's list of vehicles best at protecting passengers) would be a 50-gallon barrel. In a collision between the two, the barrel of eggs will win every time. The GMC Sierra 1500 is rated best at protecting passengers by Insure.com, but IIHS rated it just average in the side impact test and marginal in the roof strength test. Second place on Insure.com's best list is the Porsche Cayenne, which has not been tested by IIHS. The third through fifth place spots go to the GMC Yukon, Sierra 2500 and Terrain.

The listings are the result of Insure.com's analysis of personal injury protection and medical payment claims which affect what car owners are charged for insurance.

Check out videos of the IIHS crash test of the Fiat 500 as well as the 2009 GMC Sierra 1500 below.Fiat 500 least safe vehicle to drive according to insurance website

Fiat contemplating sub-brand to compete with Dacia, Datsun

Fiat contemplating sub-brand to compete with Dacia, Datsun We're told that the initiative has been in the idea box for five years and even moved to the stage of name considerations, like Innocenti, but worries about profit kept it from realization. If such a range were to be developed, Marchionne says it couldn't be built in Italy and stay within budget, and the company is "analyzing its manufacturing capacity outside of Europe to see if a low-cost brand is viable."

Fiat contemplating sub-brand to compete with Dacia, Datsun

Fiat contemplating sub-brand to compete with Dacia, Datsun badge

You can add Fiat to the admittedly short list of automakers considering a low-cost brand to rival Dacia. The inexpensive Eastern European brand from Renault-Nissan has performed on the balance sheet like a premium model line, and the money the alliance is taking off the table is encouraging other players to deal themselves in. Pretty soon Nissan's Datsun sub-brand will join the Dacia party, going on sale in Russia, Indonesia and India and will claim even more rubles, rupiahs and rupees for the parent company. Volkswagen recently said it will make a decision this year on a budget line for the Chinese market. With the euthanasia of Lancia and plans to move the Fiat brand upmarket, company CEO Sergio Marchionne wonders aloud to Automotive News Europe whether there could be room for a new budget brand underneath Fiat.

Fiat contemplating sub-brand to compete with Dacia, Datsun

Fiat 500 Fiore Rosa is Italian-Japanese cute-overload fusion

Fiat 500 Fiore Rosa is Italian-Japanese cute-overload fusion It's fitted with the TwinAir engine and gets the same price as the regular 500 TwinAir, however – 2,200,000 yen ($23,559 US). Other than the special name, we can't figure out where the 500 Fiore Rosa is hiding its treats, especially because it gets the el-cheapo wheel covers of the 500 Pop fitted with the 1.2-liter engine instead of the 500 TwinAir wheels. But if you want to make a statement, it's there. And we're talking to the women of Japan, because apparently they're the ones who buy the gifts on Valentine's day in Nippon.

Fiat 500 Fiore Rosa is Italian-Japanese cute-overload fusion

If you live in Japan and you want to get something for your special someone for Valentine's Day, then slow dance down to your Fiat dealer and check out the Fiat 500 Fiore Rosa. A holiday special, the pale metallic pink Cinquecento is limited to 150 examples and only on sale from February 14-17. But beware the connotations, because as far as we can glean from Google Translate, the 500 Fiore Rosa is a bargain model, getting halogen lights instead of bi-xenons, manual air-con instead of climate control, 14-inch steel wheels instead of 15-inch alloys, and going without chrome trim, glass roof, parking sensors and alarm.Fiat 500 Fiore Rosa is Italian-Japanese cute-overload fusion

All Fiat 500 production moving to Poland by 2015

All Fiat 500 production moving to Poland by 2015 Currently, Fiat builds two similar but structurally different 500 models for Europe and North America, and assembling just one version at the Tychy, Poland would allow it to cut costs for development of the new car. This would also help fill some of the capacity void that Tychy has suffered in recent years, building just 300,000 units last year compared to more than double that in 2009. The report says that while Chrysler's North American production capacity is near its limit, Fiat's European plants will be used to meet increased demand before a new plant is built in North America. As for Toluca, there is no indication as to what vehicle Chrysler would replace the 500 with at this facility, which also builds the Dodge Journey.

All Fiat 500 production moving to Poland by 2015

All Fiat 500 production moving to Poland by 2015

All Fiat 500 production moving to Poland by 2015

With the next-generation Fiat 500 expected to debut in 2015 with more of a global presence, there is a growing possibility that production of the cute little hatchback will be consolidated to a single plant in Poland. According to Automotive News Europe, Fiat plans to end production of the 500 in Toluca, Mexico, which is expected to better fill Fiat's European production capacity, free up more North American capacity and create a single Fiat 500 design for all markets.All Fiat 500 production moving to Poland by 2015