Lazzarini Design Looking for Someone to Invest $550,000 to Build a Ferrari-Powered Fiat 550 Italia

Apparently, Nissan's much-hyped decision to create the ultimate small crossover by blending the body of the Juke with the mechanical hardware of the GT-R has found an imitator of sorts in the guise of Lazzarini Design Studio.

The unknown Italian company would like to find an investor and car enthusiast willing to spend around $550,000 (~€440,000) to fund the development of a unique Fiat 500, one that is powered by the…Ferrari 458 Italia's running gear.

The proposed car is named Fiat 550 Italia, not only as a nod to its price, but also to the number of ponies produced by a slightly de-tuned version of the Ferrari's 4.5-liter V8, and we quote Lazzarini Design:

"The engine it was slightly detuned from 570HP to 550HP, this cause in the simulator the exeed of torque could badly balance the car during fast shifting operations."

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Fiat Sells 100,000th 500 in Britain Less Than Five Years After its Launch

What good is success if you don't share it with others, right? On Thursday, Fiat announced that it sold the 100,000th example of its 500 city car in the UK, some four and a half years since it arrived in the market. Read more »

Fiat Sells Out Entire U.S. Production of 2012MY Abarth 500 in a Little Over a Month

If you were eyeing the new 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth, it looks like you are out of luck, at least for the next few months, as the Chrysler Group told its dealers today that it is no longer accepting wholesale orders for the $22,000 sporty mini car, according to a report from Detroit News citing company sources. Read more »

Fiat 500 XXL, the Stretch Limousine Edition

The Fiat 500 has made a name for itself as a cute and stylish mini that is ideal for city use thanks to its small footprint.

In other words, this is definitely not the kind of car you would want to transfer a lot of people, unless of course, for whatever reason, you decide to put it on the Procrustean bed…

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Fiat Abarth 500 and Catrinel Menghia Meet Again in eBay Motors' World's Fastest Car Show Promo

For the third time in the past six months, Romanian model Catrinel Menghia is participating in a commercial as the sensual Italian owner of a Fiat Abarth 500.

After assuming the role in Fiat USA's "Seduction" and "House Arrest" commercials (the later with co-start Charlie Sheen), Menghia returns in an advertisement for eBay Motors' "The World's Fastest Car Show".

As we learned, the short clip has been nominated for this year's Webby Awards in the "Online Film & Video" category. Head past the break to watch the video for yourself.

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Fiat Abarth 500 and Catrinel Menghia Meet Again in eBay Motors' World's Fastest Car Show Promo

For the third time in the past six months, Romanian model Catrinel Menghia is participating in a commercial as the sensual Italian owner of a Fiat Abarth 500.

After assuming the role in Fiat USA's "Seduction" and "House Arrest" commercials (the later with co-start Charlie Sheen), Menghia returns in an advertisement for eBay Motors' "The World's Fastest Car Show".

As we learned, the short clip has been nominated for this year's Webby Awards in the "Online Film & Video" category. Head past the break to watch the video for yourself.

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Fiat to Introduce 500X Small Crossover Next Year, will Base New Jeep SUV

The Fiat Group is putting all its weight behind the 500 series, which started off with the original three-door hatchback, but has now evolved to include the rag-top 500C, the Abarth performance variants and more recently, the mechanically unrelated, 500L small MPV (pictured above and below) that will be soon joined by a 7-passenger version.

The next 500 model in Fiat's grand plan is a small crossover. Sources from within the Italian automaker told Automotive Europe that the car will be named the 500X and that it will be presented as early as next year.

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Fiat Airs Brand New "Baby" Commercial for the 500 in the States

The Fiat brand is slowly abandoning the banal Jennifer Lopez ads for its 500 city car and moving towards sexier and cheekier spots like the overly successful "Seduction" clip featuring Catrinel Menghia with some 8.3 million views on Fiat's Youtube channel and "House Arrest" with Charlie Sheen and Catrinel Menghia that has garnered around 1.8 million views in two weeks.

Coinciding with the broadcast debut of "House Arrest" this evening on local and national TV stations as well cable channels, is another new commercial for the 500 named "Baby".

The new 30-second ad shows two young men in the front seats and a baby boy in the back pulling by a 1967 Imperial, at which point the toddler joins his fingers in the traditional Italian way and says something to the stunned driver (our Italian readers can help with the translation).

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Charlie Sheen Stars in New Fiat 500 Abarth “House Arrest” Commercial

A vast luxurious house, lots of beautiful women partying and Charlie Sheen. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Fiat decided to take advantage of the former Two and a Half Men lead, Hollywood megastar and serial troublemaker by using his “bad boy” image for its latest commercial.

The TV commercial promotes the 2012 500 Abarth, which Sheen is driving fast inside said house to the applause of his guests. Sheen rides the Abarth indoors as he wears an ankle monitor and is under house arrest – which is the name of the spot .

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New Abarth 695 Tributo Maserati Convertible Heading to the Geneva Motor Show

Some three years after Fiat's Abarth division collaborated with Ferrari for the creation of the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari, the Italian company is heading to the Geneva Salon with yet another special edition of the 500 that pays homage to one of the Group's premium brands, the Abarth 695 Tributo Maserati.

Whereas the Ferrari inspired model is based on the tin-top Abarth 500, the Maserati-flavored variant is offered exclusively in convertible form, though the term is somewhat misleading as the open-top model features a canvas top that rolls back but keeps the roof rails intact – something like a huge sunroof.

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New Special Edition Fiat 500 ID Limited to 500 Units for Germany

Fiat continues to churn out special edition variants of its 500 city car like there's no tomorrow. The latest one is called the 500 ID and it was created exclusively for the German market. Only 500 examples will be built each carrying a base price of €13,500 (about US$17,600).

The exclusivity of the 500 ID comes in the form of its two-tone exterior color theme with matching interior trims.

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Mopar gives the 2012 Fiat 500 an American Tune with "Stinger" Package

The second Mopar tuned model on its way to the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, which takes place during the second week of February, is the 2012 Fiat 500 Stinger. Mopar's American take on the Italian city car integrates two stage kits along with a special Giallo (yellow) exterior paint.

The first package begins with black racing decals on the Fiat 500's profile and roof graphics in black checker followed by a set of larger 17-inch Abarth Hyper Black alloy wheels with wider 205/40 R17 performance tires, tinted lights and a new exhaust tailpipe.

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New Details Emerge on Fiat's 500L Wagon that will Debut in Geneva and go on Sale in the U.S. in 2013

We had heard earlier this month that Fiat was preparing a new five-door variant of its 500 city car but we didn't know much else about the Italian firm's plans.

Today, Autonews has the inside scoop on the new model reporting that it will allegedly be called 500L with its world premiere to take place at the Geneva Salon in March.

We also learn that while it will keep the 500s familiar face and styling cues, it will be based on the same architecture as the larger Punto to improve passenger and luggage space.

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Fiat Rumored to Extend 500 Range With Mini-Rivaling Five-Door “Wagon”

On paper, Fiat’s return to the North American market after a 30-year absence was well planned. The first product introduced by the Italian maker was the 500 city car, which had already proven to be a hit in Europe, selling 770,000 units since 2007. Things looked promising in the U.S. as well.

While the 500’s mission was to rival BMW’s Mini, its 2011 sales of 26,000 units were almost half of original forecasts. Delays in the launch and the dealer network certainly played a role while Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne also thinks that the company’s strategy was to blame.

“We thought we were going to show up and, just because of the fact people like gelato and pasta, people will buy it”, he told reporters last week. “This is nonsense”.

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New Fiat 500 Abarth Priced from $22,000* in the U.S., or about as Much as a 305HP Ford Mustang…

Just because it's tiny and made from Europe's equivalent of Chevrolet, doesn't mean that the new 160-horsepower 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth comes in cheap.

In fact, it's US$22,000 price tag (*not including destination and handling charges) is sure to raise some eyebrows.

And this not only because it costs $6,500 more than the standard 101-horsepower 500, but also because it brings it in the same price range as sports cars like the 210HP 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe ($22,250) and even the 305HP 2012 Ford Mustang V6 ($22,310)!

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Chevy Volt and Fiat 500 Amongst Worst Product Flops of 2011, Says Report

A report on the seven worst product flops in the U.S. from 24/7 Wall Street that was re-posted on Yahoo Finance includes two vehicle introductions, the Chevrolet Volt and the Fiat 500.

According to the author of the report, Chevrolet's extended range electric vehicle made it on the list because it underperformed in sales while the fact that it is under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for fires related to the car's lithium-ion batteries is also mentioned.

As for the 500, the article says that while the Italians expected to sell some 50,000 cars during its first year in the States, Fiat sold fewer than 12,000 from January through July, and that the company ousted its chief Laura Soave this past November. For the record, Fiat sold 15,826 examples of the coupe and the 500C through October.

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Fiat Banks on Spicy Abarth 500 Spot, Gives it the Pop-Up Treatment

Why stop when you have a good thing going? And with some 2.2 million views on Fiat's official Youtube channel alone, we'd say the company's 500 Abarth Seduction clip starring Romanian hottie Catrinel Menghia, has been a very successful communication tool for the Italians.

Now, less than a month after the original digital spot made its internet debut, Fiat has released a so-called "pop-up" version by VH1 that incorporates some fun facts about the clip and the two protagonists that will run through the end of December.

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Mythbuster: Are Modern Truck and Car Emissions Comparable to that of Lawn Blowers? [Video]

With government agencies enforcing stricter emission regulations every year and auto manufacturers doing their best to prove that their cars are as eco-friendly as possible, hyperbole is part of the game.

A common saying is that the modern cars are cleaner than lawn equipment and that the carbon dioxide emissions they release are actually lower than that present in the air that comes into the combustion chamber.

Edmund's Insideline decided to put the theories to the test. Since cars come in all shapes and sizes, they chose two examples from the opposite side of the spectrum: a Fiat 500 mini and a Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Crew Cab pickup.

The diminutive Fiat is powered by a 1.4-liter four with 100HP, while the big and menacing-looking Raptor sports a 411HP 6.2-liter V8.

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Fiat Abarth 500 Takes on Subaru Impreza WRX STI on Italian Track [Video]

The Abarth 500, especially when fitted with the 'essesse' performance package that lifts the 1.4-liter turbocharged engine's output to 160-horses, is a capable little beast for its size and price, but is that enough to challenge a previous generation Subaru Impreza WRX STI on the racetrack?

Well, as any driver with some experience on the circuit will tell you, it’s as much about the car as it is about the person sitting behind the wheel. That said, the Abarth 500 shouldn't come close to an STI in the right hands but it's plausible under certain circumstances.

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Artists Tweet that J.Lo's Promotion of the Fiat 500 During the American Music Awards was "Shameless"

Jennifer Lopez has appeared in most of the TV spots regarding the Fiat 500. And that's not all as the 42-year old singer, actress, record producer, dancer, television persona, and fashion designer brought along the Italian city car to the stage during her recent performance at the American Music Awards.

The move, however, came under some heavy criticism. Lopez was attacked on Twitter with messages like “I know I just didn’t see that damb Fiat. I KNOW I didn’t see that friggin’ FIAT” from Roots drummer, Questlove. Singer and award presenter, John Legend, tweeted “that had to be the most shameless thing I’ve ever seen in a performance. I was genuinely shocked.”

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