Italy
-
Racing is a an expensive hobby, but a company by the name of Spice-X aims to make it affordable with a cheap race car, and it's a green proposition to boot. Spice-X is a collaborative effort between a handful of car companies based in Piedmont, Italy, with the goal to produce an affordable electric race car with lightweight yet inexpensive materials. Motor1 reported Sunday that the concept, called the Spice-X SX1, weighs just 1,323 pounds and measures 150.6 inches long and 66.7 inches wide. The body was designed by Fabrizio Pepe of Mastery Design. The other companies involved have not been...
-
Racing for pinks: Ferrari 488 Pista Piloti Ferrari only offered to customer racers
At the 24 Hours of LeMans, Ferrari has pulled back the sheet on a new version of the 488 from its Tailor Made program, and this one is for the racers. Based on the hardcore 488 Pista, the Piloti Ferrari (yes, the name is Ferrari 488 Pista Piloti Ferrari) designation signifies that this particular...
Jeff Glucker -
Countach Designer Gandini Styled A Top-Secret, Composite...Tata?
Is this avant garde city car for real?
Stephen Edelstein -
Italians Shed Supercars As Tax Raids, Austerity Measures Continue
For wealthy Italians with a passion for supercars, life continues to get harder and more expensive. Once a symbol of Italy’s passion for automotive design, cars from automakers like Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini are now triggers for ongoing stings from Italy’s Guardia di Finanza...
Kurt Ernst -
Italy's Tax Police Impacting Ferrari And Maserati Sales
In the wake of a highly-publicized crackdown on tax evaders in Italy, domestic sales of luxury sports car brands Ferrari and Maserati have fallen off sharply in the first quarter of 2012. Italians fear the Guardia di Finanza, more commonly referred to as the tax police, after a series of sting...
Kurt Ernst -
Snooki Has Another Run-In With The Law (Literally)
There's controversy brewing in Italy these days, and it has nothing to do with Berlusconi or teenage mistresses. No, the cause of the consternation is the return of the Italians' long-lost cousins: the cast of MTV's Jersey Shore. Things didn't get any calmer on Monday, when one of the gang --...
Richard Read -
At March’s 2011 Geneva Motor Show, a rejuvenated De Tomaso, now run by former Fiat exec Gian Mario Rossignolo and his family, presented the controversial SLS luxury crossover concept and announced production of not just one but three distinct new models. These were to include a new crossover, previewed by the SLS, as well as a sedan and a sports model destined to be the successor to the legendary De Tomaso Pantera. Now, spotted outside De Tomaso’s plant in Grugliasco, just outside of Turin, Italy, is this mysterious prototype of a sports car with mid-engine proportions and a...
-
Fiat-Chrysler Boss Sergio Marchionne Shows Off Personal Ferrari Enzo
What many may not know about Fiat-Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne is that the unassuming auto exec in a sweater is an avid performance car fan, especially the high-performance cars from Ferrari. At a recent press event in Balocco, Italy, Marchionne took the opportunity to show off his own personal...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
MINI Wins On Debut At Italy’s Rally dell’Adriatico
You already know MINI will be back in WRC this year, testing at a limited number of events ahead of a full push for the 2012 season. One of these events was this past weekend’s Rally dell’Adriatico in Italy where the John Cooper Works backed MINI S2000 rally car stormed to victory at...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Tricolore Honors 150th Anniversary Of Italy’s Unification
Hot on the heels of the Gallardo LP560-4 Bicolore revealed back in January comes the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Tricolore Edition, which was built in honor of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. The car will officially be unveiled on March 16, the actual date of the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ferrari 458 Driver Runs Fiat Off Highway, Proceeds To Pick A Fight
It’s hardly a surprise to hear that a Ferrari driver may have a little air of superiority, especially when that driver is behind the wheel of the new 458 Italia, one of the Italian marques most gorgeous models in history and one with that lists for more than $225,325. Nevertheless, the 458...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Italian Plant To Build New Alfa Romeo And Jeep SUVs
Hot on the heels of news that Maserati will be launching a new SUV based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee in 2013 comes confirmation that Alfa Romeo will also get its own Jeep-based SUV, a key model in the Italian brand’s return to the U.S. market. The confirmation comes from the highest source...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Exactly one year ago we reported about a plan by former Fiat exec Gian Mario Rossignolo to revive legendary Italian marque De Tomaso for three brand new sports cars. Today we have news that Rossignolo’s newly established De Tomaso is looking to purchase an unprofitable production facility located in Sicily from Fiat--and he has the backing of the Italian government. The information comes from Italy's Minister for Economic Development, Paolo Romani, who spoke recently with Automotive News. De Tomaso said in a statement that it was looking to revive the plant with the "utmost commitment"...
-
2012 Fiat 500 Priced From $15,500
The 2012 Fiat 500 is almost here. Making its North American debut at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show this week, the stylish minicar managed to draw plenty of attention, not only because of its cute styling and Italian flair but also because of its $15,000 pricetag. North American versions of the car...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Last Lamborghini Murcielago Rolls Off The Line, Number 4,099
It is the end of an era. The Lamborghini Murcielago has been around for almost a decade but it’s time has come, with the last of the legendary supercars, number 4,099 to be exact, rolling off the production line at the automaker’s factory in Sant’Agata, Italy today. The very last...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Entire Maserati Lineup To Be Updated By 2013
Maserati’s lineup consists of only three models, the Quattroporte sedan and the GranTurismo coupe and convertible duo. Even for an exotic brand, this is considered small. Closest rival Aston Martin, for example, has five different models and a couple more on the way including a high-end supercar...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ferrari 250 Testarossa sets new world record for a car sold at auction
Ferrari has set a new world record for a car sold at auction with a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testarossa fetching €9 million at the weekend (17 May 2009) in an auction of Italian supercars organized by RM Auctions at Ferrari’s Maranello home in Italy. The previous world record for a car sold at...
Ralph Hanson -
Schedoni unveils new carbon-fiber briefcase
As an expensive and hard to manufacture material, carbon-fiber is usually found in high-end applications such as supercars and airplanes but now an Italian company is offering up some carbon-fiber briefcases that should prevent any limp-wristed execs from straining themselves too much. The new...
Jeremy Weber -
What do you get when you combine a MINI Cooper S Clubman with a renowned furniture design company? An Airstream trailer concept, of course. Well, maybe the result isn't so obvious, but that's exactly what will be on display at the Salone del Mobile in Milan this April. The Republic of Fritz Hansen is known for its minimalist design and functional construction, so the adaptation of an Airstream trailer really isn't as obtuse a concept as it might seem. Mobility plus furniture equals recreational vehicle, and the Airstream has always been at the top of the style heap in the field of...
-
Italian red-light camera maker charged with fraud
Red-light cameras and 'smart' traffic lights have been criticized as nothing more than cash cows for the cities that use them to ensnare unwary drivers. Now an investigation unfolding in Italy may be shining a light on even darker practices. More than merely catching out drivers that push the...
Nelson Ireson -
Daimler on verge of settling Smart ForTwo clone car suit in Europe
For more than a year now, Mercedes' parent company Daimler has pursued a copyright infringement case against Chinese carmaker Shuanghuan for its Bubble, a blatant knock-off of the Smart ForTwo minicar. A recent holding in a Milanese court has put the German company on the back foot, however, and...
Nelson Ireson -
Ferrari responds to rumors of financial trouble: 'we're fine'
The Italian automaker today rebutted media reports of its financial instability, insisting that not only is the company operating within expected parameters, but that everything is fine in terms of sales despite the global slowdown. A report yesterday by Autocar claimed an inside source revealed...
Alex Kaufmann -
Lamborghini releases fourth teaser for Paris concept
Click here for official information and photos of the new Lamborghini Estoque Earlier this month Lamborghini surprised the automotive world by announcing plans to unveil a brand new concept at the upcoming Paris Motor Show. Coinciding with the announcement was the release of a small teaser image of...
Kenneth Hall