Fiat 500 to have no-haggle sticker pricing?

Haggling, ugh. Generally speaking (and with a few notable exceptions) it’s one of those unavoidable aspects of buying a new car from a dealership. If you’re good and you’re willing to shop around by pitting dealer against dealer, you may end up scoring something of a bargain. Thing is, if you’re not such a good haggler, you’re seemingly just as likely to pay more from a stealership than the next guy, which hardly seems fair.

According to Fiat’s brand spankin’ new United States arm, the younger car-buying generation isn’t particularly keen on the notion of haggling for a better price. As such, the company has directed its dealerships to adopt a no-haggle pricing policy, starting with the new-for-the-U.S. Fiat 500. “The pricing is the pricing,” said Laura Soave, head of the Fiat brand in North America to Bloomberg, much as it was with the now defunct Saturn brand. We think it’s a lovely idea and hope it sticks.

Official 2012 Fiat 500 fuel economy numbers fall short of 40 mpg

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.

For comparison, consider the fact that much larger C-segment entries like the Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focusand Chevrolet Cruze are all capable of achieving 40 mpg or higher (granted, you have to spec certain transmissions and option packages on the latter two in order to achieve it). What’s more, the 30/38 mpg rating on the Fiat 500 is only with the five-speed manual transmission. Cars equipped with the six-speed self-shifter will only achieve 27/34 mpg. Ouch.

Still, with prices starting at $15,995 for the entry-level Pop model, we don’t think Fiat will have too much trouble moving 500s out of showrooms. Besides, the majority of people purchasing the Fiat 500 will be doing so because of its style rather than its frugality.

Archive for category Nano

A dream small car has achieved it and gave the cynics a halt that predicted doom on the project. Major competitors wondered in awe, a feat they thought would remain in paper. However, as the expectations from the Indian middle classes soared, the opinions resonated with global sentiments on the need for an affordable car that would carry the common people. The light has ultimately shone with Tata Motors realizing the dream into reality.

Tata Motors unveiled the Tata Nano Car, the cheapest car in the world at the Delhi Auto Expo, which was held recently in the Indian Capital city. There were mixed reactions among the global manufacturers with some looking at it with envy and some dismissing it to be yet another gimmick only to say, “Let’s see how long it lasts”. International Automobile giant Volkswagen was all praises for the car. All emotions taken into account, it was a red-letter day for Tata Motors, which entered the annals of history for having released the world’s cheapest car.

Coyote Cobra: Superformance MKIII roadster powered by the Mustang’s 5.0L V8

We were smitten with the Coyote 5.0-liter V8 the second we got behind the wheel of the 2011 Ford Mustang GT. We described the 412 horsepower engine as “a pot of pure honey” as well as “intoxicating,” and said that the “5.0-liter V8 pulls like a jet airliner.” With a curb weight of just over 3,600 pounds, the Mustang GT is not as bloated as the Camaro, but by no means a lightweight. Would we like the 5.0L even more if it had less mass to push around?

That’s what Superformance had in mind with its latest creation. The maker of Shelby-licensed Cobra replicas has installed a Coyote 5.0-liter crate motor into one of its MKIII Roadsters, creating a combination of classic styling with the best of Ford’s modern powertrains. The engine wedges snugly into the front of the car, and only a custom air intake and headers are all that are needed to make everything fit.

We stopped by Superformance to get a closer look at the car, and came away with some photos and even some video of it in action. Check out the high-res gallery of the car below, and follow the jump to watch the video and hear what the Coyote 5.0-liter V8 sounds like without mufflers.

Mini: “The 500 is a darling little car… but we’re a premium brand”

Mini showed off the Paceman Concept at this year’s Detroit Auto Show and announced not long afterward that it would spawn a production model. Tom Salkowski, who recently moved from BMW USA to Mini USA to fill the role of marketing manager, will be the man charged with getting the word about about Mini’s eighth model and the ones beyond. Here’s what he had to tell us.

• The small car segment has erupted over the past couple of years and “Mini has prospered” even though it “faced significantly more competition.” But when asked what kind of head-to-head competitors the brand thinks it faces, Salkowski said “maybe Volkswagen, Mazda, Scion in the small-car segment,” with the caveat that since “Mini is very much a mindset, it’s different than other vehicles,” so “for the time being we don’t see anything.” Head of product management Oliver Friedmann confirmed the assessment with, “We don’t see any one-to-one competition, maybe the Evoque could be” for the Countryman.

• Salkowski offered his thoughts on the Fiat 500 with, “The 500 is a darling little car, but Mini is a premium brand.”

• On the discussion of roots and heritage at other emotional brands like BMW and Lotus, when asked how big the Mini brand and Mini cars could get and still be considered Minis, Friedmann said, “That’s what we try to find out at the moment. We just jumped over the four-meter line with the Countryman,” but reaction in the three months that the crossover has been on sale in Europe has been “very positive.”

• Nevertheless, it’s not about creating an acceptance of a Mini of any size. Friedman said, “The competitors for the Countryman are significantly larger. We will always stay the smallest in the segment.” But the number one rejection of Mini is due to size and space, so the company had to do something.

• Mini’s been known for its irreverent advertising, and it doesn’t sound like much will change under Salkowski, with a “bigger spend on television – you only get one chance to launch a car.” There will also be a huge billboard in Times Square, and a take-off on Mini’s original U.S. launch when they had a roving Ford Excursion driving around with a Mini on its roof. This time it will be a roving Countryman with a vintage Mini, Alec Issigonis’ original, on its roof.

Price dropped on Cameron’s home from

Highland Park, Illinois is home to a very special house. Architecture buffs will recognize 370 Beech Street as a steel and glass building designed by notable architects A. James Speyer and David Haid. To auto enthusiasts, however, 370 Beech is where one unforgettable movie Ferrari met its tragic demise at the hands of Cameron Frye in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It’s also for sale. Still.

We first told you about this house last year, when it was listed with an asking price of $2.3 million. Guess what? It never sold and the price has come way down. Today, the so-called “Ferris Bueller house” could be yours for just $1.65 million. If we had the means, we’d love to park Zach Bowman’s International Pickup in view of nature and nosy neighbors… so he could kick it through the glass when he finally loses his mind.

What say you, Autoblog reader – Is the house is worth the dough or is it just “something d-o-o economics?”

BYD to unveil Lexus RX-influenced S6 hybrid in Detroit

Whenever we hear that a Chinese automaker is working on a vehicle that’s “influenced” by some other successful model from an established global company, we wince a little. After all, we’ve seen quite a few less-than-convincing attempts to go along with a few couldn’t-tell-the-difference carbon copies. And neither of those options are acceptable.

From what we can tell, BYD’s S6 (shh – don’t tell Audi) DM crossover could be considered a little of both. From the profile, you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for a couple-year-old Lexus RX. From the front, we see clear influence from General Motors’ European arm, Opel. That said, it appears to be a passable effort on the styling front, and it’s what’s underneath that derivative skin that’s what really counts.

The DM in the ‘utes name stands for Dual Mode, as in a hybrid that can be powered by electricity only or a combination of the electric motors and gasoline engine. The drivetrain consists of a 14-horsepower electric motor that powers the front wheels and a 102-horsepower gasoline engine powering the rears. That’s not a lot of power, but at least the two systems can work together to offer all-wheel drive.

We’ll be on the lookout for this machine at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show next week. In the meantime, check out a few images in our gallery below.

C7 Corvette rendered by design student with good ideas

It isn’t easy redesigning an icon, especially one as popular and well-known as the Chevrolet Corvette. Nevertheless, a seventh-generation Corvette is coming, and while rumors of an exotic mid-engine layout for America’s supercar are unlikely to pan out, it’s possible that the Bowtie brand’s designers could take the Corvette’s look in an entirely new direction.

Student designer James Robbins has his own ideas for what the C7 Corvette will look like. His renderings look like a logical next step in the car’s design evolution, though we’re not fans of some of the details. We particularly like the rear end’s reimagination of the Corvette’s signature round taillamps, albeit perhaps without some of the edgy detailing on the car’s hood. What say you? Check out the rest of the renderings in the gallery below and let us know what you think of Robbins’ C7 Corvette.

National Automotive History Collection dubs Chevy Camaro ‘Collectible Car of the Future’

If you’re looking for the most collectible American-made vehicle on sale right now, you might want to stop by your local Chevrolet dealer. According to the Friends of the National Automotive History Collection, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro is the most collectible car on sale right now. Each year, members of the organization get together to vote for the single domestically produced car or truck that’s bound to be a good return on investment later down the line. There’s no arguing that the 2010 Camaro is a hot piece of metal, but we could think of a few other vehicles that could have nabbed the honor.

Such as? We’re glad you asked.

If it were us picking, we’d lay a finger on the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. With the amount of abuse those trucks are designed to take, we can imagine that the future won’t exactly be littered with operational examples, much less show-room quality trucks. Throw the simple fact that Ford will only build a small number of the desert pounders compared to the fleets of Camaro models rolling out of Canada, and you’ve got an even better case for a future moneymaker. But hey, who are we to argue with the group that picked theChrysler Sebring Convertible as a winner in 1996? Hit the jump for the full press release.