pennellotref

Personalmente credo che le ipotesi che RVC paventa nei suoi ultimi post siano tutte ugualmente valide ed imho credo che cio' sia essenzialmente legato al fatto che Elkan-EXOR, con il fondamentale aiuto del "compagno di merenda" Maglione, voglia lasciarsi tutte le porte aperte, ben sapendo che, se il business tira e si rafforza negli anni a venire, il buon Elkan, come ha più volte a chiare lettere sottolineato, non ha alcuna intenzione non solo di smobilizzare l'investimento ma anche di diluirsi, in quanto, e vado citando il medesimo, "se la torta aumenta ed è buona non vedo perchè dovrei dividerla con qualcun altro...." (da un'intervista rilasciata ad FT circa 2 anni fa).

Proprio per questo credo, sintetizzando al massimo, che non mi stupirei se, entro 10-12 anni, si facesse la strada inversa a quella fatta negli ultimi anni, ossia tutto sotto lo stesso cappello di FCA (CNHI inclusa), come peraltro ha fatto VAG negli ultimi 2 anni, tutto ciò ovviamente nel caso in cui FCA dovesse sfondare per la gioia dei mille mila rami della famigghia ovina .

Alfa Romeo 4C RHD Comfort spec (2014) CAR review | Road Testing Reviews | Car Magazine Online

[h=1]Alfa Romeo 4C RHD Comfort spec (2014) CAR review[/h] By CJ Hubbard

First Drives

04 November 2014 10:43

We need to talk about the Alfa Romeo 4C. So far every press car driven in the UK has been on Italian plates, left-hand drive and in ‘racing’ specification. This means bigger wheels – 18s at the front, 19s at the rear – stiffer springs and dampers, a rear anti-roll bar, a thicker front anti-roll bar and more aggressive front geometry settings.

It all seems to work well enough in mainland Europe, but presented with the unique challenge that is Britain’s rutted and anything-but-care-worn road surfaces, the 4C becomes decidedly more… troubled.

[h=2]What do you mean ‘troubled’?[/h]This manifests itself in a front end so lively you quite genuinely spend every moment of your time behind the wheel having almost no idea what the car is going to do next. Amusing under power, perhaps – think of it like torque-steer, except you’re driving a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive coupe – but under braking, the way it twitches and chases cambers is something else entirely.

One word for the experience is ‘involving’: there is no other car on sale at this price point that demands such total concentration. Another word is ‘exciting’: you will most definitely get out feeling incredibly alive. Still another is ‘terrifying’, though the less generous members of CAR’s writing pool have been known to use just four letters. A recent escapade in Wales with such a car left many of us bitterly disappointed.

This, however, is different. The Alfa Romeo 4C driven here is one of the very first UK press cars, and in addition to that dubious personalised number plate and right-hand drive, it glories in the standard chassis configuration. Which is to say, suspicions that it’s counting down the moments until it chucks you into a ditch are considerably diminished. In theory...

[h=2]What is the Alfa Romeo 4C ‘comfort’ spec?[/h]The standard configuration – which has already earned the unofficial sobriquet of ‘comfort’ spec – winds back much of the aggression. So you get 17- and 18-inch wheels (not pictured, for logistical reasons), softer springs and dampers, no rear anti-roll bar and a slightly more road-friendly front end.

‘Comfort’ is a bit of a misnomer, because the actual ride comfort is least of the racing spec 4C’s worries. Still, the standard car is noticeably less punishing during a fast motorway cruise, suggesting cross-continental efforts are no longer out of the question – unless of course you want to take some luggage, because no manner of fettling underneath is going to expand the boot beyond the 110-litre hot box aft of the engine bay.

We digress. More pertinently, the front of the car is far better behaved. That’s not to say you can entirely relax – movement under hard braking remains pronounced enough to make caffeine a must-have accessory on a cold morning – but you can now feel the 4C working the road surface, rather than being totally taken under its influence. This is comfort-enhancing in a buttock-unclenching, eye-muscle-relaxing kind of way.

[h=2]So is the standard Alfa Romeo 4C any good on UK roads?[/h]This writer speaks to you as someone who quite enjoys the life-affirming challenge of driving the track-spec 4C quickly on the road, if not the adrenaline shakes in the aftermath. But suffice to say even previously unimpressed CAR team members found the standard version much, much better to drive. Suddenly, the undeniably special nature of this carbonfibre flyweight begins to shine.

The joy of no longer needing to anticipate the unexpected all of the time is that you get to fully appreciate the rest of the package. That 1750cc turbo four might not be an aural classic in the traditional sense, but if you’ve ever entertained Group B rallying fantasies, the chuffing and whooshing coming from just over your shoulder is scintillating. And with so little weight to push around, it gives the 4C mighty shove – spooling up swiftly enough to nail gaps in traffic unflinchingly, yet still building to a tremendous crescendo of boost between upshifts.

The paddleshift twin-clutch gearbox is only occasionally recalcitrant, and the eagerness with which it otherwise endeavours to action your commands suits the animated nature of that excitable engine. The smaller front wheels make the unassisted steering a little lighter and more consistent, and you finally sense you can start to exploit that mid-engined balance. With strong traction, a four-square stance and such a stiff structure, the ‘true’ 4C is nimble, alert and exceptionally potent, and lives up its promised billing at last.

[h=2]Verdict[/h]The 4C will always have its detractors. The cabin is sparse, the plastics are coarse and the stereo is a joke – spin it as weight limitation or a side effect of Alfa spending all the money on carbon. It’s also noisy (the optional sport exhaust especially being an anti-social behaviour citation waiting to happen), uncompromising, and in no way a rival to the Porsche Cayman. Alfa will tell you it’s not supposed to be.

But it is special. And exotic. And that exposed carbonfibre monocoque is a constant reminder of both. People will always turn and stare, that engine will always make you giggle, and the 4C will always give you moments to make your heart rate spike. Spec the standard car if you want most of these to be for the right reasons, not the wrong ones.

[h=3]Statistics[/h] [TABLE]

[TR]

[TH]How much?[/TH]

[TD]£45,000[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TH]On sale in the UK:[/TH]

[TD]Now[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TH]Engine:[/TH]

[TD]1750cc four-cylinder turbo petrol, 237bhp @ 6000rpm, 258lb ft @ 2200-4250rpm[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TH]Transmission:[/TH]

[TD]Six-speed twin-clutch auto with paddleshifters, rear-wheel drive with Q2 electronic differential[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TH]Performance:[/TH]

[TD]4.5sec 0-62mph, 160mph, 41.5mpg, 157g/km CO2[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TH]How heavy / made of?[/TH]

[TD]895kg/carbonfibre[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TH]How big (length/width/height in mm)?[/TH]

[TD]3989/1864/1183[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[h=3]CAR's rating[/h]

Handling

Performance

Usability

Feelgood factor

Readers' rating

Devo dire che la foto inganna un po': dal vivo la presa d'aria è più piatta e meno sporgente dalla carrozzeria .

..............

Ma molti soggetti che campano e pagano le bollette solo grazie all'odio verso Fiat forse è meglio che riflettano.....quelli che campavano sull'odio verso Berlusconi mò non arrivano a fine mese che si è rotto il giochino...

Parole sante, da scolpire sulla pietra !

quotazione ferrari, il corriere critica l?operazione: vince la famiglia, l?industria aspetta - Business

LINGOTTI IN FUGA – DON FLEBUCCIO DE BORTOLI SCATENA BRAGANTINI SULLA QUOTAZIONE FERRARI E SONO DOLORI PER MARPIONNE E KAKI ELKANN – “VINCE LA FAMIGLIA, L’INDUSTRIA ASPETTA” – “C’È DIFFERENZA TRA CHI PERSEGUE IL COLPO FINANZIARIO A EFFETTO E CHI ASSICURA LO SVILUPPO DELLE IMPRESE”

Bragantini, “La famiglia si ritirerà nell’altissimo di gamma di Ferrari, mantenendo solo un investimento finanziario in Fca; incerta, in tale quadro, la sorte di Alfa Romeo e Maserati, marche «alto di gamma» direttamente possedute da Fca, sul cui rilancio è incardinato l’ultimo, ambiziosissimo piano quinquennale (…) Altrettanto evidente è il depauperamento di Fca che ne deriva”…

Salvatore Bragantini per “Il Corriere della Sera”

La Fca targata Usa-Uk-Nl annuncia una spumeggiante operazione sul capitale; davanti alla maestria finanziaria da tutti osannata, giù il cappello, ma per i risultati industriali dovremo aspettare. Il Chief Executive Officer (Ceo) Sergio Marchionne ha estratto dal cilindro, anziché un banale aumento di capitale da 4 miliardi che metterebbe in sicurezza Fca finanziando il piano industriale da 50 miliardi in 5 anni, un’operazione finanziaria complessa ma assai gradita al mercato. Il titolo è balzato in alto, brinda chiunque possieda incentivi a questo legati, la famiglia «regnante» pure, ma che il tutto convenga anche a Fca e ai suoi azionisti «ordinari» è da vedere.

sergio marchionne

I debiti Fca, esclusi quelli legati all’acquisto di auto, sono oltre 11 miliardi, dieci volte i margini al lordo di interessi e tasse; una ricapitalizzazione per abbatterli ci stava, ma il Ceo non voleva chiamare un aumento di capitale che risulterà superfluo se il piano andrà bene generando la cassa prevista. C’è un però: questa viene dopo gli investimenti che la generano, non prima.

L’operazione per Fca è la quadratura del cerchio. Essa cederà il 10% di Ferrari sul mercato e scinderà il resto della partecipazione in Ferrari a favore dei propri azionisti. Exor, che ha il 30% del capitale Fca (ma il 46% dei voti, per le magie del voto multiplo), controllerà in diretta Ferrari con il 24% (Piero Ferrari manterrà il 10%); come lei tutti gli azionisti Fca riceveranno azioni della «Rossa». Fca venderà poi azioni proprie (in portafoglio o derivanti dal recesso nella fusione Fiat-Chrysler) e emetterà un prestito convertendo per 2,5 miliardi. In tutto incasserà 4 miliardi, senza però fomentare dubbi sull’esecuzione del piano quinquennale.

piero ferrari sergio marchionne

Le azioni Ferrari in distribuzione incentiveranno a comprare azioni Fca o sottoscrivere il convertendo: lo farà anche Exor pagando 600 milioni, per 300 a carico della famiglia Agnelli/Elkann. L’operazione conviene alla famiglia: far calare la quota Exor in Fca, che produce auto con prezzi, e margini, troppo bassi. Ciò nel quadro di un grande accordo con altri produttori di alti volumi, che darà la «scala» necessaria a ricostituire i margini. La famiglia si ritirerà nell’altissimo di gamma di Ferrari, mantenendo solo un investimento finanziario in Fca; incerta, in tale quadro, la sorte di Alfa Romeo e Maserati, marche «alto di gamma» direttamente possedute da Fca, sul cui rilancio è incardinato l’ultimo, ambiziosissimo piano quinquennale.

Ferrari sede Maranello

L’operazione è firmata da JPMorgan Chase, il cui aiuto il Ceo ha apprezzato nei negoziati per la fusione Fiat-Chrysler; è evidente l’abilità sartoriale di chi ha disegnato un vestito su misura per le complesse esigenze dei controllanti. Non si vedono però i vantaggi per gli altri, cioè gli azionisti «ordinari», ma soprattutto l’oggetto stesso, dell’operazione: Fca. Il guadagno immediato per gli azionisti è sì evidente, ma altrettanto evidente è il depauperamento di Fca che ne deriva. Questa sarà privata del gioiello della corona per assecondare i comodi di Exor, che così sborserà molti meno soldi e si troverà in grembo il controllo di Ferrari. Chapeau !

sergio marchionne Harald Wester e john elkann

La scelta di quotarsi a New York però cambierà le cose. Finché s’era nel lasco ecosistema italico, con due chiacchiere nelle stanze giuste tutto filava liscio. Sarebbe strano se Ceo e presidente Fiat, di casa negli Usa, ignorassero la litigiosità americana e il braccio, troppo lungo, dello zio Sam. Essi sanno che Fca, quotata a New York, va gestita dal Cda nell’interesse non degli azionisti, bensì di Fca stessa. Per gli Usa una quotata è entità autonoma con vita propria, affidata alle cure del suo Cda, che ha verso di lei un dovere fiduciario, non verso gli azionisti. Fca è società di diritto olandese, ma dei legalismi europei poco si cura lo zio Sam, che spesso li taglia come Alessandro il nodo gordiano; si veda la mega multa inflitta alla francese Bnp Paribas per aver violato le sanzioni Usa all’Iran.

Il Sole 24 Ore del 31 ottobre, nella stessa pagina in cui narra le mirabilie dello spin-off Ferrari, riporta anche il margine operativo di Volkswagen al 30 settembre: 9 miliardi. Se il Ceo tedesco annuncia margini dieci volte quelli di Fiat, non è perché è più bravo. La differenza sta in una politica pluridecennale di investimenti su tutta la gamma, in un rapporto con i sindacati che la cogestione agevola; non da ultimo, nella scelta di tenere sotto lo stesso tetto tutti i marchi, dalla «macchina del popolo» a Porsche e Lamborghini.

john e lavinia elkann 74c3ed69cee473732d478e811ebc1c47

Per Marchionne invece «le automobili sono paradossalmente incidentali per Ferrari, che è essenzialmente un marchio di lusso». C’è una bella differenza fra chi persegue il colpo finanziario ad effetto e chi cura l’interesse di lunga lena delle imprese: solo il secondo assicura lo sviluppo industriale, l’occupazione, in definitiva il livello economico e civile di un Paese.

Questa sì sarebbe una bella «riforma di struttura». Speriamo che i «disertori societari» come li chiama Obama, i comandanti che lasciano la barca in pericolo — talvolta avviene in Italia — ci risparmino i loro pensosi sermoni su cosa deve fare chi sulla barca crede doveroso restare.

........

P.S. 1: non dico nulla..............dico solo, per chi non lo sapesse, che:

Salvatore Bragantini Attualmente è amministratore indipendente di Sea, Società esercizi Aeroportuali SpA, che gestisce gli aeroporti di Linate e Malpensa, nonché di due società quotate allo Star: Interpump Group e Sabaf. È anche consigliere di amministrazione della Università degli Studi di Milano (“Statale”).Già direttore generale di Arca Merchant, poi commissario Consob; in questa veste ha partecipato alla “Commissione Draghi” che ha preparato il Testo Unico della Finanza, divenuto legge nel 1998. È poi stato amministratore delegato di Centrobanca.È componente del Securities Market Stakeholder Group che assiste l'Esma – European Securities Markets Authority - nelle misure di attuazione delle direttive dell’Unione Europea. E’ editorialista del Corriere della Sera dal 1994.

P.S. 2: mesà che il titolo di Dago è abbastanza azzeccato.............

Se non ricordo male il pdf Alfa parla di pianale modulare per coprire i seg. da C ad E, SUV inclusi !

Aggiunta:

Appena controllato ...........confermo quanto scritto !

Ieri è andata all'asta la prima 4C commerciale negli Stati Uniti: l'auto è stata venduta per 125k $ a Fort Lauderdale, con ricavato a favore di opere benefiche.

L'auto in questione, esemplare numero 003/500, ovviamente LE:

Dalla foto, è possibile vedere la configurazione definitiva della famigerata presa d'aria per calmare i bollenti spiriti del doppia frizione.

Altre foto:

Dispatches Do Brasil: FCA Finds Its Feet - The Truth About Cars

Dispatches Do Brasil: FCA Finds Its Feet

By Marcelo de Vasconcellos on October 30, 2014

It’s pretty amazing how the world spins and moves forward yet people refuse to budge. Fiat consistently scores in or near the top of Euro reliability rankings, besting most if not all of the mainstream Euro makers as well as other competitors from other continents who, somehow, are given a pass in this area. It does likewise in South America. In terms of “fix-ability” it is among the most appreciated, being its corporate policy to share information with mechanics quite openly about its cars’ needs and selling every small bit as a separate part so that people need only change what needs changing, saving its customers money .

I go to the factory in Betim, Brazil, every so often and the place is always filled with Japanese consultants on the factory floor, not just in conference rooms and secluded offices, teaching and implementing more and more quality control techniques. Brazilian engineers I know personally go north and tell me of all the changes they are seeing at Chrysler Group, with leaner, more exact engineering being implemented, inefficiencies controlled, paint shops and water handling completely overhauled.

The place is a brute, the second largest in capacity in the world, being beaten only by a Russian AvtoVAZ unit. Receiving investments of almost 6 billion reais in improvements, it’s being expanded from a capacity of 800,000 cars a year to 950,000. While the expansion and renovation is happening, it will pump out over 700 thousand cars this year in a bewildering, complex environment. A total of 16 different models are produced there, from passenger cars to light commercial vehicles. The closest factory in terms of complexity in Brazil is a GM unit in São Caetano do Sul making a total of 5 models.

It is also a research and development facility, with the capacity to design cars from the ground up. When I go to that specific place, I see future Fiat products, engines and systems, Chryslers of all stripes and also competitors’ cars being stripped down and rebuilt. The R&D facility received a portion of that investment money and is putting it to good use. Suppliers are often there, trying to fulfill Fiat’s ever-increasing demands on quality, all the while complaining that it’s impossible within the given budgets.

I also recognize the problems. Some of them are cultural others structural. I know the pressure is there to push the product out when sales are high, leading people to overlook some things they know should be addressed before sticking the quality control stickers on. It is not an easy place to work in if you are a supplier as Fiat is a notorious penny-pincher and will and does sit on suppliers demanding more from them at ever lower prices.

There also seems to be a problem with follow through and repetition. Italian and Brazilian culture mesh well in this regard. Improvisation does and can happen and I have seen condemned bits and pieces being stripped from cars while the same parts are taken from half-built cars. It is easy to see the havoc created upstream in the production, while at the same time the possibility for errors is ripe. Some of the initially condemned pieces are sometimes reworked, deemed good, and installed in other cars.

Brazilian workers and engineers are also notorious for not adhering strictly to a given procedure. While a Japanese worker has the reputation of repeating the same procedure for 40 years without question, workers and professionals in Brazil will often improvise, turning step 2 and 4 into just one, or doing what was supposed to be step 6 before step 5 and so on.

Meanwhile, in North America, perhaps surprisingly, Italian and American culture and business practices have also congealed nicely and even Wall Street likes what it sees. There are no rampant manifestations of dissatisfaction and major suits have had their fears of German-style merger of (un)equals allayed, being that American voices are heard and American butts are promoted and given positions of power. Further down in the corporate hierarchy, at the engineering levels, experiences and information are freely shared among engineers of all nationalities. The Italians hear the Americans and vice-versa and the result are cars improved by cross-pollination.

Southern Europe is slowly coming back, at a time Fiat’s plans are slowly bearing fruition. Key to its future, there are now Jeep products, like the Renegade and Cherokee, not to mention the 500X, confirming the event horizon of our own Derek Kreindler (henceforth nominated auto industry sage extraordinaire) and the “final” victory of the CUV over other car shapes as they seem to give people what they want. The Panda and 500 continue raising the flag in northern Europe for those who wish to go against the norm and don’t conform to the notion of German engineering superiority and overbearing market presence. In light of all of this, FCA head honcho Sergio Marchionne may be confirmed as the savviest auto exec in the business.

Alfa Romeo remains a work in progress, while Maserati sales show that FCA can still credibly build and sell a luxury car. With the upcoming Alfa and Maserati CUVs, Italian vehicles will grace in higher numbers exclusive country clubs the world over.

In the US, Fiat will remain a niche player with the 500 satisfying non-conformists, while the 500X could prove more adapted to local conditions. Fiats will also continue donning RAM horns and underlying and motivating Dodge and Chrysler cars and Jeep CUVs. FCA, in spite of the naysayers and doom-and-gloom merchants, keeps growing in the US. Chrysler Group has passed Toyota becoming the third largest OEM in that important and expanding market.

It is so easy to laugh and point at FCA products and buyers. It is also intellectually easy to step on them while they are down, ignoring all the evidence to the opposite. Taken in scope, the improvements and ongoing investments point only in one direction: Up.

Improving on already good reliability, working closely with the aftermarket to keep mechanics informed and up-to-date of the sometimes different engineering seen in their cars, keeping fingers crossed that nothing bombastic happens, FCA could be on its way to an event horizon of its own, selling cars on their merits and not just pricing, becoming a full-line maker capable of attracting and poaching customers from other makes, providing shareholders with nice returns, and creating wealth and employment the world over.

Chissà cosa ne penserà Consumer Reports.......... Vi invito a leggere anche i post in fondo all'articolo..........alcuni sono molto interessanti.......

Quindi mi stai dicendo che fca investe in uno stabilimento per realizzare un unico modello? Beh buono a sapersi....per quanto riguarda i concessionari la mia era una constatazione non una scusante. Se tardi arrivi male alloggi e ti trovi a dover recuperare. Il punto è....lo stanno facendo? Direi di sì per il momento....Inoltre certamente il cento per cento di uno non è molto.....in questo caso però non è di un uno di partenza che si sta parlando, ma se tutto va come deve andare, di 350K circa alla fine dell'anno. In conclusione, alla luce dei risultati in apac degli scorsi anni, ritieni la campagna di fca in oriente per il momento fallimentare? Per il momento imho io no e non la reputa fallimentare neanche il bilancio di fca come abbiamo avuto modo di vedere oggi.

MA FCA cosa ha fatto ai giornalisti?

Si aspettano la "i" e rimangono delusi?

Marchionne li ospita solo agli Holiday Inn e li fa mangiare da Subway?

Non se ne salva una......... Pensate cosa potrà mai accadere dal 24/06/2015 in poi............. L'unica cosa peggiore del guidare l'"innominabile" per un inglese sarà la caduta della sterlina e l'"abbraccio" di "mamma" Euro..............

E spinoff di Ferrai fu...

?

Punto primo: nessuno, Marchionne in primis e Mike Manley in secundis, ha mai detto che l'obiettivo di vendita della Viaggio era di 100k unità al primo anno completo di commercializzazione;

Punto secondo: le 100k unità sono state si citate dai suddetti ma con riferimento alla capacità produttiva massima iniziale dello stabilimento, nel quale era fin dall'inizio prevista la produzione delle sue derivate;

Punto terzo: sarebbe buona norma, salvo rarissime eccezioni (vedi Ferrari ad es.) non confrontare mai Davide e Golia: avete la minima idea di quanti concessionari VW esistano in totale in Cina rispetto a quelli FCA? Si sappia comunque che il ritmo di apertura di nuovi dealer FCA è di circa 1 ogni 3 giorni lavorativi;

Punto terzo, FCA cresce ad un tasso superiore al 30% negli ultimi due anni in tutto l'APAC;

Punto quarto: per adesso, sappiatevi accontentare.......che chi si accontenta (talvolta) gode.....

Ma il jeep cherokee è quello nuovo?

Si........

http://www.autonews.com/article/20141027/OEM01/141029863/infotainment-glitches-haunt-automakers-in-consumer-reports

The Consumer Reports Annual Auto Reliability Survey polls its subscribers, who indicate any serious problems in 17 trouble areas that they have had with the cars they own in the preceding 12 months. Consumer Reports says it gathers enough data on 248 models to predict which new cars likely will be reliable or troublesome, as well as provide insights and standings of major brands and spot trends. The survey is the largest of its kind, with the 2014 edition generating information from about 1.1 million vehicles

Che io sappia la statistica è nazionale.

TrueDelta:

500:

Fiat 500 Reliability

500L:

Fiat 500L Reliability

è un po' come quando una ragazza porta il rapporto all'esasperazione così che poi la lasci tu

Certo che Maglione come "fidanzata" deve essere proprio "pesante".......

.............Certe robe

E tu che ne sai vecchio provolone ? Dicci dicci........racconta racconta..........

DRIVE on NBC, parte 1, 2, 3 e 4:

My Dinner With Some Dodge And SRT Engineers

[h=1]My Dinner With Some Dodge And SRT Engineers[/h] Jason Torchinsky

This past week I managed to spend some time with the new lineup of Chargers and the engineers that helped make them. Though they rejected my offers to provide dinner, I did manage to sit down with them for a meal and a series of inane questions, delivered with intensity and a light mist of masticated food.

The Idea: Hey, you know what would be great? Since you guys are still using that same basic Charger platform from, what, 2005, why not give the Magnum another shot? That new front end sure would look hot on it, and a wagon with a 700+ HP engine sure could revolutionize the grocery-delivery business. Also, some backup cameras and stuff would really solve the Magnum's visibility issues.

The Response: It was actually sort of wistful. A few of the engineers mentioned that this idea had, of course, been floated before, but poor wagon sales in the US still make it an unlikely proposition. I protested, insisting that the numbers for wagons couldn't be that bad, and a product guy offered to show me the numbers on his laptop.

The print was really tiny, so they all cajoled me to lean in further, at which point one of them slammed the laptop shut, pinning my tongue inside. I think I may have won them over at that point, because they all thought the way I was bleeding looked pretty funny.

The Idea: Okay, so we know minivans are still a decent seller at Chrysler, but there's still many potential buyers who just find them too damn boring and laden with the painful and beautiful stigma of motherhood. So here's what Dodge should do — they should pull the trigger on something VW's been teasing for years but never seems to find the balls to actually do: a fun, non-boring, retro-inspired minivan. Dodge even has the perfect candidate — The A100!

This could be a huge hit! If VW can't step up, then Dodge should! There could even be a Mystery Machine edition!

The Response: As I delivered my idea, my excitement brought me up to a standing position. When I finished my pitch, I stood there, panting, leaning on one hand that was clearly and unavoidably in someone's salad. There was a long, silent pause, when I felt the heavy, wet slap of an entire steak against the side of my face.

As it dropped heavily to the table, I looked over to the direction it came from. A high-ranking product manager stood there, with a 'what you gonna do about it, bitch?' look on his face. I sat back down.

The Idea: Still, I'm undaunted, because I still have more fantastic ideas. This is one I've sort of pitched before, but now it has a name and a real hook: the Hellbarth.

While I was testing the Fiat 500e, I found myself once again fortunate enough to be able to share a …Read more

This would be a Fiat 500 Abarth with a Hellcat engine crammed in behind the two front seats. There would be a firewall behind the seats, and could maybe use the Ferrari F12 transaxle to get the power to the wheels.

The Response: I told this one to the lead engineer of the Charger/Charger Hellcat team, and she actually gave it some serious consideration. She even waved down that product planning guy with the steak, and made him put down the chair he had raised over his head.

Her biggest concerns were with packaging and cooling, but I think I have a pretty decent start of a plan for that: a roof-mounted scoop that feeds air directly into a large, rear-mounted radiator/fans assembly, which then shunts the hot air right out the back of the car. Fuel tank could go up front. They all agreed this could be a hell of a SEMA car.

Come on, Dodge! You'd be heroes if you built this one!

The Idea: Emboldened by the more enthusiastic response I got for the Hellbarth, I unleashed my final, and boldest idea: the Heckitten. Or maybe "Heckkitten." I haven't decided yet. Anyway, this would be an exciting, conceptual vehicle designed to showcase the incredible driving dynamics the chassis and suspension and brake teams have all been working on, and heretofore have been in the shadow of that massive 707 HP Hellcat engine.

The Heckitten would instead use a 70.7 HP Fiat TwinAir engine, suspended alone right there in the middle of that vast engine bay. The 70.7 HP tuning is easily possible from a TwinAir, and keeps that same 7-0-7 numerical theme. It's as radical as the Hellcat, just in the opposite way! The car would be light, nimble, and a real showcase of every part of the car other than the engine! Fantastic, right?

The Response: I guess it's because she defended me so boldly on the Hellbarth idea that I didn't see the knife coming until it was way too late. Or the other knife. All I know is that when I finally came to, my hands were still pinned to the table by the twin, gleaming steak knives, and the staff said I was being held responsible for the cleaning and repair of the tablecloth.

I think they liked it.

Mesà che a 'ste cene/pranzi di presentazione dei nuovi modelli spacciano roba veramente pesante...........

http://www.autonews.com/article/20141023/OEM01/141029907/wrangler-will-remain-body-on-frame-likely-to-stay-in-toledo-sources

Wrangler will remain body-on-frame, likely to stay in Toledo, sources say

Larry P. Vellequette

Automotive News

October 23, 2014 - 3:04 pm ET

DETROIT -- The next-generation Jeep Wrangler will continue to be a body-on-frame vehicle and won’t switch to unibody construction, Automotive News has learned.

As a result, the popular off-roader will likely remain built in Toledo, Ohio, where city and union officials have been fighting for weeks to keep the Wrangler in its historical home.

The developments may settle weeks of uncertainty surrounding the Wrangler, whose future was thrown into question after Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, implied that the Wrangler might become a unibody vehicle.

At the Paris auto show this month, Marchionne suggested that the next Wrangler is likely to have an aluminum body. As a result, Marchionne said, Chrysler would be forced to move Wrangler output to another plant because the Toledo operation could not build an aluminum vehicle without a massive investment in new equipment.

Marchionne suggested at the time that Chrysler had additional manufacturing capacity available at two unibody plants outside of Ohio.

But now, sources inside and outside of Chrysler with direct knowledge of Chrysler’s evolving plans, say the off-roader will remain a body-on-frame SUV.

That means it remains compatible with Toledo, whether or not it switches to an aluminum body. Additional sources say Chrysler is leaning towards an aluminum body.

'Most capable'

Jeep spokesman Todd Goyer declined to comment on the next Wrangler, which is due in 2017. However, he insisted that the next generation Wrangler “will be the most capable Wrangler ever.”

The Wrangler’s frame construction is considered vital to its off-road capabilities by Jeep enthusiasts because it adds strength, rigidity and durability. More importantly for Toledo, the construction method largely determines how -- and where -- the next generation Wrangler can be built.

Unibody and body-on-frame manufacturing methods are incompatible with each other, meaning unibody vehicles can’t be built on the same line as body-on-frame vehicles and vice-versa.

Marchionne -- a solicitor by training who also holds a degree in philosophy -- was very careful in how he chose his words in Paris: He did not say the Wranger would switch to a unibody. Rather, he merely implied that it would when he named plants with available capacity in the United States that were unibody plants.

His comments were sufficient to ignite a firestorm in Toledo, prompting urgent discussions between him and the mayor of Toledo and representatives from Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Body-on-frame

Chrysler Group has just two body-on-frame assembly plants in the United States: Toledo, where the Wrangler is made, and Warren Assembly in suburban Detroit where the Ram 1500 is built.

Both plants are already running at or above their capacity to meet growing demand for those vehicles, making a costly switchover to aluminum construction for an aluminum Wrangler equally expensive at both facilities.

Chrysler’s open manufacturing capacity in the United States is all in unibody plants: Sterling Heights Assembly, where the Chrysler 200 is built; Belvidere Assembly, which builds the Dodge Dart and Jeep Compass and Patriot; and the unibody half of Toledo Assembly, where the Jeep Cherokee is built.

To meet tightening Corporate Average Fuel Economy requirements, Jeep needs the next Wrangler to lose weight and improve its fuel efficiency with smaller engines and a better transmission.

Aluminum consideration

In his remarks in Paris, Marchionne admitted that an aluminum Wrangler is under consideration by the automaker, but cost remains the overriding concern.

Because of the construction methods needed to make an aluminum body, Chrysler would have to rip out its current tooling used to make a steel Wrangler and install all new equipment. That would require both a significant investment in tooling and time to shut down the highly profitable plant to make the switch.

“If the solution is aluminum then I think unfortunately Toledo is the wrong set up to try and build a Wrangler because it requires a complete, a reconfiguring of the assets which would be cost prohibitive. I mean it would be just be so outrageously expensive for us to try and work out that facility,” in Toledo, Marchionne said.

He later implied that the next Wrangler might be a unibody design when he noted that the automaker had available manufacturing capacity in both Belvidere, Ill., and Sterling Heights, Mich. However, he stopped short of saying it would move to a unibody design that would necessitate a move away from the body-on-frame half of the Toledo Assembly Complex.

Local leaders in Toledo were caught flat-footed by Marchionne’s comments and the thought that the Wrangler might be built anywhere else. On a weekend conference call, they asked to meet with the CEO after he returned to Chrysler’s U.S. headquarters in Auburn Hills , Mich., for further explanation of what Chrysler was planning and needed.

On October 9th, Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins and representatives for Ohio Gov. John Kasich met with Marchionne in Auburn Hills.

Land deal

On Tuesday, 12 days after that meeting, Toledo’s city council agreed to spend $9.4 million to purchase more than 32 acres of land directly west of the Wrangler factory for its possible expansion.

A spokeswoman for Mayor Collins did not return a call seeking comment on the purchase. The Blade daily newspaper in Toledo reported Wednesday that Mayor Collins has declined to discuss how the purchase of the land “could affect strategic decisions by Chrysler.”

A spokeswoman for Chrysler declined to comment on the land purchase by Toledo.

Switching the Wrangler from a steel to aluminum body would lower its weight but add complexity to its construction, as such a move did for the 2015 Ford F-150 pickup. Marchionne said in Paris that Chrysler executives were having the same discussions “inside our house now” that Ford executives had to have with the F-150 switchover.

However, unlike Ford and its top-selling F-150, Chrysler has only one plant where it builds the Wrangler, and that plant is already working far above its intended capacity.

A switchover to aluminum that would suspend Wrangler production for even a few weeks would eat into dealer stocks and deeply cut into Chrysler’s profits. The Wrangler is one of Chrysler’s most profitable vehicles because it sells well with few incentives.

Wrangler production is on pace to reach 235,000 vehicles in 2014, which would be a third consecutive record.

Limited shipments

Despite higher production, growing demand domestically for the off-roader has forced Jeep to limit its plan to export the vehicle to more markets worldwide. Earlier this year, Jeep brand head Mike Manley said he was limiting Wrangler shipments to some overseas markets to make more of the vehicles available to U.S. dealers.

Through September, dealers in the United States have sold 134,068 Wranglers, up 12 percent from a year earlier. Wrangler sales in the U.S. trail only the Grand Cherokee at 136,310 through the first nine months of the year in Jeep’s five-vehicle lineup.

Sales of Jeep vehicles were up 45 percent through September to 516,387.

Minaccionne colpisce ancora !!!!!!!! Che stron..........one figl.....o di.............

Yes, You Can Cook A Frozen Burrito On The Charger Hellcat's Supercharger

[h=1]Yes, You Can Cook A Frozen Burrito On The Charger Hellcat's Supercharger[/h] [h=4]Jason Torchinsky[/h]

Earlier this week I drove some new Chargers, including the bonkers 707 HP Hellcat one. I'm not yet allowed to talk about what the drive was like, but Dodge didn't mention anything about not talking about the cooking. So here's the world's first review of cooking a frozen burrito on the engine of a Hellcat.

Two things made me decide to try this: one, the Hellcat engine has such a large, flat, inviting surface right there on top of the supercharger housing, and B, we stopped for a driver change at a convenience store with lots of grocery stuff.

Initially, I had a weird urge to buy a crapload of cat food just for the shock comedy value, but rationality soon took hold. But only briefly, because I soon noticed the amazing deals they had on aluminum foil and frozen burritos.

I realized that this would be a worthwhile test, one my devastatingly charming readers had a right to know. Sure, 707 HP means the car can go fast, but how do those horses enhance the engine's ability to defrost? I had to find out.

I got a frozen burrito and the tinfoil. I considered cooking some bacon or something a bit more complex, but I wasn't really sure how it would all play out, and I didn't want to risk anything that could get grease, blood, or other particles/juices all over the engine. A burrito is a pretty self-contained unit, and would cook pretty cleanly. Hell, even if it fell out of the engine it would likely drop harmlessly to the ground. Burrito seemed the safest bet.

I wrapped the rock-solid-frozen burrito in two layers of foil and stuck it on the nice flat area on top of the supercharger. I know getting it onto the exhaust manifold would provide much more heat, but I really wanted to test the viability of this large and quite convenient surface inside the engine bay.

I placed the wrapped burrito on the supercharger, and closed the hood, which pinned the burrito nice and securely to the supercharger. Then I drove for about 45 min to an hour or so.

When we arrived at the track, I popped open the hood for my motor-fresh snack. The foil was warm, but not exactly hot. When I opened it up, I found that the formerly ice-hardened burrito had, in fact, been cooked. I broke it in half to confirm that (unlike a microwave) no frozen islands of frozen burrito beans and meat lurked deep in the burrito's interior.

They didn't. The burrito was only warm, but warm all the way through. I suspect one layer of foil may have been better, allowing more heat to reach burrito-flesh, and, of course, a longer drive would probably have been useful, too.

Even with the short drive and the two layers of foil and the non-exhaust manifold location, the Charger Hellcat seems to be a promising platform for the dedicated engine-cooker. In fact, I could see the large supercharger top area being used as a warming station for parts of a meal while they either wait their turn on the true cooking surface of the exhaust manifold, and after, where the food can be kept warm after cooking. Also, slow-cooked food may work well on the supercharger as well.

There's some real culinary potential here, and I think when I get a loaner Hellcat, I should try and plan a large meal and a nice long road trip to really test this out fully.

Questi so proprio fori de melone !!!!!!!!

...

Dai gas e subito ti spara fuori dalla curva come con una fionda bella progressiva nessun strappo nussun vuoto dato dal turbo

destra sinistra sembra un binario non sembra che ci siano spostamenti di carico sempre fissa in traettoria .

......

Ma vergognati !!!!!! Sei proprio tifoso.........Non dire stronz@te che lo sanno tutti che sotto i 3000 rpm è vuoto pneumatico.........

This Pristine 1985 Lancia Rally Car Is Way Better Than A New Supercar

Original post by Tom McParland on Car Buying

This Pristine 1985 Lancia Rally Car Is Way Better Than A New Supercar

Lamborghini has sold over 3000 Huracans in the last 10 months, making it a global record for the brand. It also makes the supercar not that special. So you could spend $237,250 on the Hurcacan and just be another bro with a Lambo, or you have this incredible 1985 Lancia S4 Stradale.

Unlike the Huracan that you will end up seeing at every single Cars and Coffee for the next five years, this Lancia is only one of 45 cars ever built. Race spec versions of this car had an output of up to 600hp and could reach 60mph on loose gravel in 2.3 seconds.

So now the bad news...the car is listed for sale by Joe Macari Performance Cars in London, England. It has a price of £240,000.00 or aprox. $384,000 USD.

The car we are able to offer, is one of the few remaining perfect Delta S4s, a true road-going version of a rally and automotive icon. Built in 1985, the car cost £55,000 from new and has covered only 21,000km. Furthermore, this S4 has recently undergone substantial restoration on the bodywork, mechanics and paintwork, meaning it is presented in 'better than new' condition. The S4 is currently sitting in full 'stradale' specification, however a spare Group B front-end and Stradale rear-end will be included in the sale. Following its restoration, the car has dyno'd at over 300bhp and is naturally perfect in and out following months of attention by Italian specialists. This S4 is now also in 'Potenziato Spec;' which involves modifications such as wider rear tyres and strengthened clutch. Although previously finished in Verde York and known amongst enthusiasts as the "Green Car," the car is now finished in its original factory Red with an untouched Beige suede interior.

Good news...the car is left-hand-drive and it should qualify for importation into the United States as it is over 25 years old.

Supercars are stupid...you know what's not stupid? Rally cars. I believe there is a part us that desires a street-legal rally car and what is more bad-ass than a street-legal Group B rally car?

The answer is nothing...nothing is more bad-ass than that.

...........Non dico altro........o meglio qualcosa la dico: chi di voi è di famiglia ricca e mi fa la cortesia di farsi rapire così chiedo il riscatto ? In cambio, dopo il riscatto ovviamente, prometto il rilascio e presto alla "vittima" la puledra per tutti i fine settimana fino alla fine dei nostri giorni........Chi si offre ?

Bhà credo che qualcosa più di noi lo sappia visto che ha visto il buono e il cattivo tempo dall'interno del gruppo in tutti questi anni.

Tutti hanno delle colpe, ma trovo assurdo leggere tutte ste critiche soprattutto dopo che l'hanno (o si è fatto) cacciato.

Possibile che non si può criticare il gruppo che subito si salta addosso al colpevole?

ATTUALMENTE con l'uscita di Montezuma Ferrari ci ha anche perso perchè di sicuro Marchionne non potrà dedicargli il tempo necessario viste le altre cariche da lui ricoperte, ATTUALMENTE.

La critica è del tutto giustificata se si tiene conto che Fiat è oggi qualcosa di profondamente diverso, eufemisticamente parlando, da quello che la medesima era ai tempi in cui "libera e bella" ne divenne Presidente, ossia il 2004, e Maglione AD ........e certamente l'"uomo dei Parioli" lo sa molto bene. Se lo stesso si ingegna, per motivi di bottega, a descrivere una situazione che non esiste, perchè non sottolinearlo ?