There has been no shortage of buzz around the 2012 Fiat 500 launch in the U.S. So when Bullz-Eye had a chance to review the 500 we jumped at the chance. This iconic Italian compact car stands out with flare and sporty styling. The first day behind the wheel of the Fiat 500 revealed that this lounge garners as much attention as any car we’ve driven! Check back in a few weeks for our complete review of the 2012 Fiat 500…Ciao!
UPDATE: We’ve been told that the GT Academy winner has been crowned. Congratulations to Bryan Heitkotter – who was actually the top qualifier at Orlando as well – as he begins his training for the real deal. The show won’t air until September, but you can see Bryan’s Meet the Finalists video at nissanusa.com.
Back in March we had the chance to head to the GT Academy qualifiers – a tournament held to lower a field of 32 of the world’s best virtual drivers down to the 16 that would head to Silverstone and onto the GT Academy reality show. That show is now underway, with contestants competing in live racing events, all hoping to win the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to become a real pro driver on a Nissan racing team.
The series won’t air until the fall, but in the meantime, Nissan and Sony are offering some behind the scenes sneak peeks of what the competition is like for the 16 contestants. There is the usual picture and video content, but the pro drivers on hand at Silverstone have also been answering questions from the GT Academy Facebook page. Watch the video above for a tour of the Race Camp with the Academy contestants, and be sure to keep up with the show’s Facebook page. Just in case you missed it, you can see our writeup of the qualifiers at the Bullz-Eye Games channel.
From the Wall Street Journal Online:
That three-year-old car sitting in the driveway may not seem so exciting anymore, but to some car dealers it could be gold.
Informed shoppers with well-maintained cars to trade in have an unusual opportunity to take advantage of what industry analysts say is a record peak in used-car prices. Resale and trade-in values for late-model vehicles in good condition have been rising all year as demand has outstripped supply, particularly for fuel-efficient models.
Among the forces driving up used-car values is a shortage of many popular Japanese models due to production slowdowns following the March earthquake. And the sales collapse during the 2008 and 2009 financial crisis means fewer two- and three-year-old cars are available.
The National Automobile Dealers Association last week raised values again on many small- and medium-size cars in its latest Used Car Guide, which is widely used by dealers when deciding what to offer for cars taken as trade-ins.
A one-year-old Honda Civic that NADA’s Used Car Guide valued at $14,275 in May is now estimated to be worth $15,950. “The same car,” says Jonathan Banks, NADA’s executive auto analyst.
Here is Chrysler’s latest commercial “Good Things,” which features Dr. Dre and The Beats by Dr. Dre audio system.
The Beats experience was designed to replicate the audio experience the artist has inside the recording studio and is available with the all-new 2012 Chrysler 300S. Now you can hear music the way Dr. Dre himself does! Check out Dr. Dre as he takes his sound out on the streets of downtown Los Angeles:
Chrysler Group LLC announced today that it is creating a new brand — the Street and Racing Technology — or SRT brand — as it conducts a management reshuffle.
Chrysler also announced management changes, including a new Dodge Brand CEO.
Ralph Gilles, who has been president and CEO of Dodge, has been named head of the new cross-brand performance unit — SRT — and Chrysler’ Motorsports activities. Gilles continues with design responsibility for all exterior and interior design activities for all Dodge, Ram, Chrysler and Jeep vehicles.
Chrysler said the moves were aimed at the company’s business plan.
“Values and missions are sculpted on the rock. Organizational structures are designed to reflect the Company’s business needs in support of its strategic business plan. Today’s announcement is consistent with this line,” said Chrysler spokesman Gualberto Ranieri.
Last week, Fiat SpA reached a deal with the U.S. Treasury to acquire the government’s 6 percent stake in the company, which will give the Italian automaker a 52 percent majority stake in the Auburn Hills company.
Under the new structure, Chrysler and Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne will have 24 direct reports at Chrysler, down from 25.
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