+1!!

I knew there was something familiar-looking about it!

Great idea for a new model - The Fiat Cinquecento "Ciao Micio" ("Hello Kitty").

In the spirit of the old Fiat "Topolino" (Mickey Mouse).

BTW, Fiat is planning a new Topolino as a city car or "micro" car, even smaller than the new 500. Target seems to be the Smart car market segment.

http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-new...o-ar56770.html


No - - it will mean the end of the world as we know it is near...

________________________________________________

 

Nice thing about the 500....performance aside...is that it appears to be an attempt to offer a (more or less) premium small car. That is good to see. If MINI has proven anything it is that folks are willing to pay for quality in a small car...and I don't see many manufacturers "getting" that.

 

LOVE the idea for the new model! Maybe they could make furry seats or something inside!

And "end of the world"... ... I think you're right on about that!

 

I guess this speaks for itself.
if you crash make sure you dont crash into a big SUV in your little 500, also be carefull with the Front driver side pillar it may break your head open.

 

This just in: Chrysler is going to import the Fiat 500 to the US. I think next year. Cool. Looks like a good kid car/chick car to me.

 

Ah...I think you might have been snoozing. We've been talking about this for some time...

 

What's with the Audi's Rearview Mirror, it came completely off!! That doesn't look pretty at all, I think Hubby will have to choose another 'next' car for him, the 500 was one he wanted to look at when we are ready to purchase our next Dog Hauler in 2011.

 

It may be a kid/chick car,but is also Michael Schumacher's car.His daily driver is a 500 Abarth.

 

Unlike you and me Michael gets paid for taking a dump at a race track ("...Schumacher dumped here." ) so its highly likely that Fiat was the highest bidder and won. A single product endorsement usually yields more than what they earned during their entire career (I made that up but that's not very far from the truth, it depends on how good their agent is). CHA-CHING!

 

I don't think BMW should be too worried about the Fiat 500, they have clearly stated their desire to stay with a performance-driven, premium, and owner-customizable small car. It seems those aspects are still safely within the MINI domain.

I do think, however, think that the Fiat 500 (and many others cars on the way here) may be more approachable for the masses and, in some regards, may wind up in the end being a better Mini than the MINI. Ironic, isn't it? MINI has, for better or worse, become more BMW than Mini and that's great for some folks....not so much for others.

Of course, this may make no sense to the performance-minded, but for many of us who really keyed into other aspects of the MINI when it initially arrived here, other cars will (and have) offered a real attraction. I doubt if BMW cares as they have got plenty of folks around drinking the performance kool-aid that they will still sell plenty of cars, especially since BMW/MINI always seemed to intend the MINI to be something of a niche car anyway.

 

Since BMW was considering allowing Fiat to sell through MINI dealerships (before the Fiat/Chrysler deal), I doubt they are very worried.

http://www.motoringfile.com/index.php?s=fiat+platform

 

There's a Fiat dealership next to my office.

Trust me, the 500 is no competition to a Mini. I could have bought one. It didn't even cross my mind. Too expensive, too slow, too unreliable (even worse than the Mini!).

 

I personally don't believe that BMW will have an issue mostly due to branding and because many of their products are veblen goods. It is also worth noting that the car industry appears to follow the pattern of a non-collusive oligopoly. Because of this market structure it unlikely that price competition shall play a role. However, it is worth noting that Fiat may try to lure buyers by presenting greater value in their products such as adding standard features that are options on the mini. So in conclusion, I believe that BMW may not be greatly affected by Fiat entering North America.

 

Don't think BMW has much to worry about with the 500 or Abarth version. However, check out Alpha's MiTo GTA on their web site. 230hp just to start with and it looks really sharp. It's aimed right at the JCW!

 

Yikes, live in fear much?


Don't buy an F150 and hit ANYTHING either, those are proven death traps.

 

And for the exact same reason, don't crash your big SUV into a Kenworth!!

 

Wow--you be right:

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/22/w...bow-in-geneva/

Wonder when Alfa will take a stab at the US market again. We rented an Alfa 159 last year for 1000 miles in the Alps. Nice car, even as a diesel, and incredible fuel economy, especially given the terrain and Hubby's lead foot. And we were on 2 of the twistiest roads I've EVER been on in any country.

 

Total Bummer! Found a site stating the intro of the MiTo GTA has been delayed/canceled due to the current economy. If true, Alpha is making a huge mistake. That thing is a JCW killer!

 

We shall have to see what develops, don't believe everything you see on the web.

Btw, what is this Alpha? Alfa Romeo is producing the Alfa Mito GTA.

 

Duh, me spel gut? Whatcha mean? Isn't everything on the web absolute Gospel?
DW

 

It's okay. He's just spent too much time in his MINEE.

Alfa might be putting things on hold because they'd essentially have to build up an entire dealer network from scratch. Even if they attached to another brand, as they undoubtedly would, they'd still have thousands of mechanics to train, inventory to stock--even signs to make. And they'd have to do it even if they just sold a few, in order to fulfil their commitment to the buyers. It's all expensive, and if even established brands are faltering, it's not surprising that they're holding off. They sold 500 in the U.S. in the last YEAR they were here.

They might also be watching to see what will happen to Fiat. It's another Italian brand that the U.S. didn't cotton to.

It's still a shame--I'd love to see them.

 

I thought Alfa was a part of Fiat, like Ferrari and Maserati. Wrong again?
DW

 

Fiat owns Alfa Romeo. There was a rumor that Alfas would be coming to BMW dealers, and that Fiat and MINI would be working together on a sharing major parts (platform, IIRC) for some future model. It isn't surprising that Fiat/Alfa would pull back and reevaluate things after the Chrysler deal. The economic down-turn would probably play a role as well.

 

Alfa IS a part, but the technologies are hardly interchangeable in the field. Corporate ownership doesn't mean the Ferrari mechanic will be able to (or want to) work on your Alfa, and I doubt many parts are interchangeable. In fact, I'd really be surprised if Ferrari dealerships would want to have anything to do with Alfa sales, any more than Maser salespeople would want to fool with Puntos, assuming they come over. And the latter two are very small companies, as far as U.S. sales are concerned. How many Ferraris and Maseratis do you see in a week?

(Yeah, I know, I know. But the rest of the country doesn't.)

As for Fiat and Alfa, while they are both big in the rest of the world, they were soured on the U.S., and the U.S. was soured on them, by the time they left. It will be a long climb for both, sports car nuts notwithstanding.

 

HOOPAA, for once I was right about something!! Just had a deranged thought: Fiat + Chrysler = Fiat Hemi500.