italy


Outraged Italian police set to crush fake Ferrari

Right up front, we must state that there is a very high likelihood that the following is not entirely true. With that said, here's the skinny on what we think we know: Thanks to local copyright laws, cops in Ostuni, Italy have reportedly confiscated a Toyota MR2 cut to look an awful lot like a Ferrari 355 Berlinetta. And they intend to crush it. So much so that the British-made phony Italian was being touted as the real thing -- an obvious scam. As to why the authorities intend to destroy the car, let's listen to what one of the cops ... Read more →

The Show Must Go On: Italy's Bologna salon forges ahead without automakers Noah Joseph

Local auto shows overseas like the one in Bologna don't really make a blip on our radar screens. Manufacturers might, upon occasion, use the venues to unveil a new product variant of generally ...

REPORT: Fiat to close Bertone purchase this week Jonathon Ramsey

On Thursday, Fiat is expected to put its John Hancock on a preliminary agreement to close its purchase of Carrozzeria Bertone, the coachbuilding arm of the Bertone company. In August Fiat won the ...

Trunk Zoo: Italian police reportedly find 1,700 animals stuffed in car's boot Jonathon Ramsey

A driver in Bari, Italy was stopped for a routine inspection of his car. When police got to the trunk, they found it filled with mammals, reptiles, and birds. We have no idea how he got them all ...

SPOILER ALERT: All That and More at the 2009 Italian Grand Prix Noah Joseph

In the midst of a Formula One season that's been anything but ordinary, how would you envision an ideal race to unfold? Ferrari and McLaren back on top? The two teams are responsible for most of ...

What would a modern Fiat pickup look like? One designer has a theory... 2 months ago on Autoblog

Picture it: you're on holiday in Ericeira, Portugal and wouldn't you know it, the Vespas you rented to take to Sintra won't fit in the back of the Peugeot. You bang on your Brit ex-pat neighbor's door to see if you can borrow his Ford Transit, but he's not home and the suspiciously young ...

Fiat to assemble 500 in Mexico, build engines in Michigan? 2 months ago on Autoblog

For the last couple of decades, there has been a genuine dearth of affordable Italians autos for us Americans. Sure, you could buy a lightly used Alfa Romeo Milano or a derelict Fiat Strada, but then you'd be a braver person than us. Or maybe you could get your hands on a severely fire-damaged ...

Mini Miglia - Slot car version of classic race to benefit Alzheimer's research 4 months ago on Autoblog

This weekend saw the running of the first Mini Mille Miglia. No affiliation to the famous touring event, the Mini Mille is a greatly scaled down version of the race. How scaled down? Well, it's run on a digital Scalextric track for 1/32-scale slot cars in Umbria, Italy. Put on to benefit ...

REPORT: Lamborghini sees no recovery until 2011 5 months ago on Autoblog

After several years of record growth, Lamborghini, like most automakers, is struggling in a tough economy. Sales are down 30% so far in 2009, and the Raging Bull even laid off factory workers for seven weeks in an effort to keep down inventories. Chief Executive Stephan Winkelmann told Reuters ...

VIDEO: Audi drives R8 straight into the heart of Ferrari country 6 months ago on Autoblog

The residents of Maranello used to the sight of rakish red two-door sheetmetal roaring under the impulse of several hundred horsepower – and they still do. Except when that metal hides a ten-cylinder engine and wears four rings on its hood. In this Audi commercial depicting an R8 V10 on a ...

Power to the Papal: Fiat provides Vatican with specially-equipped Ducato van 6 months ago on Autoblog

The Pope may be the Pope but he still needs to get around, which is why there have been so many additions to the Vatican motor pool for us to report on. His predecessor John Paul II may have received a Ferrari Enzo, but after selling his Volkswagen Golf, Benedict XVI has added a Volvo XC90, a BMW ...

Ralph Lauren's Bugatti Atlantic to headline Villa d'Este 7 months ago on Autoblog

Ralph Lauren's Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic will headline the classic cars assembling for the annual Concorso d'Eleganza at Villa d'Este. The ultra-rare coupe, even rarer than the Type 57 Atalante recently unearthed from a garage in England, is one of only three ever built, and will be coming ...

Italian traffic cameras investigated for red-light rigging that may have cost motorists $1.7M 9 months ago on Autoblog

Red may be their national racing color, but there's little Italians hate more than red lights. And with good reason, it turns out: Stefano Arrighetti, creator of the T-Redspeed "smart" traffic system implemented across Italy, is under investigation for fraud on suspicion that he illegally forged ...

First Drive: 2009 Porsche Boxster S with PDK 9 months ago on Autoblog

The Italian countryside passes by in a blur. At an indicated 265 km/h (164 mph), we have hit the invisible wall. The accelerator pedal has been jammed into the carpet for the last ten seconds, yet the sleek Porsche cannot push the molecules of air away any faster. Thanks to a stiff headwind, ...

Mercedes tries to burst Shuanghuan's tiny Bubble, gives up 10 months ago on Autoblog

Mercedes decided to sue Shuanghuan Automotive for copyright infringement for its Bubble microcar (called the Noble in China), claiming it was a copy of the smart fortwo. BMW then decided to bring its own case against Shuanghuan, citing the Shuanghuan CEO as a blatant facsimile of the BMW X5 (that's ...

Second crash at Bond filming proves MI6 hates Alfas too 1 year ago on Autoblog

Filming of the latest Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, has been put on hiatus after two stunt drivers were injured during filming. The crash apparently took place while performing a chase sequence where one driver in an Alfa Romeo crashed into a wall while chasing Bond's Aston Martin DBS along the ...

The Uragano handbuilt Italian supercar 1 year ago on Autoblog

Click above for gallery of the Uragano handbuilt supercar Who doesn't dream of building his or her own supercar? It took four years for him to do it, but Filandri Moreno from Italy has inspirational neighbors such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani. Moreno possibly thought of famed supercar ...

Counterfeit Ferrari ring busted in Rome 1 year ago on Autoblog

More than twenty years ago, Pontiac dealers sold their two-seat Fiero with a special "option" called the MERA. Essentially a complete re-body over the Fiero's then-advanced space frame, brand-new cars rolled out of the showroom looking much like a Ferrari 308. Over the next two years, 247 Fiero ...

Bertone's emergency plan expected today 1 year ago on Autoblog

Bertone has landed in some very hot water and is facing Italian bankruptcy court within a week. The courts in Turin seem to think that the best thing for the company's 1,300 employees would be for it to shut down and go into bankruptcy protection. But before it draws its last breath, the famous ...

It's no record, but 13 Paganis is still epicly cool 2 years ago on Autoblog

Ferrari's newly-minted record isn't in jeopardy, but we bet the driver of the lone Ferrari was kicking pebbles while hanging out with the dude who brought the SLR. Okay, probably not. Pagani's frontal assault on the supercar world, powered by an AMG V12 must have made for some sweet sounds and ...

Italy gives Lamborghini stamp of approval 2 years ago on Autoblog

The Italian Post Office is honoring one of the country's most well-known brands, Lamborghini, by offering a commemorative stamp in its honor. The 85-euro-cent stamp will hit post offices first in Lamborghini's hometown, Sant'Agata Bolognese, before it is offered at offices throughout the country. ...

VIDEO: Carrera GT, MC12, SLR in Italy - what's not to like? 2 years ago on Autoblog

We'll keep this simple: three of the world's finest supercars in one of the world's best supercar playgrounds. The hardcore action doesn't go much beyond each car getting a solo peelout. However, each machine does get plenty of individual, loving, lifestyle-themed attention. And the sights and ...

Spada Codatronca revealed as no joke 2 years ago on Autoblog

click above image for high-res pics of the Spada Codatronca Believe it or not, we passed over spy shots of this car being development tested because we didn't believe it was a legitimate model that would one day see production. We were wrong on that one, as today news has come from Italy that the ...

Tuner Tuesdays: Maserati Quattroporte by Studio M 2 years ago on Autoblog

Every time we think we've seen the ultimate in over-the-top bling and luxe, somebody manages to come up with something even more outlandish. This time, it's a custom Maserati Quattroporte crafted by Studio M especially for the "Scrigno Tesori d'Italia" (roughly translated as the Italian Treasure ...

Drive Italy in a Ferrari 2 years ago on Autoblog

If you're looking for the ultimate vacation and have the cash to spend, look no further than Red Travel. The stuff-that-dreams-are-made-of tour operator based in Turin specializes in putting together vacation packages that put you behind the wheel of a Ferrari to drive along the Italian ...

Spy Shots: Ferrari 430 Challenge Stradale 2 years ago on Autoblog

Sports car aficionados don't appreciate that features like leather trim, sound deadening material and power everything add weight to a car, and that weight is the enemy of speed. After decades of trimming mere ounces off its race cars, nobody knows this better than Ferrari. As if its aluminum F430 ...

Automatic for the People: Maserati delivers first 70 Quattroporte Automatics 2 years ago on Autoblog

Not unlike other exotic Italian marques, Maserati has a tendency to dramatize the offering of any slight variation of its cars just a bit. It's somewhat excusable when you consider that, aside from the MC12 supercar, their line-up consists essentially of two models. But while it'd be all too easy ...

VIDEO: Your car won't fit, lady 2 years ago on Autoblog

No smartass comments about women drivers, capisce? It could just as easily have been a man at the wheel trying to squeeze 12 feet of car into 10 feet of parking space. While we do admire her determination, we question her depth perception, and her social graces. Perhaps it was a mild case of road ...

Mama Mia Mustang: Giugiaro Mustang Concept spotted in Italy 2 years ago on Autoblog

Little is known about the Giugiaro Mustang Concept, except that it's set to debut at the L.A. Auto Show later this month. A member of MustangForums.com, however, hit the jackpot when he snagged the Italian Stallion at a refueling station in Italy. Some are saying the Giugiaro Mustang will be a ...

Special for Ferrari: Alcoa opens new aluminum plant in Modena 3 years ago on Autoblog

Aluminum giant Alcoa has opened a new facility in Modena specifically to provide aluminum space frames and components to Ferrari. The two companies began collaborating in 1994, when Ferrari determined that the lightweight metal was the way to go to reduce weight and improve the dynamics of its ...

Ferrari goes Dutch: engine deal with Spyker-MF1 3 years ago on Autoblog

Spyker-MF1 has struck a deal with Maranello to use Ferrari engines for the 2007 Formula 1 season. The team formerly known as Midland and before that as Jordan was recently purchased by a consortium lead by Spyker, the quirky Dutch exotic carmaker. Autoblog previously speculated on the likelihood of ...

Bull-riding lessons: Lamborghini Track Experience 3 years ago on Autoblog

How many supercar owners can extract the true performance potential of their exotics? Unfortunately, having the funds to buy a supercar doesn't mean you have the skills to drive it. Following in the path of other exotic Italian carmakers – such as Ferrari and Maserati – Lamborghini is ...

Alfa Romeo 159 new Italian "Pantera" 3 years ago on Autoblog

Many precincts in the U.S. are ecstatic over their new Dodge Charger police cruisers, but Italian police are just as pleased to replace their fleet of Fiat Mareas with the new Alfa 159. Police cruisers in Italy are called Panteras, which means "Panther" in English, and the crime-fighting Pantera ...

From Russia with love (by way of Germany): The Rousseau-Balt Impression! 3 years ago on Autoblog

Alright. So we’re a little shaky on our Russian, but we know an eye-catching piece of road sculpture when we see one. Enter the Rousseau-Balt Impression, a German conceived custom teardrop throwback with a heart of gold Mercedes. To be revealed today at the Concorso d'.Eleganza Villa d'.Este ...

Bomb threat at General Motors office 3 years ago on Autoblog

The Italian news source, Agenzia Giornalistica Italia (AGI), reported there was a bomb threat Monday morning at GM's Piazzale dell'Industria office. According to AGI, an anonymous phone call alerted GM at which point the company contacted the appropriate authorities. The Italian military police ...






Autoblog Podcast #151: With Car and Driver's Eddie Alterman

Eddie Alterman wades in with Sam, Chris, Dan, and Jonny to talk about SEMA and other recent events.

 
 

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