Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Fiat launches pricy new special-edition 500 Abarth Competizione]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/15/fiat-launches-pricy-new-special-edition-500-abarth-competizione/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/15/fiat-launches-pricy-new-special-edition-500-abarth-competizione/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/15/fiat-launches-pricy-new-special-edition-500-abarth-competizione/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Fiat 500 Abarth Competizione - Click above for high-res image gallery

Cars may be getting smaller, but that doesn't mean they're necessarily getting cheaper. As if to prove that point, Fiat has thumbed its nose at the Tata Nano with a special 500 that packs a big price tag in a small package.

Commemorating the first anniversary of Abarth's return to the Dutch market, Fiat's performance division has launched this special-edition 500 Abarth Competizione. It costs nearly $35k and only ten will be made available for exclusive consumption in Holland. The €3,000 premium (nearly $4,200 USD) over the stock 500 Abarth gets enthusiastic buyers a special little hot hatch with a black roof, black 17-inch alloys and matching black graphics, along with special bucket seats inside. The 500 Abarth Competizione also comes equipped with sat-nav, air-con and a premium audio system. Although the Competizione edition packs the 135hp turbo four, buyers can always upgrade with the 160hp EsseEsse kit. For a premium, of course.


Gallery: Fiat 500 Abarth Competizione


[Source: Fiat]

Fiat launches pricy new special-edition 500 Abarth Competizione originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>500 abarth500 abarth competizione500Abarth500AbarthCompetizioneabarthdutchfiatfiat 500fiat 500 abarthfiat 500 abarth competizionefiat abarthFiat500Fiat500AbarthFiat500AbarthCompetizioneFiatAbarthhollandnederlandsnetherlandsWed, 15 Jul 2009 11:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Alfa MiTo Veloce debuts at AutoRAI Amsterdam]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/01/alfa-mito-veloce-debuts-at-autorai-amsterdam/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/01/alfa-mito-veloce-debuts-at-autorai-amsterdam/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/01/alfa-mito-veloce-debuts-at-autorai-amsterdam/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Alfa MiTo Veloce - Click above to view in high resolution

The Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last month certainly looked the business, but unfortunately, it's only a concept car -- for now. Alfa says they'll have it on the market soon, but in the meantime the Italian automaker unveiled another hot version of the premium sport hatch at the AutoRAI show in Amsterdam, Holland.

Although some details and teaser shots surfaced before the show kicked off, the Fiat group didn't release any new information on its latest sporty MiTo, so all we have to go on are reports circulating the interwebs. This is what we know: it's called the Veloce, and slots in between the current 155hp 1.4-liter turbo of the fully-spec'ed standard MiTo and the 240hp GTA with a 180 horsepower turbo four. It's also packing beefier brakes, a revised suspension, and an upgraded body kit including a front splitter, rear wing and side skits, plus big powder-coated white rims with matching white mirror caps and detailing. Sport seats and aluminum pedals round out the package on the inside, but until Alfa gets some official info out there, that's all we got.


Gallery: Alfa MiTo Veloce at AutoRAI 2009


[Source: autoblog.nl]

Alfa MiTo Veloce debuts at AutoRAI Amsterdam originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alfaalfa mitoalfa mito velocealfa romeoalfa romeo mitoalfa romeo mito velocealfa veloceAlfaMitoAlfaMitoVeloceAlfaRomeoAlfaRomeoMitoAlfaRomeoMitoVeloceAlfaVeloceamsterdamautoraihollandnetherlandsveloceWed, 01 Apr 2009 16:18:00 EST<![CDATA[Father and child survive Ferrari crash]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/30/father-and-child-survive-ferrari-crash/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/30/father-and-child-survive-ferrari-crash/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/30/father-and-child-survive-ferrari-crash/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It may be difficult to tell from the pictures, but this used to be a Ferrari F430 Spider. That was until its driver, baby on board, managed to total the car on the A58 highway in Holland.

Miraculously, both the driver and his child were spared their lives, despite bring thrown outside the car during the accident. We hope that when he goes to replace the Ferrari, this guy gets something a little more manageable with a back bench where he can properly strap down a child seat. Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, perhaps?

[Source: Brabants Dagblad via Carscoop]

Father and child survive Ferrari crash originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>430 spider430Spidera85ferrari totaledFerrariTotaledhollandnetherlandsWed, 30 Jan 2008 11:22:00 EST<![CDATA[Holland gets special-edition Land Rover to benefit Malaria]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/19/holland-gets-special-edition-land-rover-to-benefit-malaria/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/19/holland-gets-special-edition-land-rover-to-benefit-malaria/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/19/holland-gets-special-edition-land-rover-to-benefit-malaria/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click on the image above to view in high resolution

Close your eyes, we're going to play a little automotive word association. Just one round. Think of "malaria" - now what vehicle are you associating with the unfortunate disease? It could only be the Land Rover Defender, the go-anywhere, no-nonsense sport-ute that has probably traveled more malarial swamps and barren deserts than any other vehicle in history. Granted most marketing firms would not recommend that their clients associating their product with a debilitating disease, but this marketing association is geared towards raising funds to eliminate the disease. That's good.

Land Rover Netherlands has teamed up with designer Piet Boon to produce a limited edition Defender. The Dutch designer has added some minimalist details to the truck, equipped with LR's 2.4-liter turbodiesel, in return for €56,900, a portion of which goes towards the Drive Against Malaria foundation. Like the previous Piet Boon Edition of the Range Rover Sport, only 15 will be made available, so if malaria is your cause, you live in Holland, and you're in the market for a new truck, we'd like to meet you better get yours now.

[Source: Piet Boon Design via Land Rover Owner International]

Gallery: Land Rover Defender 90 Piet Boon Edition

Holland gets special-edition Land Rover to benefit Malaria originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>90defenderdrive against malariaDriveAgainstMalariadutcheditionhollandland roverLandRovernetherlandspiet boonPietBoonspecialWed, 19 Dec 2007 16:21:00 EST<![CDATA[Meet the Fiat 500, Holland's newest junior detective]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/19/meet-the-fiat-500-hollands-newest-junior-detective/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/19/meet-the-fiat-500-hollands-newest-junior-detective/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/19/meet-the-fiat-500-hollands-newest-junior-detective/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We already know that overseas, police cars are not the full-size cruisers we have patrolling our highways in America. But come on, there's a limit.

This Fiat 500, all decked out in police striping and with a little flashing light on the roof, was snapped while parading around Amsterdam with the Dutch police. Unfortunately, the text that came out of the online translator was about as intelligible as a tourist swaggering out of an Amsterdam "coffee shop", but as far as we can tell the car was used purely for demonstration purposes, much like Scotland Yard has displayed constabulary-striped supercars and F1 racers, before the law-enforcement markings were removed and the car went back to civilian duty.

It's a far cry from the Spyker C8 or the BMW M3 that the Dutch police showed recently, but this 500 just looks so darned eager to serve and protect, doesn't it?

[Source: AutoWeek.nl]

Meet the Fiat 500, Holland's newest junior detective originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>500amsterdamfiathollandnetherlandspoliceWed, 19 Dec 2007 15:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Opel delivers sportiness in the Vivaro VPC]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/03/opel-delivers-sportiness-in-the-vivaro-vpc/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/03/opel-delivers-sportiness-in-the-vivaro-vpc/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/03/opel-delivers-sportiness-in-the-vivaro-vpc/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click image for high-res gallery

In Europe, no niche remains unaddressed, it seems. Business owners looking for a hottish-looking ride in their delivery vehicles were offered the Transit SportVan earlier this year by Ford. It combined the utility of the Transit with the optics of a Focus ST, what with its Performance Blue paint, snowflake-pattern rims, and Le Mans stripes. We're sure the 500 owners who scored one of the limited-edition trucks are pleased with their selections. Ford isn't alone in addressing this segment, however.

In the Netherlands, Opel has gotten into the game with the Vivaro VPC. The Vivaro is, like the Transit, a panel van. Apparently, GM sees an opportunity to sell 100 tricked-out versions (at € 34,900 each) to Dutch commercial customers who wish to make their delivery rounds in something more sporty-looking than the average panel. It comes in the same blue paint used on the Opel OPC cars, rolls on OPC wheels, and wears a full appearance package including color-matched everything, an aggressive front fascia with intrgrated foglights, and dual, trapezoid-shaped exhaust exits in the rear. The VPC moniker is the final, and most obvious, hat tip to the OPC performance wing of the car division. A 2.5L CDTi turbodiesel with 143 horses supplies the power, and it's mated to a 6-speed manual. As for the driver, the cab's no penalty box either, as evidenced by two-tone leather and Alcantara Recaro sport seats that look as if they've been pilfered from a GT1 car. Delivering goods has never been so good.

[Source: Opel via Autoblog Spanish]

Gallery: Opel Vivaro VPC

Opel delivers sportiness in the Vivaro VPC originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Nov 2007 10:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dutch marketDutchMarketnetherlandsopcopel opcopel vivaroOpelOpcOpelVivarovivarovivaro vpcVivaroVpcvpcSat, 03 Nov 2007 10:21:00 EST<![CDATA[Killing a dog with a Nitro wasn't such a good idea after all]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/20/killing-a-dog-with-a-nitro-wasnt-such-a-good-idea-after-all/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/20/killing-a-dog-with-a-nitro-wasnt-such-a-good-idea-after-all/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/20/killing-a-dog-with-a-nitro-wasnt-such-a-good-idea-after-all/#commentsFiled under: ,



When an ad agency supporting Chrysler's Netherlands Market Performance Center created a viral ad for the Dodge Nitro that depicted a dog being electrocuted by the vehicle, they were so smitten with their work that they decided to put it on YouTube. The timing of the spot couldn't be any worse here in the US, where dog cruelty is making front page news. Chrysler execs in Auburn Hills, MI were quick to pull the ad from YouTube and go into damage control, as Chrysler spokesman Jason Vines called the spot "far beyond the bounds of what the company considers appropriate". Vines also pointed out that viral marketing in Europe is a little more over the top than it is here in the States, and anybody that has seen some of the old Ford KA internet spots knows that sort of insensitivity wouldn't float here. What surprises us is that any multinational automaker can air advertising without at least one high-ranking executive looking at it first.

[Source: Auto News (subscription req'd)]

Killing a dog with a Nitro wasn't such a good idea after all originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DodgeNetherlandsNitroViral adViralAdFri, 20 Jul 2007 14:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Spyker takes Heineken racing and raises the bar]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/03/spyker-takes-heineken-racing-and-raises-the-bar/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/03/spyker-takes-heineken-racing-and-raises-the-bar/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/03/spyker-takes-heineken-racing-and-raises-the-bar/#commentsFiled under: ,

Honda may have dropped the "BAR" from its name following the full acquisition of the team, but Spyker is planning on picking it up again. Fellow Dutch companies Spyker and Heineken have announced a deal they've got brewing to open an F1 sports bar in the Netherlands. The agreement will also see Heineken served exclusively at all Spyker trackside events, although no mention was made of any sponsor's logos appearing on the car.

Not much is known about what the bar will look like, or where it will be specifically located, but assuming they want to get in on the euphoric bar scene in Holland, it won't be in The Hague. Looks like we'll have one more place to head to in Amsterdam, fellas.

Full press release after the jump.

[Source: Spyker]

Continue reading Spyker takes Heineken racing and raises the bar

Spyker takes Heineken racing and raises the bar originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 May 2007 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1amsterdambardutchf1formulaheinekenhollandnetherlandsonesoykerspykerThu, 03 May 2007 19:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Europeans getting revolutionary TiVo-like satellite radio]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/27/europeans-getting-revolutionary-tivo-like-satellite-radio/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/27/europeans-getting-revolutionary-tivo-like-satellite-radio/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/27/europeans-getting-revolutionary-tivo-like-satellite-radio/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



This particular nugget came from our sibling site Engadget, which reported on the "multimedia car radio of the future."

In conjunction with a few select partners, the European Space Agency (ESA) is developing an entertainment system that will feature "built-in satellite radio and generous timeshifting functionality" too. It comes via a special antenna that will likely become a factory-installed option on certain vehicles. It's described as a "flattened mobile antenna integrated into the bodywork," that will pick up "Ku" band signals already used by communications satellites.

Obviously, using existing satellites makes this much cheaper and more feasible. The best bit, however, and the part that makes this different than current US satellite radio services, is that the service will include timeshifting. You know, just like TiVo. The ability to listen at a later time. It is likely that the service will feature a "cache or hard drive-based system" so listeners can pause or rewind broadcasts. Not a lot of other details right now, but word has it you might spot a prototype system mounted in a BMW if you happen to be near the Noordwijk Space Expo in the Netherlands.

[Source: Orbitcast via Engadget]

Europeans getting revolutionary TiVo-like satellite radio originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Jan 2007 16:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>EngadgetEuropean Space AgencyEuropeanSpaceAgencyKu bandKuBandNetherlandsNoordwijk Space ExpoNoordwijkSpaceExposatellite radioSatelliteRadioTiVoSat, 27 Jan 2007 16:07:00 EST<![CDATA[Mitsubishi to seek compensation from DCX for SMART ForFour cancellation]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/30/mitsubishi-to-seek-compensation-from-dcx-for-smart-forfour-cance/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/30/mitsubishi-to-seek-compensation-from-dcx-for-smart-forfour-cance/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/30/mitsubishi-to-seek-compensation-from-dcx-for-smart-forfour-cance/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Following DaimlerChrysler's announcement that it will be stopping production of the SMART ForFour sedan, partner Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has stated it will end production at the company's Netherlands plant as well. The Japanese automaker still plans to manufacturer engines for DCX's SMART two-seaters.

Both companies have not yet determined when will be the last day of production. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun states, though, that Mitsubishi will be seeking financial compensation for DCX's abrupt termination of their partnership in the ForFour.

[Source: Nihon Keizai Shimbun via AFX News Limited via Forbes]

Mitsubishi to seek compensation from DCX for SMART ForFour cancellation originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Mar 2006 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>enginesfinancesNetherlandsproductionThu, 30 Mar 2006 17:34:00 EST