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The AutoGuide News Blog is your source for breaking stories from the auto industry. Delivering news immediately, the AutoGuide Blog is constantly updated with the latest information, photos and video from manufacturers, auto shows, the aftermarket and professional racing.

08/02/2012 | By: Luke Vandezande

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Mopar is making an appearance at the Chicago Auto Show featuring four cars they’ve decked out with loads of visual goodies including the Mopar Fiat 500 “Stinger,” pictured above.

Photos hit the media last week, along with the equipment list for the Stinger, which plays up the black and yellow paint scheme you might expect given the name. Black stripes run along the sides, and a black-and-yellow checker pattern covers the roof.

Other than the exterior styling changes, the other-other 500 (don’t forget the Abarth) comes with black chrome accents and 17-inch black aluminum wheels borrowed from, well, the Abarth. The interior also gets new color touches that match the Stinger-styled outside.

Performance-wise there isn’t much different here: just a new set of brakes, cold air intake and a cat-back exhaust to help the car’s 1.4-liter engine breathe easier.

Have a look at our pictures from the show, shown below.

GALLERY: Fiat 500 Stinger

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08/02/2012 | By: Sami Haj-Assaad

Sex sells, even if you don’t quite know what that pretty lady is saying.

Luckily we’ve got the subbed version of the popular Fiat 500 Abarth advertisement, right here! This spot, which was proved to be one of the most successful ads seen during the superbowl, was first seen way back in November. That doesn’t really matter, as we can’t get enough of it!

Check out the translations in the video below.

Continue Reading…

08/02/2012 | By: Danny Choy

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Driving down the boulevard in their Italian supercars, wealthy but genuine car enthusiasts face the difficult challenge of separating themselves from the typical playboys in fast cars. To solve this first world problem, HRE performance wheels proposed that there is no better way to add a touch of class to an exotic than by installing performance wheels with vintage flair.

Introducing the new Vintage Series, HRE wheels recreated three iconic designs from the brand’s 34-year history, each of which range from 18- to 20-inches, and are completely re-engineered as 3-piece forged wheels from quality aerospace-grade forged alloy. What’s more, each wheel is hand-finished in order to meet customer’s specifications for their modern exotic.

HRE provided a press gallery to showcase its new wheels installed upon the successors of the same automobiles that once wore the originals. The German racing car roots of the “501″ wheels are instantly recognizable, as its mesh lace design suits the latest viper green Porsche 991 ducktail nicely.  The five-porthole “454″ is a modern take on the wheels from the sensational Lamborghini Diablo and are just as striking to look at when fitted to the new Aventador. Finally, the pentagram design “505″ is a proper ode to the Ferrari F40, although pairing the set of wheels to a Ferrari 458 Spider is slightly clashing.

HRE Wheels President Alan Peltier said, “The process of recreating vintage designs that captured the style and essence of the originals was very exciting and challenging for all of us at HRE. These designs take us all back to the ’70′s and ’80′s when we were kids falling in love with exotics for the first time and truly becoming car lovers. Capturing all the character and magic of these designs, while ensuring they fit modern super cars and met our current engineering standards, made the project tougher than simply creating replicas of the original cast wheels. We found inspiration in those original designs but created wheels that reflect the HRE of today; wheels that are truly inspired.”

Wealthy automotive connoisseurs, rejoice!

GALLERY: HRE Vintage Series

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[Source: Autoblog]

08/02/2012 | By: Luke Vandezande

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There will be a bit more car to look at when the new Maserati Quattroporte takes its bow, possibly at the North American International Auto Show, though that’s little more than a guess.

Maserati’s revamped four door hasn’t been far from the media’s attention recently, though specificity remained sparse. It looks like that’s starting to change, though. The new sedan is reportedly going to be six inches wider and two inches longer than the current model (pictured above), meaning more rear-seat legroom and a larger trunk. Despite the increased size, the new car will actually be about 30 percent more efficient thanks to a little weight loss over its predecessor.

It still seems that there will also be a smaller “baby” Quattroporte available, though that will be released after the model discussed above. It sounds like both cars will be available next year. The smaller variant is supposedly just a hair over 16 feet long, which stacks up neatly next to a BMW 5-Series.

We’ll be bringing you the latest details on Maserati’s new line as they emerge, including information on the Kubang concept.

[Source: AutoBild]

07/02/2012 | By: Amy Tokic

If your significant other is a Maserati fan, we’re making it easy to pick out a Valentine’s Day gift for them.

Maserati has teamed up with Italian jeweler Damiani to offer three collections that combine style and technology. Each collection includes a key ring, a pair of cufflinks and a necklace that are adorned with the Maserati Trident.

The first collection is called ICON, and its oval pieces are made with silver and blue enamel that boast chic, minimalistic design. The second collection, ELEGANCE, features oval pieces made of silver that combine a neat design with attention to detail. Finally, the third collection, PURE, is also made of silver and features sleek design that’s combined with a round shape.

Prices range from £170.15 to £294.65 (US$270 to $468). If you’re interested in buying something for your Valentine, visit the Maserati Store.

07/02/2012 | By: Sami Haj-Assaad

This Fiat 500 Abarth ad hit the spot with viewers, and showed the biggest increase in internet traffic during the course of the Super Bowl.

Edmunds revealed that the commercial showed the greatest increase of traffic to the models page on their site. Using measurements at 7 different points during Sundays game, Edmunds found that the Fiat section of their site had a 138 percent rise in activity at the end of the game.

The effective commercial follows Abarth’s “Small, but wicked” catch-phrase, and is sure to catch your attention in just 60 seconds.

The Abarth is going to be hitting North America some time this year, featuring track-ready performance and small car fuel efficiency.

Check it out in the video below.

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06/02/2012 | By: Luke Vandezande

Maseratis exude power, style and sex appeal. They do not, on the other hand, evoke anything close to the unrefined image of a diesel engine. Or at least they haven’t in the past.

According to a report by AutoBild, Maserati is making a smaller version of its yet-to-be-release Quattroporte luxury sedan and it seems the Italian automaker plans to package it with a V6 diesel, a first for the company.

Wait! Don’t reach for the barf bag just yet. The oil burner is actually supposed to make 300 horsepower and 516 ft-lbs of torque, not too bad for a car that’s supposed to be somewhat smaller than the automakers usual preference.

There’s no official name tag on this one yet, but it’s being called the ““Maseratina” for now and will probably try to stack up next to the likes of the BMW M5, or Audi S6. Those might seem like a couple of tall glasses to fill for engines that notoriously top out ahead of the game, but we’re excited nonetheless.

[Source: AutoBild via GT Spirit]

06/02/2012 | By: Luke Vandezande

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Ferrari‘s F620, which will succeed the 599 GTB Fiorano, is set to debut March 6 at the press preview for the 2012 Geneva Auto Show.

As we reported previously, the car will have the same 6.2-liter V12 engine as the recent Ferrari FF, though it will produce 700 horsepower, significantly more than the four-seat FF.

German AutoBild released an artist rendering of what they think the car will look like. It seems they are heavily speculating that the F620 will take styling cues from the FF, featuring the same smiling grille and low, sweeping nose.

We’ll be in Geneva snapping photos and racing to post them, but for now you can look at our spy photos and imagine Ferrari’s next grand tourer for yourself.

GALLERY: 2013 Ferrari F620

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04/02/2012 | By: Jason Siu

About two months ago we reported a collection of luxurious and exotic machines that were involved in a bizarre accident in Japan that claimed at least eight Ferraris, three Mercedes-Benzes, a Lamborghini, a Nissan Skyline and a Toyota Prius.

The exotic car crash occurred on the Chugoku Expressway out in the Yamaguchi Prefecture and fortunately only ten people were hospitalized with just minor injuries.

Now a video of the aftermath from that accident has surfaced and it appears that Japan is now home to at least two parking lots full of fine machines just sitting and rotting. This accident is now being dubbed “the world’s most expensive car pileup” with an estimated combined cost of $4-million in damage.

Take a closer look at the Italian carnage after the break.

[Source: Carscoop]

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03/02/2012 | By: Huw Evans

In the automotive industry, recalls are a bit like taxes, you just can’t get away from them. One of the most recent revolves around Maserati Gran Turismo coupes and convertibles manufactured between June 2008 and March 2010.

The problem, concerns the vehicles’ lighting system, specifically the tail lamps, which can unexpectedly fail, compromising visibility in dark or misty conditions, potentially leading to accidents.

Maserati says that approximately 1,768 cars in the US are affected by the issue and ask the owners of these vehicles to contact their nearest Maserati dealer, so the problem can be fixed; they can also contact Maserati at 201-816-2200

Additionally, affected owners can also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) toll free at 1-888-327-4236, referencing recall campaign number 12V024000.