Fiat makes plans to manufacture in China

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:32:41 +0000

Adding to its automotive empire, Fiat announced on Monday that it has signed a partnership with China’s Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group. The 50-50 joint venture will see Guangzhou building Fiat vehicles and engines in China by 2011.

Under the terms of the agreement, the automakers will invest 400 million euros in a new factory located in Changsha – the capital of the Hunan province. The plant will initially have the capacity to produce 140,000 vehicles and 220,000 engines per year, but those figures could eventually be ramped up to 250,000 cars and 300,000 engines annually.

The Fiat Bravo and Grande Punto will eventually be built in China, but the Linea will be the first vehicle launched in China as a result of the joint-venture. The Linea will be powered by two versions of Fiat’s turbocharged 1.4L engine, one producing 120 horsepower and the other making 150 horsepower.

Although Fiat sells a few thousand vehicles in China every year, the Italian automaker hasn’t built a car in China since its joint-venture with Naijing Automotive expired in 2007. Guangzhou is one of China’s more experienced automakers, selling more than 530,000 cars last year, according to Automotive News. Guangzhou is also the Chinese partner of Toyota and Honda.

Porsche Spyder returns

admin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:38:36 +0000

One of the most revered names in sports car history, the Porsche Spyder, is back! And our exclusive illustrations show for the first time how the sub-Boxster two-seater will shape up when it arrives in 2013.

Based on the VW Bluesport Concept’s underpinnings, also set to be shared with the forthcoming Audi R2, the new ‘baby’ Porsche will be aiming to maintain the firm’s reputation for unrivalled driving dynamics, but in a much lighter, fuel efficient and affordable package than any model in recent memory.

The new Spyder will offer the same open air driving experience as the Boxster, thanks to its folding canvas roof, but at just 3.99 metres long, it will be significantly smaller than the current entry-level Porsche. That means a range of four-cylinder turbocharged engines raided from the VW parts bin will be plenty to deliver genuine sportscar thrills.

Entry-level cars will use a version of the 200bhp 2.0 TFSI engine borrowed from the VW Golf GTI, mounted behind the driver and between the two axles for optimum handling balance. A Sport version will feature the same unit, but turned up to around 280bhp for a scintillating turn of pace.

Prices will start from around £28,000, keeping the Spyder far enough away from the cheapest Boxster’s asking price of around £33,700, while maintaining a reassuring premium over the cheaper VW Bluesport.

Inspiration and the design philosophy behind the new Spyder, comes from the first Porsche 550 Spyder, unveiled at the 1953 Paris Motor Show. The compact two-seater was originally designed for racing and took a famous class-victory at Le Mans. But the notoriously tricky-to-handle roadster cemented its place in history when the Hollywood legend James Dean died at the wheel of one in 1955.

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Fiat makes plans to manufacture in China

Porsche Spyder returns