Car Throttle

A lot of the news coming out the past few days has been understandably centered around the Fiat-Chrysler partnership. The six-hour press conference resulted in a lot of products news. The Fiat 500 is a highly anticipated model to come a result of the partnership. Now the official details are in. Most recently we reported on news that the Fiat 500 would be coming first as an Abarth model. Sadly, that seems news was too good to be true. The first 500 model to come to the United States will be the standard, coming in the fourth quarter of 2010. The second model will be the 500C Convertible, coming sometime in 2011. Those looking for the sports-focused Abarth model will have to wait until 2012.

Under Fiat's oversight, Chrysler is set to become a radically different company. There are many behind-the-scenes changes like cuts to employees, changes in brand management, elimination of buaracracy and others. However, visible parts of the entire company and specifically the Chrysler brand are to change as well. Fiat's hot-selling 500 minicar is on tap for 2010 as well as a much smaller product line. With all those changes in store, Fiat has decided it is time for a new logo too. Cadillac recently unveiled some minor changes to its logo but Chrysler's is far more comprehensive than that. The new logo was caught in a trademark filing at the U.S Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It looks very good! It is much more modern than the current logo

There has been a lot of speculation surrounding Fiat's "partnership" (in name only) with Chrysler but no real news direct from the company. That will change soon, as next next month is when Fiat's CEO Sergio Marchionne is scheduled to submit his plan for the future of Chrysler. The Wall Street Journal has the scoop on what to expect from the announcement early. If the report is true, expect a much smaller Chrysler brand lineup than the one we have today today. A redesigned Chrysler Town & Country minivan and 300C - a grand total of three models for Chrysler. That's a pretty bold move, especially considering the fact that there has been previous reports about the next-generation Sebring platform being developed for use by other Fiat brands. Dodge

For years, Fiat has had a plan to bring Alfa Romeo back to the United States market. It seems as if the time has finally come though, with the brand set to return for 2011 according to some sources. While originally it seemed as if Alfa Romeos would be imported for sale here in our market, the Chrysler tieup is upending all of those plans. Edmunds' Inside Line is reporting that the replacement for Alfa Romeo's 166 sedan will be built in North America. Alfa Romeo expects the majority of the car's sales to be in the United States, with the rest imported to the rest of the world. The key in all of this is that Alfa Romeo has deemed rear-wheel drive as essential to compete properly