Kawaski 550 Jetski Handlebars on 2040-parts.com

Fiat's U.S. sales increasing with new ads, 500 Abarth interest

After a slow start, Fiat 500s are starting to move off of dealer lots, according to an article in the Detroit Free Press. Fiat executives claim that the public debut of the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth at the Los Angeles auto show and some provocative advertising have led to increased interest in the Fiat brand. February was the best sales month yet for the model that Fiat chose to reintroduce Americans to sub-$100,000 Italian cars.

Panoz confirms new Abruzzi road car

The recurring rumor is now put to rest. Don Panoz, founder of Panoz Auto Development and the American Le Mans Series, said on Monday that the latest Panoz sports car--the Abruzzi “Spirit of Le Mans”--will be formally unveiled in June in France, in the lead-up to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. “We wanted to wait until Le Mans to release official photos of the car, but today we are providing a ‘teaser’ image of the Abruzzi ‘Spirit of Le Mans’ that hints at what the final car will be like,” Panoz said.

Dodge debuts a collector's-edition Mopar Charger

Banking on the success of last year's Mopar version of the Dodge Challenger, the company is now ready to launch the high-performance 2011 Mopar Charger. Chrysler's Hemi V8 powers the four-door sedan, pumping out 370 hp and an upgraded 395 lb-ft of torque. The specially equipped Charger includes the Super Trac Pac option that adds the performance-calibrated engine controller, larger front and rear stabilizer bars, specific 20-inch wheels and upgraded brakes.