Fiat Panda Aria and Grande Punto Abarth SS concepts

By Guy Bird Motor Shows 17 September 2007 02:50 Aria goes green, Abarth gets sporty, 500 goes large… Fiat’s signature white stand featured both ends of the car spectrum: From the eco Panda Aria concept to a new even sportier version of the Grande Punto, the Abarth SS prototype. It arguably had the best show stand gimmick at Frankfurt too – a giant Fiat 500 model the size of a two-storey building housing a monorail on which punters could ride life-size 500 cars around its innards – entered through the giant 500’s wheel arch. Anyway… what about this eco Panda thingy… Oh yes, the Fiat Aria ‘concept’ is subtle like that.

Video: BMW M1 Hommage

BMW took the wraps off its latest concept car at the Concorso d'Eleganza in Villa d'Este this past weekend. Called the M1 Hommage, the concept is exactly what it says on the tin: pay homage to the iconic M1 designed by Giorgio Giugiaro, which celebrates its 30th birthday this year. The design of the M1 Hommage concept is a thoroughly modern interpretation of the original - compete with a louvered rear window - but it has grown in size over its thirty year old forebear.

Experts Urge Buyers To Focus More On Depreciation Than Fuel Economy

FOCUS more on a car’s value not its fuel economy if you want to save money. That’s the advice from leading valuation experts CAP Automotive. According to the independent experts, millions are wasted by drivers who focused on performance at the pumps when they chose their car, instead of the real cash-killer - depreciation.