To soar above the planet’s tallest peaks, setting new world records and exploring the resources of mankind and technology: this is the global project proposed by Angelo d’Arrigo, several times world free flight hang gliding champion.

The Aconcagua initiative is yet another stage in Angelo d’Arrigo’s ambitious project in his sphere of adventure, exploration and nature. In 2001, the champion flew across the Sahara by hang-glider and in 2002 he completed the first ever crossing of Siberia. Then in 2004, he flew over the highest peak on earth, Everest. In achieving this extreme goal, flying over Everest across Tibetan plateaus and the subtropical forests of Nepal, Angelo d’Arrigo set yet another record: reaching the base camp on Everest at 5,200 metres a.s.l. in two Fiat Panda 4X4s. As well as being a first for a small off-roader, this achievement was made all the more extraordinary by the fact that only minor modifications were made to the two cars, slightly recalibrating the engine management units to adapt them to the local fuel.

As his adventures take d’Arrigo to the remotest parts of the globe, reliable support and land transport have become indispensable for achieving his goals. For this very reason, Fiat Auto has been his steadfast partner in every one of these expeditions, providing vehicles to transport personnel and materials for the base camps and technological support, through the Fiat Research Centre, which has tested all the materials used in these initiatives. In particular, Angelo d’Arrigo has trained in the Aerodynamic and Climatic Tunnels at Orbassano (Turin), in simulations reproducing a varied spectrum of environmental conditions. This, the ideal place for such research, is where Fiat Auto has conducted the initial development stages of all of its cars since 1976: using experimental equipment and methods in the early days and now employing state of the art computer and digital simulation systems.

Angelo d’Arrigo in the Fiat Sedici

New Corsa To Debut At London Show
23rd March, 2006
Vauxhall yesterday announced that the all-new Corsa will make its world debut at the British International Motor Show in July ..... more

Mazda to Sell NR-A Model Roadster in Japan
23rd March, 2006
Mazda Motor Corporation has announced that it will release the NR-A version Mazda Roadster for sale at its Mazda and Mazda Anfini dealers throughout Japan in early April 2006 ..... more

Audi's Countdown To 2006 DTM Season
22nd March, 2006
The countdown has begun to the launch of the 2006 DTM season. The first race will be held at Hockenheim on 9th April, 2006 ..... more

Ambrose Tests Racing Ford Truck in the USA
22nd March, 2006
Two-time V8 Supercar Champion Marcos Ambrose has taken the wheel of his Ford F-150 racing truck over the past week in testing ahead of his entry in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in the USA ..... more

Ford Unveils New Territory in Thailand
21st March, 2006
"The decision by Ford Thailand to add Territory to their line-up is further proof this innovative model is a world class vehicle," said Ford Australia President Tom Gorman ..... more

Aston Martin 2nd & 3rd in Sebring Thriller
21st March, 2006
The Aston Martin Racing team finished the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race in second and third place after a thrilling finale in the GT1 competition ..... more

Audi Wins With Diesel At Sebring 12-Hour
20th March, 2006
The Audi R10 TDI has written motor sport history, winning the 12-hour race at Sebring, USA over the weekend ..... more

Mitsubishi Wins Patagonia Rally
20th March, 2006
Luc Alphand and co-driver Gilles Picard clinched outright victory for the Mitsubishi Ralliart Team in the Patagonia-Atacama Rally, the opening round of the FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup ..... more

Positive Future for Pirtek Rally Team Ford
20th March, 2006
Despite a non-finish in the Rally of Canberra, Pirtek Rally Team Ford has taken a lot of positives from its first official factory entry in the Australian Rally Championship for 25 years ..... more

Nissan Develops Distance Control Assist System
19th March, 2006
In its ongoing efforts to improve traffic safety, Nissan has announced the development of Distance Control Assist System, an electronic system that helps drivers control the distance between themselves and the vehicle in front ..... more

Hungarian Award For Audi Chief
16th March, 2006
Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the AUDI AG Board of Management, received an award at the Hungarian parliament in Budapest: in recognition of his commitment to the development of the Hungarian automotive industry ..... more

Zetec Arrives To Complete New Fiesta Line-Up
16th March, 2006
Ford Australia's new 2006 Fiesta range is now complete, following the addition of the sporty Zetec models to the line-up ..... more

Australia's Cadillacs For 2007
15th March, 2006
Cadillac, the luxury car division of America's General Motors Corporation, is expanding the availability of right-hand drive models, hence putting Australia on their 'radar' ..... more

ForMotion Sees An Increase In VW’s Earnings
15th March, 2006
The Volkswagen Group significantly increased its earnings last year thanks to the ForMotion programme and a comprehensive new model initiative ..... more

Land Rover 2006 Heritage Weekend
15th March, 2006
The annual Heritage Land Rover Weekend will take place during the British May Day Bank Holiday weekend, at the Heritage Motor Centre ..... more

Audi To Compete With Diesel Power In ALMS
15th March, 2006
Audi AG has announced it will contest the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) with the new R10 diesel sports car during the second half of the season ..... more

Saab Concept Named Geneva "Best of Show"
15th March, 2006
The Saab Aero X concept car, which made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show, has been named “Best of Show” by the editors of AutoWeek Magazine ..... more

Ford Adds Fuel To The Energy Debate
14th March, 2006
Calling on American lawmakers to "act with urgency," a Ford executive has told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that policies are needed to support an aggressive, integrated approach by industry and government ..... more

Le Mans Dress Rehearsal For Audi R10
14th March, 2006
This weekend, Audi AG will unleash its high-performance R10 sports prototypes at the 12-hour race at Sebring, Florida ..... more

The Passat is Europe’s Number One
14th March, 2006
The Passat has won what is one of Europe’s most prestigious and important readers’ polls, in which over 40 million readers of 24 European magazines published by the AutoBild Group took part ..... more

Land Rover's E-terrain Technology Concept
13th March, 2006
Land Rover is showcasing innovative technologies – collectively known as the e-Terrain System – that reduce both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions while also improving the outstanding breadth of capability of Land Rover’s 4x4 vehicles ..... more

Evo IX Finishes Debut Rally, But Misses Podium
13th March, 2006
Team Mitsubishi Ralliart has achieved its primary aim with the debut of its first Evolution IX Lancer by finishing the season-opening Capital Rally in Canberra ..... more

New Ford Courier Debuts in Thailand
10th March, 2006
Ford Australia has indicated the all-new Courier light truck range will go on sale here at the end of 2006 ..... more

Mitsubishi Colt Gets New Engine and More
8th March, 2006
The '06 Colt gets a new 1.5 litre all-alloy DOHC four-cylinder engine with MIVEC that replaces the previous 1.5 litre cast iron block engine ..... more

Renault at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show
8th March, 2006
Renault has chosen Geneva for the public appearances of new Mégane, new Espace and its Altica concept car and the unveiling of the new Clio Renault Sport ..... more

Audi Names Driver Teams for Le Mans
8th March, 2006
Audi will compete at the Le Mans 24-Hour Race on 17/18th June, with a brace of high-calibre driving squads. Six seasoned campaigners, who have all won the endurance classic at least once ..... more

Precious Metal - The Peugeot 407 Coupe
7th March, 2006
Peugeot have announced the pricing structure for the stunning new 407 Coupe, which goes on sale in Australia later this month ..... more

Small Cars Lead in Softer Motor Vehicle Market
6th March, 2006
The growth in sales of light cars continued in February against the background of a general softening in the Australian motor vehicle market ..... more

Exceptional Sales for Suzuki
6th March, 2006
Suzuki has proved itself as a major player in the automotive industry, with global sales in 2005 reaching a record 2,010,000 units, a 107% increase on the previous year ..... more

New Volkswagen Passat At Brisbane Motor Show
3rd March, 2006
The new Volkswagen Passat Sedan and Wagon made their Australian debut at the Brisbane Motor Show today ..... more

There's A Pajero VR-X Coming Soon
2nd March, 2006
Mitsubishi is introducing a limited edition Pajero VR-X this month. Based on the GLX, and available with both the 3.8 litre V6 petrol, or 3.2 litre diesel engine ..... more