New 500 Abarth

What a beautiful little beast.

The standard Abarth will have a 1.4 turbo with 135 bhp whereas the SS version will have 160bhp. The SS should cost somewhere between 22k and 25k euros.

More pics here: http://www.autoblog.it/galleria/abarth-500
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Very nice, thanks for posting.

 

No problem

Once Fiat manages to get level up its production (there's a 6-7 months waiting list for a well-optioned standard Fiat 500 here in Europe due to the huge demand which exceeded expectations...ordered mine in November 2007 and it should be deliver in May 2008...almost Ferrari times...) the 500 Abarth (only the Abarths apparently) should be coming to the US along with the long-awaited return of Alfa Romeo.

Carlo
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Wonder how it drives. Must sign up for test drive Also can't wait for the tuners to lay their hands on the engine, suspension and brakes. It's adorable.

 

A little something that I found interesting...Paolo Martinelli, who was the head engineer in Ferrari's engine department for many years, was responsible for fine tuning the 500 Abarth's engine.

...and here's another pic-
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Some 'spy footage' from a Nurburgring test drive here:

http://www.italiensk.info/auto/motori.php?autoID=19 (scroll doen the page slightly).

Must say, I quite fancy one of these myself - though I think I'd spec different wheels to those fitted in photos above.

 

Yep, nice video...seen it before. However, all the figures shown in that vid. are made up (unfortunately).

Here's a video of the presentation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8EwxrT4Nj0&eurl=http://6.gmodules.com/ig/ifr?url=http://www.google.com/ig/modules/youtube_videos.xml&nocache=0&up_prefs_version=

And yet another picture-
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Can anyone actually confirm that this car is coming to the states???? I have never signed up with a deposit to order a car, but would do it tomorrow if this is true and there is a dealer somewhere. Please provide any info you guys have.
Thanks

 

I don't think you'll be able to put down a deposit on the car yet. In fact, Fiat hasn't even officially announced its arrival in the US so far. However (according to widely spread rumors), once the Alfa network gets set-up (2010 they say...), the 500 Abarth should come to the US. So I don't think you'll have it over there for another couple of years at the very least.

Carlo

 

Fiat has a bad rep in US, so it's logical that they would try to come back as Abarth instead.

 

I'm ready to put down cash depo as well. Can't wait till a final announcement is made that both Alfa and Fiat are coming back to the US. It's going to be a tough sell though, 25k EUR is approx 37k USD...Fiat will have to subsidize these babies big time for them to sell here in the states. Now at 25k I believe they could sell a lot, right in the Mini sweetspot!

 

25k euros ..lol. I love it but for god sake , you can get some awesome used cars for that money.

 

My guess is that you'll be able to take home a fully loaded SS in the 26K-28K Euros range. The base price for a Mini Cooper S Chili is 26400 Euros and if you start adding some optionals it can easily end up in the 35K range if not more. So in my opinion the price is definitely a competitive one for the European market.

Now for the US market, I'm sure that as with all European cars (F-cars included) the price will be significantly lower there (courtesy of the weak dollar mainly). It will be somewhere bellow the Mini Cooper S price range, and once you start adding optionals, the 500 will be significantly more economical (if the Mini's option's list in the US is anything like the European one).

So at the end of the day, I'm sure that the 500 Abarth's price will be more than competitive all considered.

Fair enough, but that's true for most new cars, not just the 500 Abarth.

Carlo

 

No kidding!

 

Here's a picture gallery of its unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show (she's an absolute beauty to my eyes)-

http://www.autoblog.it/galleria/ginevra-2008-fiat-500-abarth/1
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Finally some interior shots. Thanks man. Stiff price but Ferrari ain't a price/performance bargain either.

 

If i were still living in Europe, for 25k Euros , id get a used 350Z over this . I dont care how cute it is , its way too expensive for what you get. Id even get a Cooper S over it. Im sure it wont come with all the nice toys too ?

 

...but the same reasoning can be applied to the purchase of almost all new cars.

You might want to wait a bit longer, we'll have to wait and see. The Abarth 500 SS might be surprise you.

Here's a little test of the standard 100hp 500 vs the similarly powered mini one-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xf9GzZQEBs&eurl=http://www.autoblog.it/post/12793/500-vs-mini-one-la-sfida

For example?

 

I believe she said time for a Quickie!
Love it...Keeping my fingers crossed that the Abarth version makes it here in 2010. Fiat, make the damn announcement already!

 

The Cooper S looks less like a toy. Dont get me wrong , i love the 500 but the Cooper S looks more serious ...I heard the 500 has more space inside though but is much less comfortable..

I left Europe , so i dont know how much are the new hot hatches ? Like a Clio 197 or a Corsa VXR ..25k too ??

 

Yes, the 500 is more spacious inside surprisingly enough (not what you would expect given the exterior dimensions). Regarding the comfort...I honestly don't know. For what it's worth, a reviewer in an Italian car magazine stated that he'd rather go from Milan to Rome in a 500 than a Mini. I haven't spent more than half an hour in either car so I can't really make a fair comparison. In any case, both are city cars and I'm sure that both are adequately comfortable for their purposes.

The Opel Corsa OPC is 23k.
The Renault Clio Sport Luxe RS is 25k.
The Mini Cooper S Chili is 26k (with options it can probably reach the 40k region).

...anyway, the prices for the Abarths haven't been set yet. I was reading an article a few days ago that speculated that the standard Abarth will be about 18k whereas the "essesse" will be about 22k. So we'll have to wait and see.

Personally, being an Italian petrolhead I had no problems choosing the 500 over other hatchbacks because it was a matter of heart first and foremost but also a reasoned choice because I believe that the 500 is in fact a very good car when it comes to substance. This being on top of the fact that it's a truly beautiful car (to my eyes). I remember going to the 'Galleria Ferrari" (Ferrari's museum) this summer and seeing a beautiful red F430 parked 'face to face' with a red 500 inside. I was amazed by how nicely it fitted with the F430 and the other F-cars of the museum, it really didn't seem like the odd one out. In my opinion that little car has loads of character and that's something important to me that I can't say about its competitors.

When speaking about the 500 and Italian cars in general I'm clearly biased but at the end of the day I'm sure that the 500 Abarth will prove itself to be a competitive car from all standpoints. Anyway, when I receive mine (the standard version though) mid-May I'll be more than happy to post some pics and my impressions if people are interested.

 

I've just bought a 500 for a bit of fun and it has the optional sports leather seats which are very comfortable. It is more spacious than a Mini and I've been in one with three other adults and it is comfortable enough for shorter trips. It's a fantastically well built small car and I've got my name down for an Abarth as soon as they are launched in the UK. My little 1.4 engine is an eager performer with 100bhp so the Abarth 1.4turbo with the essess kit generating 160bhp should be a whole lot of fun.

 

Great! I'm glad you like it (out of curiosity, what colour and version?) ...glad to see some 500isti amongst Ferraristi

The only problem with the 1.4 100HP it that it's not very lively up until you approach the red line unlike the Panda 100HP which is lively across the whole range even though it uses the same engine...they say that this was a result of Fiat's modifications in order to make all 500s Euro 5 rady. Personally I opted for the diesel as it 'felt' better due to greater torque and power at lower revs (regardless of its 75hp)...so given the car's purpose I found the 1.3 mjet more suited.

However, I'm sure that the the Abarth's 1.4 turbo will be whole different story...it will surely be loads of fun. You probably won't get an essesse until early 2009 seeing as the first essesses are being deliverd in late 2008 in Italy (or so they say). In any case, make sure you post us some pics with your impressions when you get your little beast (what colour are you opting for?).



Also, here's a short review by Jeremy Clarkson that just came out-

http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/jeremy_clarkson/article3504933.ece