Video of a 512 TR being driven hard >>

I love the close up of the tires. VHS quality but still worth a watch.

 

Looks like a real pro.....

 

Chris Harris' drifts are't too shaby either !

 

512TRs are so lovely in motion.

 

In my book... a real pro would not be driving like a hooligan on public roads. Besides, the car was never intended for that sort of nonsense. The high cg, weight and weight bias will never make this car into a canyon carver that can be flung about with abandon. Fun it is... but with all the track days readily available it best done there. As a driver, your skill can be better honed and the car’s performance envelope can be better explored on the track.

One side note: flashy driving is not fast. The fast guys look slow.

 

I was being sarcastic..

 

Vincenzo,
That was a closed road for filming. He didn't endanger anyone but himself.

 

Sorry - not particularly emoji literate - should have seen it.

 

Still though... watching these grand, aging classics getting thrashed makes me cringe.

These cars were never intended to be thrashed like a recalcitrant mule to let the driver imagine he’s a Mille star. Not even when new.

On the street, I have more fun driving a slow car fast than driving a fast car slow. My little Fiat Abarth is great fun. Let’s face it - on the street, you can’t realistically drive a fast car fast.

Aaahhh... the Mille Miglia star.

 

Probably OK if you’re a manufacturer test driver or journalist in someone else’s car but I’d worry about the expense if something went pop if it was my car!

 

Yep, same here!


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WHAT!?

These cars built by Enzo for just that, rich guys driving the heck out of them. Driven hard and put away wet! I wonder if the diff on that car is still original?

I also wonder if Enzo even built cars thinking they would appreciate and be collectible - As we all know he built them to fund his racing programs - bet he never even thought of them as potential future “investments”. However don’t know that, never heard it, speculation.

Enzo would have loved it, I bet.

 

That’s the point, the guys that bought these cars - most of them didn’t care. 20 years later - I wonder my diff just blew up!

“Good tires, but certainly not great tires”

 

LoL - that’s not “hard driving” for a performance car...some of you must be driving Miss Daisy.

I would say aggressive yes...hard no. You have to really get sideways with some burn outs to get anointed as doing some hard driving. I have watched Supras and Civics with the boy racer crowd really driven hard...actually they would laugh at someone calling this hard.

I call that a spirited Sunday drive and it’s not foreign to me.

 

also for me this is usual driving with my BB or my competition or aos with one of my other cars. hard driving looks different - much different

is this an old or a new fiat abarth? both great cars and fun to drive. from the old one I love the 4 cylinder engine

 

It is a 2013. Great fun... handles like a go kart. Peppy. Nice exhaust note. Never needed anything beyond an oil change.... but it needs coolant and brake fluid to be changed. The clutch has never inspired confidence but is still good at +/- 22k miles. I doubt the clutch will go 30k.

AND it gives 40mpg highway if I’m driving Miss Daisy

 

we count here in europe not mpg or kmpltr, we count ltr per 100 km. so if I count right ( sorry, if the calculator counts right - https://mpg.webix.co.uk/40-mpg-to-litres/ ) - then those 40 mpg are about 7,1 ltr for 100 km. a friend of mine has also such an abarth but never have been below 7,9 ltr, but when he drives a little bit faster he once used 14,5 ltr for 100 km.

his wife only needs 6,8, but it makes no fun to sit beside her when she drives

and how much mpg if you go like a formula racer? I think not even 20mpg ?
but this small car makes so much fun nearly like my renaout 5 turbo 2, but the sudden turbo power is unbeatable

there is a difference between english mpg and US mpg?
just checked an other converter ( https://opentoronto.com/calculators/converter_mpg_to_l_per_100km_ger.php ) and this one says only 5,88 ltr opm 100 km

 

These cars were never intended to take 1.5 years to do a major either. To each their own...

 

Yup... I’m slow on the major. Mea culpa. Life tends to get in the way. Parts availability is still quite good. Not the car’s fault. Quality means more than schedule.

BTW: I own the car.... the car does not own me.

The Abarth mileage drops like a rock on the highway with greater speed. To top 40mpg the speed must be 55mph, mostly level ground, near sea level, little wind. Thoughtful driving technique. Ideal conditions.

EPA claimed 39mpg highway if my recollection is correct. First car I’ve ever owned that broke the epa estimate!

70mph highway at 3,000 to 5,000 ft, windy and hilly, then mileage will drop to 33ish mpg.

Around here, at 5000 to 8,000 ft altitude, winding mountain roads, 80mph speed limits and a fun little car... mileage is irrelevant and nothing to brag about!

 

Conversions:
3.785 liters/ gal
1mile/ 1.609km (British or American, it is the same at 5,280 ft long)

In a pub... the Brits use a bigger pint... be we’re not drinkin!

example:
6.6 liters per 100 km: use 6.6 as ‘x’

(3.785/1.609) (100/ ‘x’) = mpg
(3.785/1.609) (100/6.6) = 35.6mpg

or use 35.6mpg as ‘y’

(3.785/1.609) (100/ ‘y’) = 6.6 liters per 100 km

the trick is to remember that mpg is the reciprocal of liters per 100 km. The variable must be in the denominator.

Mpg = distance/fuel
vs
Liters/100km = fuel/distance

 

PS: 1 Brit gal = 1.2 US gal

 

Enzo built these cars for rich guys who needed their ego’s stroked and would therefore pay exorbitant prices to fuel his racing pursuits. He never wanted to be a mass producer. He could build in low volumes and still be sufficiently profitable if his cars were ‘exotic’. I am confident that he would have considered these race car driver wannabees as foolish dolts.

 

To simplify:

divide either mpg or L/100km into 235 to convert

235/6.6 gives 35.6 mpg

235/35.6 gives 6.6 L/100km

 

Is this necessary?

 

have not know this before. thanks