Filed under: Economy, Euro, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchbacks, Misc. Auto Shows
Macpherson struts her stuff: Elle gets a Fiat Panda
We just love it when cars and models collide (figuratively, not literally... that'd be tragic). It's convergence at its finest. Like Jodie Kidd who races Maseratis, supermodel Elle Macpherson also loves Italian cars, albeit slightly smaller ones. Elle became the first owner of the new Fiat Panda 100HP when the new suped-up ultra-teeny-tiny-supermini made its British debut at the MPH '06 show this past Thursday.
While 100 horsepower may not sound like much, considering the Panda's Lilliputian dimensions, it's nothing to sneeze at (especially among the car's asthmatic competition). The Panda is a little over three-and-a-half meters long, one-and-a-half meters each wide and tall, and weights less than one ton, so 100 horses are all it takes to get it to sixty in 9.5 seconds. It tops out at 115 mph while returning 43.4 mpg on the combined cycle. Fiat's Abarth performance division also gave the Panda 100HP disc brakes all around (vented up front) , as well as an upgraded suspension, with some visual enhancements to go with the extra performance kit.
We just wish this cute model were available and in the US. (The Panda too, for that matter.)
[Source: Fiat UK]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Andy 3:03PM (11/06/2006)
I'm sure she prefers her Benz.
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Peter 3:43PM (11/06/2006)
1 Imperial gallon = 1.20095042 US gallons
That's 36 and 1/6 mpg to any American reader.
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ChaoZ 4:51PM (11/06/2006)
"Macpherson struts", classic!
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JW 6:56PM (11/06/2006)
She may be pretty, she may be a model, but she has bad taste in cars. That thing is ugly...mainly that rear side window.
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John B 9:19PM (11/06/2006)
ChaoZ:
If you want to see "Macpherson struts" go rent the DVD 'Sirens'. Elle reportedly put on about 20 lbs. for her role and the weight all went in the right places.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111201/
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evox 9:44PM (11/06/2006)
The only time this thing would ever do 115mph is if it were a rental...
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C. McFeeny 4:35PM (11/07/2006)
Fiat! Please come back to America! I'm sorry we made you feel unwelcome before.
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Luke 6:35PM (11/07/2006)
She makes that look pretty good! Fiat has some nice small cars. If they come back to America they had better have a ten year rust warranty!!! My parents had a couple of Fiats in the 1970's. They rusted in like two or three years.
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gary 4:51AM (11/20/2006)
you don't need a lot of hp if the vehicle weight is kept low... like back in the early 1960's when Austin/Morris Mini Coopers had 55-76 hp combined with light weight to achieve outstanding performance on the street...
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smokeydog 1:48PM (11/20/2006)
I remember the X19. When you downshifted, pressure blew the oil cap off! No thanks, will wait for the rebirth of the Yugo.
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david 8:36AM (4/10/2007)
hahahha americans as always speak without kowledge about things thinking they have the best, some of them talk about some fiat cars but... of 20 years ago!!!! please americans don't you know that we are in 2007 and not in the 70's? please update your information and remember that the best cars are not manufactured in the USA!!!! nowadays fiat cars are as good as volkswagen, toyota, ford, citroen, etc
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