Autoblog

Several high-ranking executives from Alfa Romeo were keen to see how the launch of the new MiTo materialized. While they were there, we had the chance to talk with one of Alfa's top marketing officers over dinner and discuss the latest news churned out of the rumormill concerning upcoming products from Alfa and its sister-brand Abarth.

Read on to find out what's coming.

Rumors of a new sports car from Abarth have been circulating for months, and although details are still sketchy, one thing's for sure: a mid-mounted engine is part of the package. Autocar is confirming previous rumors that Fiat's sport division has struck a deal with Lotus to use the next Elise as the basis for the new sports car.

The third generation Elise will debut in 2010, with an all-new aluminum architecture that will be slightly wider and longer than the current model. The Abarth version will feature different composite body panels, and will make use of new 240 hp, turbocharged and direct-inject four-cylinder currently being developed by Fiat. The Abarth roadster will debut in Europe a year after the Elise, and if Fiat's plans of coming to the U.S. are realized, we might even get our own version in the States.

[Source: Autocar]

We've always been fond of the Smart roadster, which never officially made it to U.S. shores and proved to be a flop across the pond. But this rendering, courtesy of WorldCarFans, has us thinking that a second attempt might be worthwhile.

If the Abarth roadster ever comes to fruition, it would be an exercise in balancing a lightweight structure with a small price tag. Cost prohibitive carbon fiber couldn't be used, so some other form of composite would have to be employed for the chassis and body panels. Abarth could source the 135 hp, 1.4-liter mill from its own version of the Fiat 500 for power, mount it amidships and call it done.

WCF dons its speculative cap and figures that if Abarth gives the roadster the green light, Europe could see the minimalist two-door by 2013 sporting a £12,000 sticker.

[Source: WorldCarFans]

At its unveiling at this past March's Geneva show, it was immediately apparent that Abarth had carried off a transformation of the Fiat 500 from a demure retro-hatch into a veritable pocket rocket. But for those for whom the 135 hp turbo four is just not enough, the performance division has unveiled a new limited edition "500 Abarth Opening Edition".

Although the name might suggest a convertible, the 500 Opening Edition is a fixed-roof hot-hatch distinguished by a 160hp engine, dropping a half-second off the conventional 500 Abarth's 0-60 time, now down to a sprightly 7.4 seconds. The Opening Edition also gets red brake calipers behind special 17" alloys in white or titanium finish, tinted glass and a revised interior with red leather and special badging with a serial number plate. Available in either pearl white or Campovolo gray (the latter available with a red-and-white checkered roof), only 100 examples of the 500 Abarth Opening Edition will be offered, complete with a special car cover to keep the exclusive vehicle protected from the elements.

Check out the big gallery of high-resolution images by clicking the thumbnails below.

[Source: CarScoop]

Click to view the Grande Punto Abarth SS at Frankfurt '07

Fiat's tuning workshop Abarth has released details for two new performance kits for the Grande Punto Abarth: the Assetto and esseesse (read: SS, for Super Sport) kits.

Starting with the standard 155-horsepower 1.4-liter turbocharged Grande Punto Abarth, both kits can be ordered after the fact and installed by specialized Abarth centers being established in markets around the world. The Assetto package includes an upgraded brake kit with cross-drilled discs front and rear and beefier brake pads, plus high-performance coil springs that drop the suspension an additional 15+ mm and special 18" white alloys with 215/40-ZR18 Pirelli PZero rubber. Customers who opt for the esseesse kit also get a bigger Garrett turbocharger, a BMC Carbon Dynamic induction kit, twin exhaust with chrome-tipped tail pipes, and a remapped ECU, boosting power up to 180 hp.

The kits are hitting the market in Italy this weekend for €2,500 and €4,500 respectively, and coincide with a concerted new Abarth marketing campaign and the opening of the Abarth performance driving school.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Fiat 500 Abarth Asetto Corse

Fiat is in attendance this week at the famous Mille Miglia in Brescia, Italy and it brought with it a whopper of a small car to impress the crowd. On hand is the Fiat 500 Abarth Asetto Corse, a full race version of the little iconic car that sports a screaming 200-hp turbocharged 1.4L four-cylinder that also produces 220 pound-feet of torque. Power is routed through a six-speed gearbox on its way to a set of 17-inch track white ultralight racing wheels that totally look the part. Make no mistake, this is a real race car and a special one-make championship series is being planned that will put it on the most famous race tracks across Europe next year. Only 50 will be made, however, so entry is exclusive.

While we don't know the price yet, your bag of Euros will get you a 500 that's kitted out with an aerodynamic package that adds a front spoiler, big rear wing, fender flares at all four corners and two new hood-mounted air intakes to feed the turbo. The interior has been stripped to save weight, which now stands at just 2,050 lbs., and a racing roll bar has been installed to protect the driver who now sits closer to the center of the car to improve weight distribution and driving feel. The Asetto Corse gets big Abarth badges all around and a pastel grey with red striping livery. The one on hand at the Mille Miglia is No. 00/49 and a pre-production prototype, so there are still plenty left for those who've always wanted a 500 race car.


[Source: World Car Fans, Italiaspeed]

Click above to view high-res gallery of the Fiat 500 Abarth

Nestled between designer-edition Bugattis, drop-dead drop-top Alfas and suped-up Maseratis, it'd have been all too easy to miss something as small as the new 500 Abarth. But that would've been a big mistake, because the scorpion-emblazoned, hot little retro number is one of the most compelling sports models on display at this year's Geneva show.

This version packs a 135hp turbo four – not exactly Veyron-beating power, but promises to be plenty to shoot the turbocharged mini-fridge around every corner in Rome like a carnival ride. Plus the Fiat performance division from its new factory in Turin is working up a 160hp kit that also kicks the visuals up a notch, but as you can see in the gallery below, the scorpion's venom is already thoroughly laced with grappa. Press release after the jump.

Click image for photo gallery

This morning, we brought you a Fiat-provided doodle showing a super-deformed 500 Abarth meant to give us a gist of what to expect when the Italian automaker pulls the cover off the Scorpion-emblazoned performance variant. What we didn't expect was that we'd be seeing official images on the same day we posted the sketch. Thanks to Carscoop (and one of its generous readers), we've got exactly that.

The first four (of many, we're sure) official images show the Nuova 500 dressed in the equivalent of a tracksuit and running shoes, with a full bodykit consisting of a new front spoiler, side skirts, and rear bumper with a nifty-looking diffuser insert through which a pair of rolled exhaust tips peek. Black, Scorpion-emblazoned 5-spoke wheels with silver and red accents sit inside the hot hatch's flared fenders, while the endlessly-cool Abarth shield adorns the nose, rear quarters, and hatchback lid. Flashes of red make their way onto the rearview mirrors, brake calipers, and side stripes, too. Inside, the leaked cutaway drawing shows us read seats with matching door panel inserts. The whole thing is very butch...like a little bulldog puppy, and it's bound to be one of the stars of the show when the doors are thrown open in Geneva. We can't wait to see it in person.

[Source: Carscoop]

The hotrod version of Fiat's new 500 was snagged by photographers in frozen Scandinavia practicing its flick. Wearing a tape job, the Abarth 500 SS doesn't do a whole lot to disguise its body mods. The snout and rump have their details pretty well obscured, but the overall motif is discernible. The wraps will come off this extra-aggressive Lilliputian in Geneva, and we'll finally get to see if it's kyooooote or aggressive. Either way, the Abarth will have a taste of Brobdingnagian power served up by the turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder sending 150-plus horsepower twirling down to the front wheels. Two models are planned, one less powerful than the other. Prices will cover the range from £13,500 to about £16,000. It's small, lively cars like this that make us hope fuel prices continue to spur their continued development.

[Source: AutoExpress]

click above image to view video

Fiat is banking heavy on the re-launch of its historic Abarth tuning brand. It's got several models coming up, including hot versions of the Grande Punto and 500. It's rebranded its S2000 rally racing team under the Abarth name, and has done the same with its sponsorship of Valetino Rossi's championship-winning Yamaha MotoGP bike. There's even talk about a dedicated sports car.

To tie together what is targeted as a blend between its racing prowess and road manners, the Fiat subsidiary has put together this creative little video that reminds us of that golden oldie, "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena". Thankfully they didn't put that into the soundtrack, letting us enjoy the uninhibited roar of the racing engine. Check it out after the jump and remember, "IN RACING WE TRUST!"

[Source: Italiaspeed]