Autoblog

Another day, another Fiat 500 variant that we Americans can drool over knowing we can't get it here in the States. This one is special, though, as it was designed to commemorate Karl Abarth's 100th (born on November 15, 1908) birthday. Not just a styling exercise, the 500 Abarth "DA O A 100" tribute comes with an upgraded 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Acceleration to sixty takes just 7.3 seconds, helped along by shortened gear ratios while its top speed is now 131 miles per hour. Suspension bits are revised as well, with lowered springs and new 17-inch alloys fitted with low-profile Pirelli PZero Neros.

We're loving the looks of the '100, which is blessed with Nuvolari Grey paint along with special silver side stripes and chrome-plated badges and side mirrors. Inside, that color scheme is repeated in leather with contrasting stitching – proving once again that the Italians will always have that innate sense of style. If you want one, better get your name on the list now, as Fiat's only planning to build 101 of the unique 500s.


[Source: Carscoop]

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

With the revival of the Abarth tuning division, Fiat is serious about motorsports. They've been racking up victories in the Intercontinental Rally Championship with the Punto, and have even been sponsoring Valentino Rossi's MotoGP Yamaha. And to drive the point home, while the "esseesse" (read: SS) version of the Cinquecento Abarth was the division's new reveal, it was this racing version, called the Assetto Corse, that took center stage.

The Assetto Corse is, of course, based on the same Fiat 500 that's been selling like adorable little hotcakes in every market it's hit so far. But the cute factor is gone, replaced by big air scoops, giant wings, roll cages and little scorpion badges everywhere. (And we do mean everywhere.) The little racing car that could is packed with a 1.4-liter 16-valve turbocharged four driving 190 hp through a six-speed shifter to the front set of 17" powder-coated white alloys hiding 4-piston Brembo calipers. The interior has a full roll cage and racing bucket, and an aggressive aero package sets the exterior apart from its street-bound progenitors. Check out the hotness for yourself in the gallery below.

Abarth, the high-performance wing of Fiat, got to finally unveil its hotted up version of the 500 hatch at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. The 500 Abarth esseesse (that's "SS" in Italian) takes Fiat's throwback three-door and adds a road-hugging ground effects kit with a new lower front fascia, Abarth-spec 17-inch white wheels, a lowered sport suspension and, most importantly, a turbocharged 1.4L four-cylinder producing 160 hp and a peak torque rating of 170 lb-ft in "sport mode". We thought Abarth would fit the 500 esseesse with a six-speed transmission, but the specs reveal that it will be one cog short with a five-speed manual. Still, Abarth claims it will claw its way to 62 mph in 7.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 131 mph. Performance specs aside, we bet drag racing and runs to the rev limiter aren't half as much fun in the 500 esseesse as simply dashing down a twisty mountain pass.

Fiat is set to debut the high performance version of its fashionable 500 -- possibly in October at the Paris Motor Show -- and spy shots have revealed that development is well underway. If fans of the retro-mobile were let down by the Abarth model's relatively puny 133-horsepower and sub-eight-second run to 60, the SS model will improve those numbers considerably. For its range-topping city car, Fiat is likely to fit a revised turbocharged engine offering an estimated 160 horses along with the Q2 Torsen C limited slip differential from Alfa Romeo.

The latest round of spy shots for the expected SS prove that the Italians are masters of restraint. Despite looking very similar to the plain-jane 500, unique cues like dual exhausts and special wheels stand to differentiate the high-performance model. We also spotted some vents in the hood of the SS which are not present on the more pedestrian Abarth. This model should be able to hold its own with the other retro hot-hatch, the MINI Cooper S JCW. Speaking of which, has Fiat noticed how well the MINI brand has been selling in the States these days?

[Source: World Car Fans]

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]

In speaking with a representative at Abath's show stand in Geneva, Autoblog received confirmation that the Fiat performance division its planning its own offering unique from any existing Fiat models. British weekly Autocar is now reporting that Abarth is preparing two new variants, a coupe and a two-seat roadster, but before that will come out with a convertible version of the 500 Abarth.

The Fiat 500 Abarth bowed at the Geneva Motor Show as the brand's second model following the Grande Punto unveiled a year prior, before the SS version debuted in Frankfurt last year. The convertible 500 Abarth is tipped to debut early next year.


[Source: Autocar via Winding Road]

click above for more high-res images of the Fiat 500 Abarth

The slow progress being made towards the full reveal of the Fiat 500 Abarth is nearly complete, but a few more loose lips have revealed official specs that look more than promising. The 500 Abarth will pack more hotness per cubic inch of hatch than most other three-doors in Europe thanks to a 1.4L turbo four-cylinder producing 135 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 152 pound feet of torque at 3,000 rpm in Sport mode. In Normal mode, Fiat has the 500 Abarth producing 133 pound feet of torque at 2,500 rpm. The car also gets Fiat's new Torque Transfer Control system, which sounds like a fancy solution to the torque steer that would otherwise send a car like this veering towards the telephone poles.

What's interesting is that the larger Grande Punto Abarth also uses a 1.4L turbo four-cylinder, though tuned up to produce 155 bhp. This suggests that tuners will easily be able to turn up the wick on the 500 Abarth's engine for havoc-wreaking hatchback hotness.


[Source: Carscoop]

If you get e-newsletters from Fiat, you'll have noticed an ambiguous email in your inbox this Saturday. The email contained an advisory to mark the dates February 18 and 19 on your calendar, next to the Abarth logo for Fiat's performance division. Given that the email was the 500 newsletter, that can only mean one thing: the Fiat 500 Abarth is coming to Geneva.

Before you go lamenting another stylish European hot hatch we can't get in America, remember that the 500 Abarth could make it to our shores. We've been seeing spy shots of the thing running rings around everywhere for a while now, and appetites around the world have been whetted. The sketch you see above appears, in negative and alongside a second sketch, on the Abarth website after a link from the newsletter, and while it's clearly a caricature, it gives a hint at what we can expect from the Cooper-eating little Italian. Expect two variants, with 150 and 180 horsepower respectively, to eventually make the line-up, though we'd expect just the former at the premiere. Stay tuned.

[Source: Abarth]