Autoblog

Fiat 500C Sardinia by Romeo Ferraris is an ode to Italy's Emerald Coast

Noah Joseph — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Europe, Fiat

Fiat 500C Sardinia by Romeo Ferraris - Click above for high-res image gallery

When you think of Italian cars, some of the images that come to mind might be of graceful cabrios gliding along picturesque coastlines. Thing is, short of exotica from Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini or Pagani, the only Italian convertibles currently on offer are the Alfa Spider and Fiat 500C. As gorgeous as it is, the Alfa is on its way out, leaving the Fiat to fend for itself in the meantime. Romeo Ferraris apparently thought the sprightly 500C could use a little jazzing up, so it's released this limited-edition special.

The 500C Sardinia, as it's called, will be limited to just 50 examples. Paying homage to Italy's Emerald Coast, it's decked out in green paint with gold accents and sand-colored cloth roof. The interior is likewise trimmed in the light beige, the leather covers everything short of the dashboard, which gains an innovative cork treatment, and the emerald green floormats to match the exterior. Unfortunately, unlike some of Romeo Ferraris' more extreme performance conversions, the Sardinia's are largely limited to a dual-tip exhaust and 16-inch split-spoke alloys. Have a closer look in the gallery below.

Gallery: Fiat 500C Sardinia by Romeo Ferraris

[Source: OmniAuto.it]

Fiat 500C Sardinia by Romeo Ferraris is an ode to Italy's Emerald Coast originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva Preview: Abarth 500C and Punto Evo are pocket rockets we'd welcome

Noah Joseph — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, Fiat

Abarth 500C (above) and Punto Evo (below right) - Click either for high-res image galleries

Fiat's plucky Abarth performance division manages to do a whole lot with very little. The in-house tuning garage has based their entire lineup on two Fiat hatchbacks: the Punto and the 500. So when Fiat rolled out new versions of both, it was only a matter of time until Abarth got their hands on them, and both are slated to make their debut at the fast-approaching Geneva Motor Show.

First up is the 500C. The pseudo-convertible version of the popular (and soon to be U.S.-bound) retro mini, the 500C features a retractable roof section sliding between solid roof rails. The base Fiat version is doubtlessly a fun ride, but doesn't look much like a performance driving tool. Abarth, however, seems to have done a lot to rectify that shortcoming. First, the goods: a 140-horsepower 1.4-liter turbo four mated to a five-speed robotized manual, complete with paddleshifters, drive the hot open hatch to 62 miles-per-hour in 7.9 seconds. Complementing the added oomph are bigger wheels and brakes, a sportier suspension, an aggressive body kit and a two-tone paint scheme that, to our eyes, does the shape some big favors in the attitude department.

The second model starts with the new Punto Evo - a recently revised version of Fiat's bread-and-butter hatchback - and gives it a shot of adrenaline, courtesy of a 165-hp 1.4-liter turbocharged MultiAir four. A 178-hp Esse-Esse version of the Abarth Punto Evo will be available from launch as well, but buyers looking for the added boost in retro-cabrio form will presumably have to wait a little longer for the Abarth 500C Esse-Esse to come along. Press release after the jump, and images in the galleries below.

Gallery: Abarth 500C

Gallery: Abarth Punto Evo

[Source: Abarth]

Continue reading Geneva Preview: Abarth 500C and Punto Evo are pocket rockets we'd welcome

Geneva Preview: Abarth 500C and Punto Evo are pocket rockets we'd welcome originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Chrysler to bring electric Fiat 500, hatchback concept to Detroit

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Convertible, Coupe, Hatchback, Chrysler, Maserati, Ferrari, Fiat, Rumormill, Electric, Lancia

Fiat 500C - Click above for high-res image gallery

Just because Chrysler won't be holding a press conference at next month's Detroit Auto Show doesn't mean that America's third-largest automaker is coming to the party empty-handed. Far from it, in fact, assuming there's truth to the rumors that the Pentastar will be showing off both an electric version of the soon-to-be-US-bound Fiat 500 along with a Chrysler-ized version of the Lancia Delta hatchback.

While the Chrysler-branded concept is said to be nothing more than a standard-fare Delta emblazoned with Chrysler's trademark chrome fascia, the electric Fiat 500 is a bit more interesting. We've heard that the automaker's erstwhile ENVI group was disbanded and assimilated into the rest of the company's product development workforce, so we're curious to see the integration of a battery-powered drivetrain into the little urban runabout. Will it be a fully-functional vehicle or just a mock-up of what could potentially be possible?

Not surprisingly, we'll also be treated to the rest of the Fiat 500 lineup, including the 500C Cabriolet (no word on bikini-clad models) and the sporty 500 Abarth. Finally, tucked into a corner of the Chrysler booth in Detroit will also reportedly be such premium Italian machinery as the Ferrari 458 Italia and the Maserati GranCabrio. Hey... if you've got it, why not flaunt it, right?

Gallery: Fiat 500C

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]

REPORT: Chrysler to bring electric Fiat 500, hatchback concept to Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pics Aplenty +Video: Fiat 500 Cabrio introduced at global sales milestone

Noah Joseph — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Fiat

Fiat 500C - Click above for high-res image gallery

With the rampant acquisition streak Fiat's embarked on, the Italian automaker has clearly emerged as a power-broker in the global automotive industry. The auto group has always been strongest in its home market, but with the ink on the Chrysler deal still wet and more mergers and acquisitions looming on the horizon, Fiat has reached a new milestone: for the first time in the company's history, it's sold more of one model outside of Italy than within.

The model in question, it should come as no great surprise, is the 500, with 54% of sales currently take place outside its home market. The retro hatchback has been selling like hotcakes in every locale it's been introduced, and is slated to come Stateside within a couple of years.

The announcement of the 500's international sales success came at the market introduction of its convertible version, the 500 C, which goes on sale next month in Italy, France and the UK, with more markets to follow. We've loaded a whole new crop of high-resolution images into the gallery below, and posted a video after the jump to satiate all your quaint Italian cabrio fantasies, so enjoy.

Gallery: Fiat 500C

Continue reading Pics Aplenty +Video: Fiat 500 Cabrio introduced at global sales milestone

Pics Aplenty +Video: Fiat 500 Cabrio introduced at global sales milestone originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fiat prices 500 convertible for UK

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:03:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Convertible, Europe, Fiat, UK

Fiat 500 C - Click above for high-res gallery

The hotly anticipated Fiat 500 C, which was officially unveiled earlier this month at the Geneva Motor Show, has just gotten a price in the U.K. ahead of its upcoming sale date this summer. In its most basic form, the droptop Cinquocente will go for £11,300 on the road, which translates to a little over $16,000 in U.S. funds. Moving on up, buyers across the Atlantic can expect to pay £14,100 OTR for a top-of-the-line Lounge model equipped with the 1.3-liter Multijet diesel-powered engine. For what it's worth, that would equal a little over $20K in the U.S., but it's important to remember that a direct-to-dollars conversion is never an accurate measure of what an item would truly cost in the States.

All Fiat 500 C models will get an electrically operated canvas top, air conditioning, CD player with MP3 capability and seven airbags. Uplevel Lounge models get standard automatic climate control, fog lights and reversing sensors along with cool optional bits like Fiat's Blue&Me infotainment system and eco:Drive fuel-saving software. As cool as RaggaMuffin Red sounds, we'll take ours in classic white with a contrasting red roof and interior just as soon as Fiat sends the 500 C to U.S. shores. Full press release after the break.

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Fiat 500C

Gallery: Fiat 500C

[Source: Fiat]

Continue reading Fiat prices 500 convertible for UK

Fiat prices 500 convertible for UK originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2009: Fiat 500C rolls back to the 50's

Noah Joseph — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:39:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Geneva Motor Show, Fiat

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Fiat 500C

Making a convertible out of a fixed-roof car inevitably takes its toll on structural rigidity, though every automaker under the sun has tried to come up with a solution. For the 500, Fiat has reached back into its history to the original 1957 Cinquocente and fitted the new one with a canvas roof folding back between solid roof rails. The resulting 500C lets the sunshine in - at least, some of it - while keeping the retro hatchback's profile, which promises a uniquely Italian answer to the cabrio equation. While we wait for the 500 to make the trip across the Atlantic, we dropped by Fiat's show stand here at the Geneva Motor Show to check out the drop-top and snapped a few photos for your viewing enjoyment. Check 'em out in the gallery below.

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Fiat 500C

Gallery: Fiat 500C

Geneva 2009: Fiat 500C rolls back to the 50's originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fiat 500 C drop-top to debut at Geneva show

Noah Joseph — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:31:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Geneva Motor Show, Fiat

Click above to view the Castagna's 500-based Tender Two in high resolution

The Fiat 500 has been a runaway success, but so far only the standard hatchback body-style has been offered The first derivative, however, is tipped to debut at the Geneva Motor Show this March.

Like the test mule spotted previously (and unlike Castagna's concept shown above), the 500 C, as the convertible version will be called, will feature a solid frame between which a canvas roof can be deployed or retracted. Earlier reports suggested that this targa-style convertible would later be supplemented by a full cabrio, but we'll have to wait and see on that, as well as the engine options. The standard 70-hp 1.2-liter four will likely carry over along with the 100-hp 1.4L unit that transformed the ho-hum Panda - with which the 500 shares its underpinnings - into the much-loved Panda 100HP go-kart. Diesel and Abarth versions may follow as well, along with a start-stop system anticipated to save 8% on fuel consumption to be offered on both the open and closed versions of the 500. We'll bring you more on the 500 C as we approach the show in March, after which the retro targa will go on sale in England first and then other markets this spring to do battle with the new MINI Cabrio.

[Source: 4Car]

Fiat 500 C drop-top to debut at Geneva show originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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