Fiat's Abarth brand to create its own sports car

While Fiat's in-house tuning brand appears to be intensely occupied tweaking Punto Evos and 500Cs for the European market – and supposedly a 500 Abarth for us as well – Abarth also has an eye on its own sports car. According to Autocar, this wouldn't be a microwave job on a Fiat, but a unique creation to serve as a halo car.

We've heard this rumor a number of times, with the most recent reports indicating Abarth has been working with Lotus, perhaps using the next-generation Elise chassis as a base. Apparently, that idea has been nixed. However, the specs being discussed are quite Elise-like: two-seater, mid-engine, 200 horsepower, around 2,000 pounds. Whatever it is, Abarth's head of marketing said it will arrive within two years.

[Source: Autocar]