The engine responds instantly to the gas pedal - much appreciated, considering that too many performance cars incur killjoy accelerator lag - and the pedals sit close enough for easy rev matching. The Abarth gets a heavier-duty manual transmission than the 500’s, and its hefty shifter and medium throws make slapping through gears easy enough. One editor noticed preponderant torque steer, despite provisions in the transmission and front differential to quell it, but the overall experience beats those in yesterday’s sport compacts - the Toyota Celica, Acura RSX and their ilk - whose power didn’t show up until sky-high rpm. Mash the pedal and the Abarth starts out tepid but scurries to speed as the engine tears through its torque peak, a plateau from 2,500 to 4,000 rpm. The exhaust blats and pops at idle it sounds even more grating than the 500’s agricultural note, turning into a less-awful whine only as your right foot sends the Abarth’s turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder past 2,500 rpm or so. Two passengers asked if something was amiss with the muffler. Turn the key and the 500 Abarth clatters to life with all the racket of a slammed Honda Civic. Kudos to Fiat for making each one functional: Why automakers festoon cars with fake louvers is beyond me, and it happens to cars as fast as the 621-hp Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG. Fiat says it provides clearance for the turbocharged engine’s two intercoolers, which receive air through six separate nostrils. The Abarth measures 4.8 inches longer than the regular 500, partly because its front bumper extends 2.7 inches ahead of the pencil-moustache face. Whereas the 500 comes as a hatchback or quasi-convertible 500 Cabrio with manual or automatic transmissions, the Abarth sticks with a stick shift in hatchback form only.Įxtended side skirts and a 0.6-inch lower ride masculinize the Abarth’s gumdrop profile, but the biggest change comes in back, where a prominent roof spoiler, black diffuser and dual tailpipes add some needed presence. This review focuses on the Abarth click here for our review of the 500 for a broader overview of the hatchback, or click here to compare all four trims. The 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth improves on the 500’s driving fun, but it feels short on refinement, making its price premium hard to accept.įor standard features, the Abarth roughly matches the 500 Sport, the middle trim level there’s also a base 500 Pop and a better-equipped 500 Lounge. Unfortunately, the drink is a bit bitter. The Abarth (pronounced AH-bart) adds another 59 horses to the 101-horsepower 500 - a double-espresso of extra power. Il restauro è stato molto lungo, totale e approfondito ed è durato circa 3 anni.A year after Fiat returned stateside with the 500 hatchback, it brought us the Abarth performance version, named for Austrian racer and aftermarket tuner Karl Abarth. L'auto era parzialmente smontata, ma quasi tutte le parti erano presenti. Il nostro esemplare è stato acquistato da un garage dove è rimasto per più di 50 anni a causa dell'abbandono del proprietario dopo un incidente. The car is now in excellent condition ready to be enjoyed New interior upholstery with prestige material Braking system completely dismantled and restored to new Engine completely opened and restored to new, still running in Wicker seats reconstructed and handmade by a specialised craftsman Top-quality paintwork by a specialised body shop in Turin The restoration was very long, total and thorough and lasted about 3 years. The car was partially disassembled, but almost all the parts were present. Our example was purchased from a garage where it remained for more than 50 years due to the owner leaving after an accident. The design was continually updated with improvements, until the last version presented in 1965 where a folding roof appeared along the lines of the typical convertible. It was a great success and soon established itself as a viable alternative to Ghia's famous Jolly, as the concept was similar but the Spider Elegance was also able to stand out as it had its own shape different from that of the production car. Once transferred to Carrozzeria Savio, the car was renamed 'Spider Elegance'. Following this, the car's design and subsequent production were handed over to Carrozzeria Savio. The following year the Carrozzeria Boano was transformed into the nascent Centro Stile FIAT and Felice Boano became its director. Boano made two very famous examples, one for Agnelli and the other for Onassis (whose photo with Churchill in the car is very famous). Giovanni Agnelli commissioned Mario Felice Boano to build the first car to be used at the sea or lake as a 'tender' from the boat to the house.
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