The…suggestive license plate belongs to a Fiat 500 city car that was spotted at a South African showroom by Carscoop reader Jeff G.
Read more »Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Fiat%20500
To celebrate the launch, Fiat crafted a special version named 500 “First Edition” featuring bodywork graphics by five young Chinese designers. The special edition will be available in a limited run of just 100 numbered units ahead of the city car’s regular launch in China on September 15.
Read more »Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Fiat%20500
If there's one thing that there's no shortage of in Turin, that's special edition versions of the 500. Fiat's latest creation is based on the sporty 500 Abarth and it has been built to mark Karl Abarth's centenary. Called the 500 Abarth "DA 0 A 100", this particular version is equipped with a modified 1.4-liter turbocharged engine delivering 160HP and a peak torque of 230 Nm. The commemorative model also features different gear ratios helping it to reach 100 km/h (60mph) from a standing start in 7.3 sec. The "DA 0 A 100's" top speed is 211 km/h or 131mph.
Furthermore, Abarth's engineers improved the 500s stopping power by adding perforated disc brakes front and rear and high performance front brake pads. Other modifications include a new air filter "powered by BMC", special low springs and new 17" alloy wheels – with chrome-plated hub covers and Scorpion logo in relief – complete with Pirelli PZero Nero 205/40 R16 ZR 17 tires.
On the outside, the special edition 500 Abarth stands out for its Nuvolari Grey bodywork complemented by the side stripe with a tone-on-tone effect, the chrome-plated identification badges and wing mirror cases as well as the four (...) exhaust tailpipes.
The interior gets the same kind of treatment with special leather seats in 'hide' color featuring silver stitching. The thumb-rests on the steering wheel (the centre is decorated with the Italian flag) are also covered with hide colored leather, while the gear lever knob, the kick plate branded "da 0 a 100" and the special "da 0 a 100" plate with the number of the car are all aluminum. The same "da 0 a 100" branding can be found on the fuel tank cover, the ignition key fob and the car cover.
Fiat hasn't announced pricing yet but the Italians did reveal that only a total of 101 units will be manufactured.
The forthcoming Ford Ka II minicar has been caught with its pants down by the folks over at German car magazine “Autobild”. In their latest issue, the second generation Ka is revealed in detail without any camouflage whatsoever. Set to make its first public appearance at the Paris Auto Show this fall, the Ka is heavily based on the Fiat 500 and it will be built alongside the Italian mini in at Fiat’s From what we can tell from these images and even though the shape of the Ka bears a strong resemblance to the Fiat 500, it doesn’t look like it shares any visible parts with its the retro-penned Italian minicar. Instead, the Ka looks more like a Fiesta that just came out of the dryer....
Via: Autobild (thanks for the scan Tim!)
Due to be produced in a limited run of 49 cars, the ‘500 Abarth Assetto Corse’ is the spiritual successor to the 595 Abarth that notched up several victories in European race tracks from 1963. The new vehicle, developed and produced by a team of Abarth Engineers and Designers, will take part at the 26th edition of the ‘Mille Miglia 2008’ (May 15 to 18). Equipped with a modified version of the road-going Abarth 500’s 135Hp 1.4-liter turbo engine that develops 200Hp and 300 Nm of torque, the “Asseto Corse” gets a full racing outfit that includes wider tracks, white 17-inch ultralight alloys, lowered suspension, wider bumpers, front and rear spoilers, sports racing mirrors and a place for a number on the sides. In addition to the classic bonnet clips, the bonnet houses two carbon air intakes bearing the Abarth scorpion logo. -Continued
Inside, the ‘500 Abarth Assetto Corse’ has been stripped of any amenities helping lower the car’s overall weight by 180 kg or 397 lbs. The cabin now features a roll-bar type-approved for racing, anatomical seats, carbon door panels and a special racing-type steering wheel.
The 49 lucky owners will be provided with a clothing set for the driver that includes helmets, gloves and shoes, all branded with the ultra-new ‘Assetto Corse’ logo produced for the limited edition of the car.
When a company like Hamann that specializes on BMWs and other high-end marques like Ferrari and Land Rover suddenly changes… its tune and focuses on the new 500, if anything else, that shows you how well Europeans have received Fiat’s retro-styled mini. The German tuner’s offerings for the 500 include both cosmetic and mechanical upgrades. The 500’s appearance is spiced on the outside with various decals and new 17-inch, 5-spoke matt black alloys combined with 195/40 ZR17 or 215/34 ZR 17 tires (prices start from €1,420). Inside there are aluminum pedals and a car mat set with an embroidered logo. -Continued
Hamann has developed a sport exhaust system for the 1.4-liter petrol version with two round end pipes made of high-grade steel (70 mm diameter), a pre-muffler with metal catalyst and a sport fan manifold. Especially for the 1.3-liter diesel version, Hamann offers an engine kit that adds an extra 15 Hp, rising total output to 90 Hp and maximum torque to 230 Nm at 1,750 rpm.
Buyers can also opt for a sport suspension kit that brings the mini Fiat 30 mm closer to the ground along with anewly-developed braking system.
Via: Le Blog Auto
The Fiat Group is one step away from acquiring Zastava as the Italian carmaker and the Serbian Ministry of Economy and Regional Development (Zastava is 99.9 percent-owned by the government) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the acquisition of the assets of the Zastava plant at Kragujevac, 140 km South-East of Belgrade. According to a joint press release, if deemed feasible, the two companies will enter into a definitive agreement in the course of the coming months. Sources familiar with the Italian carmaker's plans told Automotive News Europe that the former Zastava plant in Serbia will become the sole factory to build Fiat's new minicar, dubbed Topolino after the iconic 1936 model that led to the 500 in the mid 1950’s. The modern Topolino, expected to be introduced towards the end of 2009, will be based on the 500 / Panda platform, shortened though to about 3,150 mm in length. -Continued
Commenting on the agreement between Fiat and the Serbian government, Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Group and Fiat Group Automobiles, said, “This initiative represents a further step in Fiat Group Automobiles’ strategy aimed at supporting its growth and volume aspirations. It follows a number of targeted alliances and partnerships signed with leading carmakers and automotive suppliers over the last four years.”
“Moreover, it demonstrates our confidence and trust in
“We believe that, together with Zastava, we have played an important role in enhancing the Serbian automotive industry from both the manufacturing as well as the technological point of view. We are proud that many Serbian engineers and technicians have been trained at Fiat in
From all the renderings of the forthcoming second-generation Ford Ka that we’ve seen up until now, we’d say that this one, courtesy of the Italian website “Omniauto”, seems like its the closest one to the actual car that will be unveiled this fall at the Paris Motor Show. The 2009 Ka rendering incorporates several design elements from the all-new Ford Fiesta hatchback and in all, it looks pretty nice.While Ford’s new Euro baby will be built on the same platform as the highly successful Fiat 500, according to the company’s execs, the new Ka will not share any visible parts with its Italian counterpart.
Via: Omniauto
Fiat is planning to cash in the new 500’s success in everyway it can think of. Take the Italian company’s newest pan-European advertising campaign called “Every Fiat is 500% Fiat” for example. The TV advert that was created by the Filmed on a Moroccan salt lake on the border with
If you find the 135 Hp version of the all-new 500 Abarth a tad underpowered, there’s no need to worry as Fiat is preparing a more powerful edition of its mini GTi that follows in the footsteps of the Grande Punto Abarth “esseese” (see here). As you can see in the picture that was taken during the media presentation of the 500 Abarth in Turin, the sport kit will include a number of visual and mechanical enchantments, the most important being the upgraded 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that will deliver 160 Hp. As with the Grande Punto Abarth SS, the “esseesse” kit will be available either as an option at the time of sale, or it can be retrofitted up to 1 year after purchase, or up to 20,000 km on the road.
Via: Autoblog.it
Fiat has unleashed the first promotional video of its… white-hot 500 Abarth that is set to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March. As you’d expect, the promo film also pays a tribute to the 500 Abarth’s racing forefather that stared in the world of motorsports back in the sixties. Back to the 21st century, the new 500 Abarth is powered by a small but punchy 135 HP 1.4-litre turbocharged engine that delivers 135 HP to the front wheels through a five speed manual gearbox. –Check out the video after the jump
Exactly one year after the rebirth of the brand and the company, Abarth returns to the Geneva Motor Show for the public launch of the long-awaited 500 Abarth. In this more detailed press kit, Fiat’s sporty subsidiary has also included five high-res images of the 500 Abarth which you can check out right after the jump.Before we get into the mechanical details, let’s see how Abarth’s design team managed to turn the cute-looking 500 into “mighty-mouse”. The Italians added a full bodykit that consists of a new front and rear bumper, side skirts, a roof spoiler, a rear diffuser, red caps on the exterior mirrors, twin exhaust pipes, a restyled bonnet and larger, 16’’ or optionally, 17’’ alloy wheels. Furthermore, Fiat claims that the 500 Abarth’s beefy bodikt is fully functional as it helps to reduce drag and increase grip at high speed.
Inside, according to Fiat as there are no official pics out yet, the 500 Abarth features special instrumentation with sports graphics, a three-spoke steering wheel with shaped thumb rests and a ‘flattened’ bottom, aluminum pedals and ‘one-piece’ type bucket seats.
The 500 Abarth is powered by Fiat’s 1.4-liter Turbo petrol engine that generates 135 bhp at 5,000 rpm and a peak torque of 206 Nm at 3.000 rpm in ‘Sport’ mode (180 Nm at 2,500 rpm in ‘
PRESS RELEASE:
All the strong points of the new car
Faithful to the saying coined for Abarth cars in the 1960s (‘small but wicked’), the 500 Abarth promises to be a ‘small’ car with generous performance qualities. The car on display at the
Another interesting feature of the 500 Abarth is the fact that it adopts the new TTC (Torque Transfer Control) system, which improves the transfer of drive torque to the wheels, but, above all, ensures that the car behaves impeccably on bends, making it safer and more entertaining to drive when you put your foot down.
World premiere of the 500 Abarth
And for people with an assertive character, who love a challenge, as Carlo Abarth did, in addition to the road version prepared with the conversion kit, the small Abarth will also be offered with a racing outfit, the 500 Abarth SS Assetto Corsa, designed for customers who want to try their hand at circuit racing.
All the strong points of the new car
Faithful to the saying coined for Abarth cars in the 1960s (‘small but wicked’), the 500 Abarth promises to be a ‘small’ car with generous performance qualities. The car on display at the Geneva show is equipped with a Fire 1.4 16v Turbo petrol engine which delivers a maximum of 135 bhp (99 kW) at 5,000 rpm and peak torque of 206 Nm at 3.000 rpm in ‘Sport’ mode (in ‘Normal’ mode torque is reduced to 180 Nm at 2,500 rpm). This brilliant, smooth new engine is also a friend of the environment: like the regular Fiat model it is derived from, the new Abarth will respect future Euro 5 legislation.
Another interesting feature of the 500 Abarth is the fact that it adopts the new TTC (Torque Transfer Control) system, which improves the transfer of drive torque to the wheels, but, above all, ensures that the car behaves impeccably on bends, making it safer and more entertaining to drive when you put your foot down.
Aggressive, functional styling
Respecting Abarth tradition in full, the styling of the 500 Abarth is not a mere exercise in interpretation, because it significantly improves the car’s performance. The best proof of this stylistic approach can be found in the attention paid to the aerodynamics and functionality of certain elements. For example, compared to the basic body, the 500 Abarth optimises aerodynamic behaviour both with the roof extension and a large winged spoiler, and with a ‘slide’ that links up to the underbody, optimising the airflow output, and involving much of the rear bumper.
We should underline that these two elements – the spoiler and the slide – help to reduce drag and increase grip at high speed. What is more, the front slits on the bumper heighten the sporty styling but also perform a useful function, cooling the two intercoolers positioned at the sides. That is not all. On either side of the ‘slide’, there is an exhaust pipe that corresponds to the symmetrical exits of a single silencer positioned transversely (branded with the scorpion logo, like those in the 1960s).
On the side, sideskirts envelop the curves of the car creating a more vertical profile, which improves the Cd. But it is the front that really announces that the 500 Abarth has the equipment of a true GT: the ‘triptych’ of air intakes consists of a central inlet, which is larger than on the basic model, with a much broader upper slit (above the number plate); the two ‘nostrils’, positioned symmetrically at the sides of the bumper, correspond exactly to the position of the two identical intercoolers, which are just visible through the ‘nostrils’, guaranteeing airflow in and out.
The nose with its trim has been ‘pushed forward’ to create the space necessary for the turboblower; this makes the side view of the 500 Abarth more pronounced and obvious, in perfect harmony with Abarth tradition, recalling the 850 TC and 1000 TC, on which the externally applied manifolds were immediately visible and recognisable as a characteristic feature of the brand. The trim itself differs from the one on the Fiat 500 because it is in a single piece: the Abarth logo, which appears for the first time without a chrome surround, ‘floats’ on a finned surface that serves as an additional air intake. The Abarth shields positioned on the sides are shot through by a tri-colour arrow, like the ones on the Abarth 595 and 695 in the 1960s, a symbol of the brand’s racing image.
And finally, the 16” and 17” wheel rims come in different styles: from multiple spokes to beading of the bore holes (a clear reference to styles adopted for forged wheels in the 1970s).
‘Racing’ interiors for extremely enjoyable driving
Inside, the ‘cockpit’ of the 500 Abarth features special instrumentation which is derived from the outfit on the Fiat model, with the addition of an analogue pressure gauge to measure turbo pressure. It incorporates a LED telltale that optimises gear changes by lighting up at the appropriate moment. The main instrumental panel, with its sports graphics, is protected from glare by an upper lip, while the three-spoke steering wheel has shaped thumb rests, is ‘flattened’ at the bottom to increase roominess, and is adjustable. The aluminium pedals with their rubber trim have a decidedly ‘racing’ look, like the gear lever knob (covered with leather with a more anatomical grip for sporty driving). The same approach is evident in the seats – of the ‘one-piece’ type, incorporating the head-restraint into the squab – which are upholstered with a choice of materials: fabrics in different combinations of colours and textures, and two versions of leather (black or red). The headlining and the side trims are black, giving the interior a more technical, sporty look.
Fiat 500 Abarth: a story of records and successes
The roots of the new 500 Abarth go deep into the history of motorsport in the Sixties. A brief history follows of the forefather of the car displayed today in
It all began in July 1957 with the launch of the ‘Nuova 500’, the car created by Dante Giacosa and powered by a twin-cylinder engine (capacity of 479 cc) that delivered a maximum of 13 bhp, for a top speed of 85 km/h. Carlo Abarth fell in love with this small Fiat, and immediately recognised a challenge: he was soon convinced that, with suitable tuning, it could become a very fast little car. He maintained the original cylinder capacity, but increased the compression ratio (from 6.55:1 to 8.7:1), and fitted a Weber 26 IMB carburettor and a special Abarth exhaust: this generated an extra 7 bhp compared to the basic model, bringing it up to 20 bhp which, with successive tuning stages, eventually reached 23 bhp.
On October 15, 1957 a number of similarly tuned cars, but all with standard bodywork, were sent to the Monza racing circuit for a speed test, to show that the ‘Abarth treatment’ could produce extraordinary results.
The injection of horsepower and the special Abarth edition of the ‘Nuova 500’ made a significant contribution to the success of the standard model. That same year two more versions of the new Fiat also appeared: the ‘500 Coupe’ Zagato and the ‘500 Coupe’ Pininfarina. The first won for Abarth in the Italian Class 500 Championship of 1958, driven by Ovidio Capelli. That same year, Carlo Abarth wanted to show that the ‘Nuova Fiat 500’, suitably transformed and with even more power, could produce brilliant performance (compression ratio of 10.5:1, optimised intake and exhaust, power delivery of 26 bhp and top speed of 118 km/h), and as a result for a whole week the small Fiat – sporting a Scorpion on its front – performed a ‘marathon’ that went down in history: in seven days and seven nights it covered a distance of 18,186 kilometres at an average speed of 108 km/h, breaking 6 international records, by travelling:
• in 4 days, 10,457 km at an average of 108.9 km/h;
• in 5 days, 12,933 km at an average of 108.2 km/h;
• 15,000 km in 139 hr 16’ 33” at an average of 107.6 km/h;
• in 6 days, 15,530 km at an average of 107.8 km/h;
• 10,000 miles in 149 hr 09’ 29” at an average of 107.8 km/h;
• in 7 days, 18,186 km at an average of 108.2 km/h.
With this umpteenth success, Carlo Abarth proved that it was possible to build racing cars derived from small runabouts, and the motto ‘small but wicked’ was coined.
And so the Sixties started; they have since been described as the heyday of the Scorpion, thanks to its huge success in racing and on the market. This decade also represented the period of the greatest generational rebirth in the Twentieth century. The age of technology began: in the space industry, preparations were underway to put a man on the moon, eight out of ten Italian homes now had a television, people travelled by car listening to the radio, all types of periodicals and publications were born, habits were changing, and so were the Italians.
It was no coincidence that the most important developments to the ‘500’ Abarth were introduced in this revolutionary period. In 1963, Carlo Abarth, who was a natural technologist and innovator, decided that he wanted to make the new ‘500’ even faster; so he increased the cylinder capacity from 499.5 cc to 595 cc, obtaining a power delivery of 27 bhp. The extensive work carried out on the engine and changes to the fuel feed system, with the adoption of a Solex C28 PBJ carburettor instead of a Weber unit, enabled the Fiat 500 Abarth to pass the 120 km/h mark.
The Scorpion’s small sports car was immediately recognisable by the Abarth grille on the nose, accompanied by the distinctive metal logos of the model and the Abarth shield on the sides, with the claim ‘Campione del Mondo’ (World Champion).
A few months after the market launch of the ‘595’, the plant in Corso Marche launched the ‘conversion box’ containing all the parts necessary to make a Fiat Nuova 500 identical to an Abarth 595, in terms of engineering but also of styling: pistons, camshaft, engine, cylinder head gasket, exhaust, oil sump, chrome-plated grille with lateral trims, enamel shield and chrome wording.
This showed that Carlo Abarth’s engineering genius was attune to the aspirations of the young, managing to meet the demand for brilliant performance even on cars used for everyday driving and not only to race.
For the Corso Marche plant, 1964 began with the presentation of the Fiat Abarth ‘595 SS’, an even more evolved, more powerful version of the ‘595’. This small bombshell developed as much as 32 bhp for a top speed of over 130 km/h, causing quite a stir in the racing world. It differed from the previous model for the black rubber hooks on the bonnet, the ‘SS’ logo on the front and rear lids, and ‘esse esse’ written on the dashboard.
They were stylistic details that underlined the sporty personality of this small car. And it was by then customary for Abarth to market not only the car but also a conversion kit that allowed the owner of a Fiat 500 to transform it into a ‘595’ SS, and to put himself behind the wheel of a real Abarth sports car.
The last version of the ‘595’ was the ‘595 SS Competizione’: wider track, wider tyres, wheelarches with protruding red shanks, a power delivery of 34 bhp and a top speed of 130 km/h. In other words, Carlo Abarth had created a new car for new victories. The roll of honour of this runabout with the Scorpion treatment included a long, long list of triumphs, from its debut at the
