Auto Design

By Giancarlo Perini © – Photo Source: Archivio Perini©

In a couple of days I shall be test driving the new Fiat 500 Abarth, a dream cars for many young enthusiasts, those who are in their twenties today, or have kept being twenty -years-old for the past forty years.

The new Fiat 5OO Abarth promises a lot of fun. Its turbocharged Fire engine in the 1.4 litre 16 valves configuration has been tuned to deliver 99kW of power (135 bph) and as much as 206 Nm of torque at 3000 rpm. This is far from being the upper limit of the engine potential. The engine is rather tamed to create a nice and safe overall balance between the chassis and tyres capability and any driver who may sits at the sexy steering wheel. There is substance under the skin but there is more for the eye and the hearth. The wheel rims come both in 16 or 17 inches sizes, and in different styles: from multi spokes rims to rims bordered by holes (the reference to the forged wheel motifs of the 1970s is clear).

The out-and-out racing interiors on the ‘500 Abarth’ feature specific instruments and an analogue pressure gauge used to measure the turbo pressure. The main gauge, with sporting graphics, is lipped on top to offer further protection against glare while the three-spoke steering wheel incorporates moulded grips for the thumbs and is levelled off at the base to ensure increased passenger room and space for adjustment. The aluminium pedals with rubber inserts also reveal a clear racing vocation, as does the gear knob (leather trimmed with a more ergonomic grip for sporty use) and unified seats with the head restraints incorporated in the backrest. Lastly, the roof trim and side inserts are black to give the passenger compartment a hi-tech, sporty look. No doubt this unique combination of neo-classic and very nostalgic design plus a number of Abarth icons and the sporting declination of component and graphic will appeal many enthusiasts. The more today, when gasoline prices call for reduced fuel consumption. The Fiat 500 Abarth is there to deliver the agility, zipping power and fun of a miniature supercar, at the cost of a compact hatchback.

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