Auto Design

I.de.a. Institute Era for the Geneva Motor Show.

 All mouths are kept shout in Turin about what the Italian coachbuilder will be showing at the Geneva Motor Show, early next month, but it is already clear that Fioravanti, Italdesign and Zagato will be showing a world-première whereas Idea and Pininfarina will be displaying something “deja vu” but further developed. Pininfarina will take its ultimate development of the Bolloré Zero electric four door, four seater, all-round-city- sedan in new colour scheme and with a more sophisticated interior design. Read the rest of this entry »

Not to be missed.

Never before I have seen so many dream and concept cars in the same place ad the same time. This unique opportunity is offered by Torino 2008 World Design Capital and you must visit it before it closes on November 23.

For all details and a comprehensive introduction, go to http://www.torinoworlddesigncapital.it/portale/en/content_1.php?sezioneID=291&testoCompleto=1

Beware and please do not shoot the messenger: strangely enough, the exhibition closes at 6.20 p.m.

You also should not miss to get a copy of the Exhibition Catalogue currently on sale only in Italian but soon to be available also in English. Read the rest of this entry »

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). Read the rest of this entry »

500 Abarth ASSETTO CORSE – Official Technical specifications

Engine

• 4 cylinders in line, 4 valves per cylinder, 1368 cc.

• Power output: 200 bhp (147 KW) at 6500 rpm.

• Peak torque 300 Nm at 3000 rpm.

• Garrett GT 1446 fixed geometry turbocharger.

• Special reinforced water and air sleeves.

Transmission

• M32 6-speed gearbox

Suspension

• McPherson layout at front, special racing shock absorbers,

coaxial spring with nut for adjusting height of car.

• Rear : inter-connected arms, special racing shock absorbers,

springs with nut for adjusting height of car.

Steering

• Electric power steering with racing tuning.

Brakes

• Brembo radial front calliper with four pistons M4X40.

• Perforated, self-ventilating front brake disc, ø 305 mm x 28 mm.

• Rear calliper with ø 36 mm piston.

• Rear brake disc, ø 264 mm x 11 mm.

• High-performance Racing brake pads.

Body

• Rear spoiler and front bumper splitter.

Chassis

• Reinforced cage structure, welded to the bodyshell.

• Lightened interiors, Sabelt Racing safety setup.

• Optimised driving position, shifted towards the centre of the car.

Wheels

• Painted, forged aluminium wheels, 7” x 17”.

• Tyres:205/50 ZR17.t

Weight

• 930 Kg.

see my first report

Complete Photo Gallery

By Giancarlo Perini © Photo: Archivio Perini©.

As the new Fiat 500 Abarth is getting ready for the first test-drives on the Balocco test-track, by a selected number of motoring writers, ABARTH is ready to start a limited production run of a racing development that will revive the epic times, when our fathers were furiously racing a smallish metal box with a small two-cylinder 595 cc. engine in the back. Almost five decades later the concept is basically the same but the outcome and the car is radically different. It is called Fiat 500 Abarth Assetto Corse (Italian for racing tuned). Read the rest of this entry »