Fiat 500 Abarth Competizione: Limited Edition Model with a Hefty Price Tag

It's been about a year since Fiat's sporty Abarth firm returned to the Dutch market and to commemorate the event, the brand decided to release a special edition version of the Abarth 500 bearing the Competizione moniker. The model is special in the sense that only 10 will be built with a price tag of €24,995 - that's about $34,800 ahem, ahem... So what will those lucky Dutch buyers get for €3,000 over the price of a standard Abarth 500?

On the outside, the Competizione's features include a black roof top, unique 17-inch alloy wheels finished in black and graphics above the side skirts. Inside, the package adds a set of leather sport seats embossed with the Competizione logo while the standard equipment list now includes a navigation system, climate control, and an upgraded audio system.

In standard form, the 500 Abarth is powered by a 135HP 1.4-liter turbocharged four while Fiat also offers the Essesse kit which boosts output to 160HP.

Via: Autoblog.nl

Fiat Sapor Roadster: Concept Study for a RWD Two-Seater Sports Car

Fiat's link with the Chrysler LLC Group has spurred a wave of speculative reports, product plan forecasts and even design proposals like the Fiat Sapor roadster that was conceived by the crew over at Diseno-Art as an entry-level sports. We see two basic problems with this idea: A. the 500 mini is the only Fiat badged-car set to make it to the States (unless it comes with a Chrysler - Dodge logo) and B. the design itself is very rough, meaning that there's something there, but it definitely needs more work to show its full potential.

According to the designers, the Fiat Sapor's exterior styling is influenced by various Fiat models such as the 124 Spider up front and the X1/9 at the rear. The two-seater features a removable canvas rooftop that stows away into a special compartment behind the rear seats.

As for the roadster's mechanical hardware, the Sapor was designed to feature a front-mounted engine that sends power to the rear wheels. The designers claim that one possible option could be Fiat's 1.4-liter turbocharged four that makes 180HP in the Abarth Grande Punto Esseesse hatch.

Via: Diseno-art

Fiat Releases New Sport Seats for Abarth Grande Punto and Abarth 500

Current or soon-to-be owners of the Abarth Grande Punto and Abarth 500 sport hatchbacks will now be able to enhance their cars with a new set of bucket seats that were created in collaboration with Italian specialist, Sabelt. The lightweight, body retaining sport seats are available in two versions, in Frau black leather with fretworked black Alcantara, or black "F1" technical fabric. Both seats are finished with red thread seams, a distinctive embroidered Abarth name, and the Scorpion Logo on the backrest tilt wheel.

In Britain, the 'Abarth Corse by Sabelt' seats are offered throughout Abarth's 16-strong dealer network and are priced at £2250 per pair (leather) or £1760 per pair (fabric). They will initially be available on the Abarth Grande Punto, followed later in the year by the Abarth 500 version.

Rinspeed's Fiat 500 Abarth E2 with Dual Power Mode

For this year's Geneva Motor Show, Swiss tuner and concept car specialist Rinspeed has developed a modified Fiat 500 Abarth study badged "E2" featuring a dual power mode system that affects the engine electronics. What this system does is, with the touch of a button, it reduces the output of the 500 Abarth's 1.4-liter turbocharged engine, from 160HP to 60HP. The 60-horsepower 'Commuting' mode, which is more suitable for city traffic, helps the 500 Abarth achieve an average consumption of around 4.0 lt / 100 km or 58.8mpg U.S.

Outside the city, the 'Highway' mode frees the 1.4 Turbo engine' 160HP. Fuel consumption in this mode is in the neighborhood of seven liters per 100 kilometers or 33.6mpg US.

"Just like the auto industry has to adjust to the demands of a new era, tuners have to look for new ways to do business as well," said Rinspeed boss Frank M. Rinderknecht.

"I don't believe too much in eco tuning. Many drivers are not willing to miss out on driving fun and don't want to drive a something that announces to the world that they do without. But the number of people who want to use our energy supply responsibly not in the least because they want to protect our environment will grow quickly," he added.

Abarth Gears Up with New Apparel Line

At the beginning of July, Abarth signed a license agreement with Basic Net, owner of Kappa, Robe di Kappa, Superga and K-way brands for the production and sale of Abarth labeled products. Now the Italian automaker has announced that it will reveal its first collection of Kappa apparels at the Paris motorshow in October. The initial lineup will include jackets and long-sleeve t-shirts with sales expected to start in Europe in a few weeks time. -Continued

New Fiat 500 Abarth Essesse: Hottest 500 yet with 160HP

At the Paris International Motor Show Fiat will officially reveal the 500 Abarth Essesse or ‘SS’ for short which is based on the limited production 500 Abarth Opening Edition details of which you can check out by clicking here. The hottest version of the new 500 up to date features a revised turbocharged engine, a full bodykit complete with larger alloy wheels and upgraded suspension and brake components. The 500 Abarth Essesse will be available both as a separate model and a complete tuning kit that can be installed by the Italian firm’s specialized dealers on any standard 500 Abarth. -Continued

In terms of power, the Essesse is equipped with a souped-up version of the standard 1.4-liter turbo engine delivering an output of 160 HP (up from 135 HP) at 5750 rpm and a maximum torque of 230 Nm at 3000 rpm for a 7.4 second sprint to 100 km/h (62mph) and a 211 km/h (131mph) top speed.

Aside from the mechanical enhancements and the new bodykit that comprises a sportier front bumper, side skirts, a redesigned rear bumper with an integrated diffuser and the 17-inch alloys, Abarth also offers a series of accessories for the interior including a set of front bucket seats.