A couple of facts on the 500.

[ciddyguy]

Yesterday while at the dealer test driving the car, I discovered that the menu buttons which are located on the instrument cluster bezel

 as you can see in this screen grab from YouTube.

This set of menu buttons actually controls many of the functions within the car, such as how the radio's power is switched, even if you want it to be switched (meaning you have to turn on/off manually) or like it was in the demo car, to automatically be powered when started or in the ACC/ON position or off when off and the key removed like in all cars these days, or you can set it to delay off if you want so you can shut the car down and have it stay on for a few minutes, stuff like that, making the car fairly customizable in that regard.

The car DOES have daytime running lights and are located in the lower light housing as seen here.



The top bulb (clear) is the daytime lamp, the lower bulb (amber), separated by a divider and when in DLR mode or perhaps when all lights are on, the DLR lamps remain lit until you turn on the turn signal, then the lamp on the side that is blinking goes out until the signal is canceled, then it comes back on, ditto for both sides when using the 4 way hazards. It is obvious in this video of the 500 as a series of unedited clips shows in several scenes as seen here.

And finally, the intermittent wiper function is a single speed, though I just now realized if that isn't also adjustable via the menu as well or is it simply a fixed single swipe interval speed and no more.

[sketch]

According to the included associated video in the iPhone app, the intermittent function is actually sensitive to the vehicle's speed.  Nice!

edit Just saw your Blackberry app post.  There it is! :P

[ciddyguy]

Yep, wrote this earlier today and then found the Blackberry app!

This car is looking better and better and it was obvious that Fiat has thought this one through well when they began the concept way back in, oh, 2005? The original European model obviously was built to a high mark and they've just improved on it I think.

[PE#454]

I just spotted this comment on Fiat USA's FaceBook wall:

Edwin Arredondo
I learned something very interesting about the Fiat today. It's raining here in L.A. My customer turned on the wipers. When she put the car in reverse, the rear wiper turned on to clear the rear window. As soon as she went into 1st they turned off. How simple yet very thoughtful is that?
Friday at 8:56pm via iPhone ·
--------------------------------

Neat, huh?

[sketch]

The Fiat 500 just loves reverse so much, is all.  It was wagging its tail!

[Fiat500USA]

ciddyguy wrote

Yep, wrote this earlier today and then found the Blackberry app!

This car is looking better and better and it was obvious that Fiat has thought this one through well when they began the concept way back in, oh, 2005? The original European model obviously was built to a high mark and they've just improved on it I think.

Hi ciddyguy,

Thanks for your post.  The 500 has so many features, I'll be reading the manual for days!  I don't think there's a car in its price range with all these interesting details.

[ciddyguy]

Chris, per reading the manual for days...

I think that goes for so many of us who are/want/do want/very do want to buy this little guy - and that one person out of many is me. :-)

[ciddyguy]

PE#454,

Yeah, I had read that a while back, sometime last year actually about the Euro car and thought that very cool and wondered if it would translate to the US version, now we know! :-)

[sketch]

I've already read the iPhone app the whole way through... I need MORE!!!!

[ciddyguy]

sketch wrote

I've already read the iPhone app the whole way through... I need MORE!!!!

Pretty much the same here, downloaded it and was viewing most of it by evening.

[Fiat500USA]

I love to read and collect manuals.  While we're waiting for our cars to come in, here's something to read.  Now don't get too excited, it's the European manual, but it's still pretty cool.  It's a little thank you for stopping by these past two years;)

Fiat 500 Owners Manual 

[sketch]

Oooh... putting that on the iPad! :D

[sjmst]

Thanks, Chris.

Oh, and check page 3 and page 12. "Graphite" clue. They refer to the round area where the speedo is as the INSTRUMENT PANEL.

1. Side air vent – 2. Left stalk: external light control – 3. Instrument panel and warning lights –

[CaliberSRT4]

Oh dear, more bezel discussion.

If the car doesn't come with a body-color dash panel, then make a class action lawsuit. Bezel (by its definition) cannot possibly refer to the majority of the dash surface, so that would be grounds for a lawsuit.

[sjmst]

It's not the dash. I'm sure.

(fingers crossed)

[Doodles]

CaliberSRT4 wrote

Oh dear, more bezel discussion.

If the car doesn't come with a body-color dash panel, then make a class action lawsuit. Bezel (by its definition) cannot possibly refer to the majority of the dash surface, so that would be grounds for a lawsuit.

The P E does not come with a body-color dash panel. It's graphite colored</b</b>>.

[Doodles]

sjmst wrote

It's not the dash. I'm sure.

(fingers crossed)

It says so in the letter you should have got back in November 17 2010:
"Graphite instument panel bezel"
"Numbered badge on instrument panel"
Its not just the "bezel" its the whole instrument panel.
Thats one thing that  distinguishes the  P E from the rest .

[Doodles]

There is a picture of the interior :

[sketch]

1) That's not a picture. It's a computer rendering.

2) The Prima Edizione is available in Grigio.

[Doodles]

Here's the text from Jan 13 2011 :
This goes with the picture:

 "Here is the first published illustration of the Fiat 500 Prima Edizione's interior. Note the red accent stitching on the seats, steering wheel and shift boot."