Abarth News

[sjmst]

lirandy wrote

RacerRon wrote

I don't think that Fiat should do a big advertising campaign just yet. They can't say "run right down to the your local dealer and pick up a 500", when there are only about 30 studios open in the U.S. right now.

Well, I guess they have achieved the first step advertising the car - having us to talk about this car days and nights, and when people around us see our cars, we naturally kinda "advertise" the Fiat 500 to those people.  By the time more studios have opened in U.S, they would already have certain amount of people know about the 500.

And then don't forget the part where we get all worked up based upon rumor, then get pissed when Fiat is not fast enough to get done what we thought they were going to do based on rumor, made worse by their own information lines which don't have information...don't forget that...

[Fiat500USA]

Talked to the gentleman in charge of Abarth development yesterday. Of course, everything is top secret, BUT what I can say is... LOOK OUT... it will be one bad ass car... very hard core.

[Giallo Edizione]

Fiat500USA wrote

Talked to the gentleman in charge of Abarth development yesterday. Of course, everything is top secret, BUT what I can say is... LOOK OUT... it will be one bad ass car... very hard core.

Hard core R us.

[Fiat500USA]

Giallo Edizione wrote

Fiat500USA wrote

Talked to the gentleman in charge of Abarth development yesterday. Of course, everything is top secret, BUT what I can say is... LOOK OUT... it will be one bad ass car... very hard core.

Hard core R us.

 
The Chrysler guys know how to do performance...  This will be good... very good...

[Giallo Edizione]

Fiat500USA wrote

Giallo Edizione wrote

Fiat500USA wrote

Talked to the gentleman in charge of Abarth development yesterday. Of course, everything is top secret, BUT what I can say is... LOOK OUT... it will be one bad ass car... very hard core.

Hard core R us.

 
The Chrysler guys know how to do performance...  This will be good... very good...

Abarth SRT4. Oh yeah.

[CaliberSRT4]

Giallo Edizione wrote

Fiat500USA wrote

Giallo Edizione wrote

Fiat500USA wrote

Talked to the gentleman in charge of Abarth development yesterday. Of course, everything is top secret, BUT what I can say is... LOOK OUT... it will be one bad ass car... very hard core.

Hard core R us.

 
The Chrysler guys know how to do performance...  This will be good... very good...

Abarth SRT4. Oh yeah.

Sign me up!

[SpidArman]

Just please tell me that it will be a proper 6 speed manual transmission...

I am ready to plunk down my deposit if it is...

Arman

[ciddyguy]

SpidArman wrote

Just please tell me that it will be a proper 6 speed manual transmission...

I am ready to plunk down my deposit if it is...

Arman

One of the problems is that the Abarth is based on the standard 500, even if for N. America so unless it's far enough along to get the next iteration of the 500, it might be stuck with the 5spd as the regular car was modified from its Euro specs to fit the specifications required for the US as a cross member (required) prevented them from even offering the 6spd manual here for now as it would not fit, but their 5spd did.

I understand the next iteration of the car, due in mid 2012 as a 2013 model the last I heard will be designed FOR both N. America AND Europe so they'll be nearly identical as the specs for N. America will be used worldwide, along with the current chassis, which is based off the NEW Panda that debuts this year in Europe and if that's the case then the 6spd may WELL be offered when the new 500 is offered.

The trick is to see if the Abarth is offered with the new iteration here or what.

[Fiat500USA]

SpidArman wrote

Just please tell me that it will be a proper 6 speed manual transmission...

I am ready to plunk down my deposit if it is...

Arman

 We'll see... do remember the Euro Abarth has a 5 speed...

[jamesday24]

ciddyguy wrote

I understand the next iteration of the car, due in mid 2012 as a 2013 model the last I heard will be designed FOR both N. America AND Europe so they'll be nearly identical as the specs for N. America will be used worldwide...

Are you saying our 2012 500s will be the first and last year of the first generation 500 in the US and 2013 models will be a new design?  That would certainly be strange, if true.

[RacerRon]

With Chris saying 'hardcore', I'm thinking Euro esseesse with 17 inch wheels and the 170 hp engine.

[Fiat500USA]

RacerRon wrote

With Chris saying 'hardcore', I'm thinking Euro esseesse with 17 inch wheels and the 170 hp engine.

I want to say something, but I shouldn't

[ciddyguy]

jamesday24 wrote

ciddyguy wrote

I understand the next iteration of the car, due in mid 2012 as a 2013 model the last I heard will be designed FOR both N. America AND Europe so they'll be nearly identical as the specs for N. America will be used worldwide...

Are you saying our 2012 500s will be the first and last year of the first generation 500 in the US and 2013 models will be a new design?  That would certainly be strange, if true.

The car we have is, with exception of the chassis is the same as the Euro model in many respects, there is I think a refresh of the body etc and the next iteration model will have the new Panda chassis that we have currently, the Euro car makes do with the original 2003 Panda chassis currently, at least as I understand it from earlier reports from last year.

And when this refresh or whatever it ends up being takes place, the car will debut in the summer of 2012 as a 2013 model and at that point, the car on BOTH sides of the Atlantic will align, much like Honda did with the Fit/Jazz in 2009. When we got the Fit in 2007, they were already 2 years or so into a design cycle and gave us a modified then current design model and then aligned ALL markets for the refresh in 2009 and Fiat is doing much the same.

But this time, Fiat has decided to make the changes made here world wide as they apparently improved the car in ways it needed even if the Euro car as it is now was quite good to begin with.

Hope this clears things up. BTW, Fiat debut the Fiat in July of 2007 as an 08 model.

[CaliberSRT4]

ciddyguy wrote

SpidArman wrote

Just please tell me that it will be a proper 6 speed manual transmission...

I am ready to plunk down my deposit if it is...

Arman

One of the problems is that the Abarth is based on the standard 500, even if for N. America so unless it's far enough along to get the next iteration of the 500, it might be stuck with the 5spd as the regular car was modified from its Euro specs to fit the specifications required for the US as a cross member (required) prevented them from even offering the 6spd manual here for now as it would not fit, but their 5spd did.

I understand the next iteration of the car, due in mid 2012 as a 2013 model the last I heard will be designed FOR both N. America AND Europe so they'll be nearly identical as the specs for N. America will be used worldwide, along with the current chassis, which is based off the NEW Panda that debuts this year in Europe and if that's the case then the 6spd may WELL be offered when the new 500 is offered.

The trick is to see if the Abarth is offered with the new iteration here or what.

Yes, the Abarth is based on the standard 500 of course, but many parts are different. The performance versions of cars never use the same transmission as the base model if they are pushing a fair amount of additional power, because the base model transmission wouldn't be able to handle the torque.

The base model Caliber has a 5 speed manual transmission, but my SRT4 edition has a 6 speed.

The likely scenario is that the Abarth will feature a 5 speed, because as Chris said that is what the Euro version has (doesn't seem likely that we would get a 6 speed when Europe only has a 5 speed). They might have space issues as well, but that depends on many things (the Abarth has to fit all the turbo plumbing including intercoolers into the engine bay somewhere as well).

[ciddyguy]

CaliberSRT4 wrote

ciddyguy wrote

SpidArman wrote

Just please tell me that it will be a proper 6 speed manual transmission...

I am ready to plunk down my deposit if it is...

Arman

One of the problems is that the Abarth is based on the standard 500, even if for N. America so unless it's far enough along to get the next iteration of the 500, it might be stuck with the 5spd as the regular car was modified from its Euro specs to fit the specifications required for the US as a cross member (required) prevented them from even offering the 6spd manual here for now as it would not fit, but their 5spd did.

I understand the next iteration of the car, due in mid 2012 as a 2013 model the last I heard will be designed FOR both N. America AND Europe so they'll be nearly identical as the specs for N. America will be used worldwide, along with the current chassis, which is based off the NEW Panda that debuts this year in Europe and if that's the case then the 6spd may WELL be offered when the new 500 is offered.

The trick is to see if the Abarth is offered with the new iteration here or what.

Yes, the Abarth is based on the standard 500 of course, but many parts are different. The performance versions of cars never use the same transmission as the base model if they are pushing a fair amount of additional power, because the base model transmission wouldn't be able to handle the torque.

The base model Caliber has a 5 speed manual transmission, but my SRT4 edition has a 6 speed.

The likely scenario is that the Abarth will feature a 5 speed, because as Chris said that is what the Euro version has (doesn't seem likely that we would get a 6 speed when Europe only has a 5 speed). They might have space issues as well, but that depends on many things (the Abarth has to fit all the turbo plumbing including intercoolers into the engine bay somewhere as well).

True about the Abarth modifying the base 500 to make it go fast, well, perhaps super fast as it sounds like we'll get perhaps and I thought they put in a 6spd as I somehow missed that memo about the Abarth using only a 5spd.

I would agree that with the extra load paths, fitting the intercooler etc might get a lil' tricky and the car may WELL be based on the next iteration 500 anyway, which would address many of these additional structural issues from the get go and thus the additional go fast bits necessary from Abarth, rather than be grafted onto an existing car like the current 500.

[RacerRon]

The June issue of Motor Trend magazine has a small article on the upcoming Abarth for the U.S. One interesting thing is the mention of a 6-speed manual gearbox replacement for the current 5-speed. Now, I don't know if C&D has inside information or is just blowing wind.

[Fidgell]

Dare we spill the beans?????

Words like Mito??? Cloverleaf????? 175bhp????? 5spd manual optional DSG?????

Sadly over 30k but what the hell, I put my deposit down a while ago as like you say, a deposit doesnt guarantee a car... BUT no deposit almost certainly guarantees NO car!!!

(I should say Ive a deposit down on a Focus ST too to keep my options open but one way or the other itll be a great 2012 in the garage!!!)

[RacerRon]

The Ford Focus ST is a good looking car, larger than the 500 of course, but with a lot more hp. But, I still have my sights set on the Abarth.

[Fidgell]

For me, its all going to be about the price and availability. Both should nudge the $30k mark when specced up , in theory, but I can see at least one heading into the 30s and pricing itself out of the market. Both will be hard to get hold of too. Right now heart saying Abarth, head ST but then the ST will be cheaper to maintain and easier to find dealers to do the work, parts will be easier to get hold of too. The Abarth has more character but issue with the PEs will almost certainly roll over to both the C and the Abarth. Fiat still leaves me a little nervous! Resdiduals on both should be good but as I do around 25000miles a year whatever I get wont be worth much when I sell after 6 years!

Either way both Fiat and Ford are annoying me with the wait and lack of good info on the cars and almost certain both will be delayed from their Spring 2012 release so my trusty Yaris will have to cling on a bit longer. (Must say the Yaris has been EXCELLENT, not a toyota fan but credit where its due its been a great little car).

[RacerRon]

Fidgell, I can understand your concern about the Fiat's reliability in the U.S. Based on the European 500, I think the 500 is well engineered, and it looks like great care as been taken to re-engineer some of the 500 for the U.S. market. I think it comes down to assembly quality. If Fiat doesn't get this right, then Fiat and Chrysler is in a lot of trouble.