Sacrilegious but....An Auto Abarth An Alternative?

[Jim McKenzie]

Chris, I know the Abarth has the six speed manual (thanks to today's info), but is there any chance at all they'll be an automatic transmission option in the Abarth?  

I know it would limit the sportiness and drivability of the car (so in opposition to its intent), but basically it would be a much higher powered Lounge...any chance?

[Fiat500USA]

Jim McKenzie wrote

Chris, I know the Abarth has the six speed manual (thanks to today's info), but is there any chance at all they'll be an automatic transmission option in the Abarth?  

I know it would limit the sportiness and drivability of the car (so in opposition to its intent), but basically it would be a much higher powered Lounge...any chance?

I would say it's a good chance. We'll have to keep an eye out for info on this, but one thing. They are concentrating on the launches of the dealer network, the 500 sedan and 500c, so any info on the Abarth will be tight.

Laura was instrumental in getting the auto trans for our market, she drove the Dualogic and thought it wasn't suitable for the US market.

[fredfrey]

Auto in an Abarth?!  YUCK.  Next cup holders  

[Jim McKenzie]

LOL I hear ya, on many levels it is just wrong,  but I have two good reasons:

1) I'm keeping my X1/9 and my 850 so three manuals is not good for my left knee :) I'm 58.

and more importantly

2) with it I get the power I'd like and my girlfriend, my daughters and her daughters can all drive it.  None of them can do or want to do a manual.

And cupholders ARE needed :)  

So what I'm looking for is a "hot" Lounge :)

[fredfrey]

I understand you... but there is no way the scorpion badge should be on an automatic.  Buy a lounge and have the engine/suspension worked on.  Every time I see a Fiat Spider with an auto I feel sick.  Teach your kids how to drive standard - they will love it.

[ciddyguy]

fredfrey wrote

I understand you... but there is no way the scorpion badge should be on an automatic.  Buy a lounge and have the engine/suspension worked on.  Every time I see a Fiat Spider with an auto I feel sick.  Teach your kids how to drive standard - they will love it.

If I remember right, the Abarth in Europe gets a variation of the dualogic with shifter buttons on the console instead of the standard automatic since it's essentially an automated manual.

Since we get a traditional automatic here in the US perhaps they'll modify that to be more manual like or perhaps not.

We'll see but since the 6spd Aisin auto has a shift gate for shifting, that in essence is like having an automated manual of sorts.

[CaliberSRT4]

I know I would never opt for an automatic over a manual, especially in a performance car, but I do understand there is a market for it.

Fiat could include an option for a DCT (that can shift automatically). That way, it would appease the people that don't like to row the gears, without sapping performance.

Chris posted on this website before about the Abarth possibly getting a DDCT.
"I can't see the 500 Abarth not having the DDCT." -Chris

He seems quite sure about that, I guess we'll see.

[Fidgell]

Mr Abarth himself said there would never be an auto in an Abarth, as he made cars for those that can actually drive...

[Mike S]

Mr. Ferrari said Ferraris have 12 cylinders when asked if the Dino was a Ferrari.

[fredfrey]

Enzo was correct. The Dino was never badged or sold as a Ferrari. Any Dino that has a Ferrari badge on it was put on after the sale.  .... Although the most important Ferrari has a V8 in it now (Formula one)

[Wimbledon]

There will be an automatic transmission of some variant available on the US Abarth.

In our market, the business case for automatic transmissions is simply too strong for Fiat to leave those sales on the table.

It's worth noting that the Cooper S is available with an automatic, and Fiat will want to remain competitive for those cross-shopping the two.

I will have a manual, but I support offering more choices to US Fiat enthusiasts!

[Fiat500USA]

I also like manual transmissions, but this is America and the 21st century.  I think done correctly, a DDCT would work well for the Abarth. There are pluses and minuses with the DDCT, but allowing you to shift quicker than any human is a big plus.  We'll see more DDCTs, it's the wave of the future.

Manual trans are great until you suffer a leg injury. For the folks that have to deal with that, it would be nice for them to enjoy a hot car, too.

[Gavin]

gah, but the 500 manual is both sooooo much fun and actually soooo easy. It is the easiest manual I've ever used...and gah double, it wouldn't be half as fun with an auto....

Gavin

[Fiat500USA]

Gavin wrote

gah, but the 500 manual is both sooooo much fun and actually soooo easy. It is the easiest manual I've ever used...and gah double, it wouldn't be half as fun with an auto....

Gavin

I liked shifting the 500, plus I like the clutch - very easy.

My GTV6 had a dual disc setup that released low and grabbed hi. I love that car, but in traffic, it's work to drive. I liked the challenge to be smooth, but it was still work.

The DDCT will work in the Abarth because it has plenty of HP and will also work in the normal 500 because the trans is more efficient than the AISIN.

[ciddyguy]

Jim McKenzie wrote

Chris, I know the Abarth has the six speed manual (thanks to today's info), but is there any chance at all they'll be an automatic transmission option in the Abarth?  

I know it would limit the sportiness and drivability of the car (so in opposition to its intent), but basically it would be a much higher powered Lounge...any chance?

This is a screen grab, cropped of course of the video to today's blog post here by Chris and is taken from the video he embedded into the entry and it shows the transmission in the Tributo Ferrari 695 edition of the 500 and as you can see, it's an automated manual, most likely the dualogic unit but could very easily be a DDCT unit as well, but the steering wheel has the paddle shifters for the manual mode and it is very similar to what is offered in the Abarth models as well.

So there is your answer. :-)

[fredfrey]

Aesthetically speaking only...  yuck.

[Fiat500USA]

Looks a little better here;)  The 695 has the MTA gearbox, but, hopefully, the US Abarths will have the real deal - a DDCT.

[fredfrey]

I hope for an option for a proper gearshift. Call me old fashioned... or just old, but I like the look of a gear shift. Keeps valets from trying to park my car!

[Small Car Lover]

Make that two votes for a proper gearshift

[Fiat500USA]

Small Car Lover wrote

Make that two votes for a proper gearshift

Like I said, I'm a manual trans guy. However, they may become a thing of the past:(

Hopefully, not anytime soon