Photo: Abarth UK
When Fiat reintroduced the 500 in 2007, the little Italian city car became an instant hit overnight. It looks funky, it's easy to park, it is all things to all men and women. But it's a fact that most Cinquecento owners and fans dream about owning the red-hot version of the breed - the Abarth 500 pocket rocket.
The Type 312 Fiat 500 received its first Abarth badge in 2008 and since then we've been given mad variants of the little scorpion, including the manic 695 Edizione Maserati we reviewed last year. But those wacky engineers from the Abarth skunkworks division have cooked up a new type of go-faster experience for the British customer.
Dubbed the Abarth 500 Track Experience pack, its name reveals what it's all about. Just 65 of the brand's 500 Custom models will ever be made, in recognition of the 65 years since the Abarth company was formed in Italy by Carlo Abarth. This limited run Abarth 500 sports an exterior hue called Record Grey Metallic and other goodies such as yellow brake calipers, 17-inch 10-spoke Diamond Finish alloy wheels, satin steel twin exhausts, a 7-inch TFT digital instrument panel, sports seats and Blue&Me Bluetooth hands-free for your mobile phone with the mandatory buttons on the steering wheel.
A 1.4-liter four-pot aided by an IHI RHF3-P turbocharger animates the front wheels with 135 horsepower and 206 Nm of torque, enough oomph for a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) run of 7.9 clicks and a top speed of 127 mph (204 km/h). For the £14,990 Fiat charges you for it, the manufacturer also offers those lucky 65 owners with a track day experience. “Now is the time for anyone who has been thinking of owning an Abarth 500 to buy one,” says Gerry Southerington, head of Abarth U.K. "And the top race circuits on offer will allow these new owners to fully appreciate the dynamic abilities of Abarth cars in their natural environment.”
Dubbed the Abarth 500 Track Experience pack, its name reveals what it's all about. Just 65 of the brand's 500 Custom models will ever be made, in recognition of the 65 years since the Abarth company was formed in Italy by Carlo Abarth. This limited run Abarth 500 sports an exterior hue called Record Grey Metallic and other goodies such as yellow brake calipers, 17-inch 10-spoke Diamond Finish alloy wheels, satin steel twin exhausts, a 7-inch TFT digital instrument panel, sports seats and Blue&Me Bluetooth hands-free for your mobile phone with the mandatory buttons on the steering wheel.
A 1.4-liter four-pot aided by an IHI RHF3-P turbocharger animates the front wheels with 135 horsepower and 206 Nm of torque, enough oomph for a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) run of 7.9 clicks and a top speed of 127 mph (204 km/h). For the £14,990 Fiat charges you for it, the manufacturer also offers those lucky 65 owners with a track day experience. “Now is the time for anyone who has been thinking of owning an Abarth 500 to buy one,” says Gerry Southerington, head of Abarth U.K. "And the top race circuits on offer will allow these new owners to fully appreciate the dynamic abilities of Abarth cars in their natural environment.”
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