Fiat has made a rear-wheel drive thoroughbred and even launched an Abarth version. However, we're still not as impressive with the 124 as we are with the Mazda, so until the Italians do something amazing, the 500 remains their greatest achievement this decade.
In our minds, the next video is perfect for explaining why. Also, we imagined that it proves weight is really bad for drag racing, but we're about to fail badly.
You see, any version of the 500 Abarth is super-light because there's not a lot of stuff inside the car. Meanwhile, the Megane GT is a fat pig. Despite Renault claiming that the 4th generation hatch is lighter, this GT model weighs nearly 1.4 tons, while the old one was 1.3 tons.
The French added a heavy 7-speed gearbox and all-wheel steering, while the engine shrunk from a 2-liter to a 1.6L and lost some power in the process. That's a bad combination!
Meanwhile, the 695 Biposto used by the Germans in this drag race is out of production... we think.
Abarth just takes 500 cars, tune them and hope somebody buys them. The Biposto was made in 2014 and remains the craziest version of the little Fiat. Its 1.4-liter engine packs 190 horsepower and is the main reason it wins the car.
No, really! Logic dictates the 1.4 ton Megane GT would be slower than the super-lightweight Fiat. But maybe due to the turbo lag, it's the Renault that accelerates faster at first, with the Abarth able to catch up later.
This drag race makes about as much sense as seeing a Tesla Model S killing a Ferrari AFTER the quarter-mile is over or a superbike that's way slower than a riced Honda Civic.
We want to say that the outcome is not embarrassing for the Megane GT, but we can't. A similarly priced Megane RS 275 or even an early 250 from several years ago would have done a much better job. There is no replacement for displacement, at least not in this category.
You see, any version of the 500 Abarth is super-light because there's not a lot of stuff inside the car. Meanwhile, the Megane GT is a fat pig. Despite Renault claiming that the 4th generation hatch is lighter, this GT model weighs nearly 1.4 tons, while the old one was 1.3 tons.
The French added a heavy 7-speed gearbox and all-wheel steering, while the engine shrunk from a 2-liter to a 1.6L and lost some power in the process. That's a bad combination!
Meanwhile, the 695 Biposto used by the Germans in this drag race is out of production... we think.
Abarth just takes 500 cars, tune them and hope somebody buys them. The Biposto was made in 2014 and remains the craziest version of the little Fiat. Its 1.4-liter engine packs 190 horsepower and is the main reason it wins the car.
No, really! Logic dictates the 1.4 ton Megane GT would be slower than the super-lightweight Fiat. But maybe due to the turbo lag, it's the Renault that accelerates faster at first, with the Abarth able to catch up later.
This drag race makes about as much sense as seeing a Tesla Model S killing a Ferrari AFTER the quarter-mile is over or a superbike that's way slower than a riced Honda Civic.
We want to say that the outcome is not embarrassing for the Megane GT, but we can't. A similarly priced Megane RS 275 or even an early 250 from several years ago would have done a much better job. There is no replacement for displacement, at least not in this category.