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Grande Punto (Abarth) Grande Punto EsseEsse

Introduction

So a little over a week ago i picked up this special little someone. He was the first Abarth Grande Punto registered in the UK. I feel so very very lucky to own this car. He was used as a press demo car, and as such has probably been driven quite hard in its life until now. Picked him up with 38k on the clock from a local Fiat/Abarth dealer and he's in mint condition still (pretty much). It has the EsseEsse kit fitted at 8,000 miles (iirc) and has already had a gearbox rebuild roughly 10,000 miles ago (previous owner who i've spoken to on facebook)

So heres a few pictures now in his official member motors thread. I can't wait for show season to start again next year!

EDIT: For the eagle eyed out their this is the exact car that happens to have been randomly selected (from cars launch) as the thumbnail pic for the AGP section here on FF. This car is also the 1st registered Abarth Grande Punto in the country. Thats right, its #1 . I feel privileged to own an Abarth, and even more so that it is the first Abarth in the country since the relaunch of the brand on UK soil.

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And two rolling shots courtesy of ysidfa

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I'm going to have to keep an eye on the notorious m32 gearbox as 4th gear seems to vibrate when driving. Aside from this he's a beast waiting to pounce. 180bhp standard, and the boost just wants to kick in all the time :rolleyes: So so fun to drive, but fuel economy is poop. As i've been told numerous times, you don't buy an abarth for fuel economy. And as such i'll just keep as quiet as i can about that. I love economy, and as such this car is a huge contrast to my norm, but the appeal of an Abarth has always been too great. Those who have known me for some time now, will know this was an inevitable purchase at some point or another.

He's an absolute demon though. The pull in all gears (except 6th ofcourse) is unreal. And when you boot it over 4k revs and upshift the deep pop/bellow out of the Supersprint exhaust a previous owner put on is orgasmic :p


Cheers,
James
very nice james :) looking forward to seeing it in the flesh.. hope you let me have a go :p


how long is your warranty? Is the vibration in 4th only when you hold the stick back?

Might let you have a cheeky spin Reu, cause its you :p

12 month warranty, and yeah vibration in 4th is only when you hold it back. Guy from Abarth said it wasnt anything to worry about, and told me it was only when you hold it back also. I don't know what to make of that. Being the m32 gearbox i just get scared :p
 
Might let you have a cheeky spin Reu, cause its you :p

12 month warranty, and yeah vibration in 4th is only when you hold it back. Guy from Abarth said it wasnt anything to worry about, and told me it was only when you hold it back also. I don't know what to make of that. Being the m32 gearbox i just get scared :p

Nothing to worrie about :) he's correct. Just keep a sharpe ear out I case :) just remember what I told you in iow and you will be fine :)
 
A little update from yesterday.

A couple of mods have been done already, nothing major. I've removed the 'esseesse' stickers from each wing mirror. I just dislike how they look, and one had lost a bit off one of the 'e's anyway, so they've come off.

Secondly i added my Team Heko wind deflectors onto the car, having taken them off my last GP. No clips though, so they are just slotted in. I may have to restick them, or get new clips as they are fractionally loose, with a bit of movement when the window pinches them shut.

I have clear indicators for front and back, soon to go on. I did attempt to do the rears Friday, however for the life of me i can't get them off. I've helped a friend do his, before now i had done my own on my last car...but this AGP they will not budge loose. Reluctant to use force, but i will prevail with that.

I also have some stickers on order. I won't divulge what, yet. They're never ever to anyones taste, but the beauty of car modding is 'each to their own'. So will pick/chose when they arrive what looks good where, and if i'll even use any. But i like stickers :rolleyes:

Lastly, not a mod as its something a previous owner has done. Never the less, i shall leave you with a short video of my Supersprint exhaust on the car. Gives a lovely sound, i do need to get a better vid as this is quite a quiet one, so that will be done when the neighbours are all out as they are elderly. For those who get nervous, the car was started from cold but allowed to warm up prior to anything happening. I waited for the needle and exhaust tone to alter before (y)

Enjoy :)
James


 
You shouldn't have bought it! Hehe jk looks great I say you shouldn't have because it was stikkcror sale in Jan I would have def o been looking to buy it ha
 
You shouldn't have bought it! Hehe jk looks great I say you shouldn't have because it was stikkcror sale in Jan I would have def o been looking to buy it ha

I just replied in your thread about buying an AGP before i saw this here. This was for sale for about 4 months apparently, had high interest but nobody took it - so i did :rolleyes:

Amazing car, i've always wanted one ever since they released the standard GP back in 06, then when these came out in 08 it was inevitable :yuck: You won't regret getting one. Even a standard AGP is worth it IMO, but obviously they will have the more common problems before they replaced them with the reworked APE. For arguments sake you can get more out of an m-jet than what you can with a AGP. Certainly get more bhp out of it (go figure huh).

But overall rawness, and appeal....the AGP wins hands down. I'm in love with mine :devil: I do only get 23 mpg around town though :rolleyes: Can get 40 on a motorway, but the moment that turbo kicks (and it LIKES to kick) you can see mug fulls of fuel being sapped out the needle bar :slayer:
 
It pulls in 6th as well, just at more than legal speeds..... its surprising how much it pulls for being in 6th gear with the sports button on!

Interesting you should say that Tom. Are you not of the belief 6th gear is made of cheese with the m32 gearbox in these beautiful machines. I'm terrified of 6th, only from all the horror stories. If i have i to gain speed on a motorway and i'm already doing 70-80 i'll drop to 5th, which doesnt make the car lurch and i accelerate in 5th, then drop it back to 6th. I literally cruise in 6th, and that is all. Or use it with the cruise control and gradual acceleration with that.
 
Well I balance it, generally try not to go all out in 6th and only when warm. 5th is able to get to 120mph roughly so I mainly just do lazy overtakes in 6th.

I'm on 58,000 roughly now and gearbox seems ok, just 3rd is a bit notchy now and then on a cold day.

Although, yesterday my passenger side window stopped lowering... So will be investigating that next week (off work)
 
Very nice (y) Makes me wish my GP was white, fast becoming my favourite colour for these.
 
M32 boxes are bad but looked after alright there fine , my mates corsa 1.7 has 110k on it and it's on it's first box
 
Wow, i really need to start using the forum more :rolleyes:

Nothing really to new, couple of small bits and bobs. Car is in need of a full detail as is showing some signs of swirlage all over, and the headlights (as i text you about) are fooked. So hoping to swap the headlights over when its not too cold (i'm a wimp). As for mods so far, i've done the rear reg plate lights, i have a nifty before/during/after shot here;

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Aside from this i have just bought a new 7.5m hose for my karcher as the old one burst, and the Autobrite snowfoam lance, as the karcher one is ****e. So ar will be getting some TLC soon enough. Currently he's in winter mode, got the optional extra's on that i kept from my last car as i'm saving the SS's :devil:

Few parting shots of the car so far in the 3 months i've had him. He's already well travelled, being to Milton Keynes cruise, up to Sheffield and a day down in Londannnnnnnn.






 
So nice man, if i didn't do so many miles I would have looked at the Abarth's as opposed to the M-Jet I have. Probably not so bad on the wallet now that petrol is at £1/L

With hindsight i think a lot of people would have been chopping in their rides for more fun and uneconomic cars sooner. So i'm glad i got mine when i did in October, lucky in that respect.

Many many smiles per mile, but with an m-jet you could easily easily tune it to be quicker than my whip. Over on a facebook group a lot of us are apart of there are a few m-jets knocking about pushing 180bhp+, and imagine the torque :eek:

.....and fuel economy!
 
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