New Pictures from Abarth:






Assetto Corse

That looks pretty special - should sell extremely well. I wonder if there will be a new race formula starting for 500s soon?

Just imagine a field of 25+ 500s hurtling round Paddock Bend at Brands Hatch.

there is already a 500 one make race.
it looks lower with bigger wheels poss wider arches on front and the whiskers look narow,nice

Now that is very nice, especially the colour.

That looks great

Shame! Pics have gone!

Here you go, unfortunately could not amend my original post

Love the red and grey, still not keen on the lower front styling... too much overhang and black plastic but the rest is looking good.

Cool as fudge!

I'm not too sure if I'm convinved on the OZ racing style alloys, at first I was in favour of these and then I grew to like the tungsten colour ones on the normal Abarth 500.

Just as a sidenote, I have started an Abarth forum. It won't lest me post a link yet so I'm sorry for sort of spamming.

Is this the one :- http://abarth.oxyhost.com/

ClubAbarth said:

I'm not too sure if I'm convinved on the OZ racing style alloys, at first I was in favour of these and then I grew to like the tungsten colour ones on the normal Abarth 500.
.

Click to expand...

Me too... the Oz's look too much MaxPower

But the rest is really nice!

Jim

I love every last little bit of it, especially the wheels! The rear end of it looks stunning.

Wheels look ace, hope it lives upto the hype though, it has to thoroughly cane the twingo and probably stick with a cooper s.

I think the 500 series are standard 1.4 sports, have seen them the last few weekends on transporters being carted around here.

also can we just call it a 500SS ???

I still don't see why the power outputs aren't the same as the punto equivalents though, especially as it is likely to cost the same, ie. £13.5K for the standard one and £17.5-18K for the esseesse. I'm also not sure now many they'll sell at these prices, (I don't think it will be a common sight).

It will apparently have the Alfa Q2 system aswell – the AGP esseesse doesn’t.

j3bnl Yeah that was the link, thanks for that.

OPC Lots, that's how many they will sell, everyone bar a select minority have instantly fallen for the Abarth 500, and when that happens you have another Mini on your hands (the original one) where everyone needs to have it. The essesse kit makes the price seem steep indeed, a couple of grand more and we are talking Scirocco money (I know that is indeed unfair but that is much more car for the moeny).

The thing that sells the Abarth though is the Italian passion, just like Top Gear say about Alfa Romeo, I believe Abarth captures it also.

On a sidenote, why does the second press shot show a crate with "asseto corso" on it, if the picture is of the essesse car, the asseto corso does not appear until the last picture :S.

Ryan

ClubAbarth said:

On a sidenote, why does the second press shot show a crate with "asseto corso" on it, if the picture is of the essesse car, the asseto corso does not appear until the last picture :S.

Click to expand...

Assetto Corse translates as "Racing Trim" and is just the name that appears on the side of all the Abarth wooden creates, even the Esseesse kit for the AGP.

However, Assetto Corse is also the name for the racing kit available to those who want to take part on the 500 Abarth Challenge, details here: http://www.myabarth.co.uk/2008/09/fiat-500-abarth-assetto-corse-technical-specifications/

200bhp from a 1.4 ain't bad, huh?

The 500 Esseesse has 160bhp, details here: http://www.myabarth.co.uk/2008/09/fiat-500-abarth-esseesse-technical-specifications/

ClubAbarth said:

essesse kit makes the price seem steep indeed, a couple of grand more and we are talking Scirocco money (I know that is indeed unfair but that is much more car for the moeny).

Click to expand...

You can get a 1 year old civic type R for £13,000 thats more car and more performance than the 500ss for LESS money.

AlexK said:

The 500 Esseesse has 160bhp, details here:

Click to expand...

Can't help but be dissapointed at this i may be putting nails in its coffin but with only 160bhp its not going to compete with the current hot hatch bunch. and the other thing if i am to believe the specs of the ss it gains its extra 25 bhp from a bmc air filter and no other engine tuning ???

white 500 said:

You can get a 1 year old civic type R for £13,000 thats more car and more performance than the 500ss for LESS money.

Can't help but be dissapointed at this i may be putting nails in its coffin but with only 160bhp its not going to compete with the current hot hatch bunch. and the other thing if i am to believe the specs of the ss it gains its extra 25 bhp from a bmc air filter and no other engine tuning ???

Click to expand...

160hp for the size and weight of the car, I would say is pretty good.

white 500 said:

Can't help but be dissapointed at this i may be putting nails in its coffin but with only 160bhp its not going to compete with the current hot hatch bunch.

Click to expand...

I think it will compete just fine. The standard 500 Abarth has 135bhp and I bet that's no slouch as it is. With 160bhp, I'm sure the 500 will be great fun.

white 500 said:

and the other thing if i am to believe the specs of the ss it gains its extra 25 bhp from a bmc air filter and no other engine tuning ???

Click to expand...

Looks that way. Remember, it's the same engine as used in the Grande Punto Abarth, and that has 155bhp in standard form. The lower state of tune is almost certain to be down to ECU software, so the kit effectively just lifts the restriction, plus a few other toys (and quite a lot of mods in the handling department, don't forget).

The standard GP Abarth has 155bhp, the Esseesse 180bhp. That's a 25bhp difference. Seems logical to me that the 500 Abarth Esseesse kit should also add 25bhp (135+25=160).

If you want more, get an Assetto Corse with its 200bhp and go racing.