General Abarth 500 Real World MPG

[306maxi]

I took a monster Clio 172 (about 250bhp) around Brands a few years ago and was lapping faster than anyone else on the day - this was a damp february day, the main competition being another racer in his Ferrari 360. I'm not normally a fan of the Clio but that particular car on that day was one of the best I've ever driven - shame that you could only do a few laps at a time before the brakes cooked.

Don't quite understand why you wouldn't be a fan of the Clio It's one of the best front wheel drivers around. The one I went in was a Cup and it had coilovers which were professionally set up, carbon fiber corbeau seats, fast road/track pads, some very mild engine work (he said at best it might be making close to 200 horsies) and some Goodyear Eagle F1's as are OEM fit on the Panda's and it was stupidly quick. I shudder to think what it would be like with 250 and the 888's he planning to get.

 

[Stuart J]

Don't quite understand why you wouldn't be a fan of the Clio It's one of the best front wheel drivers around. The one I went in was a Cup and it had coilovers which were professionally set up, carbon fiber corbeau seats, fast road/track pads, some very mild engine work (he said at best it might be making close to 200 horsies) and some Goodyear Eagle F1's as are OEM fit on the Panda's and it was stupidly quick. I shudder to think what it would be like with 250 and the 888's he planning to get.

Tell him to watch the 888's in standing water, I went from all grip to no grip at 50 on a french motorway in a 4WD car with them, very deep water but the French in their Euroboxes were running possibly 20 mph faster than me with no probs. The grip loss is sudden and just a tadge scary

 

[jimbro1000]

I've tried a few clio sports (3 generations) and I've never really gelled with them. I don't deny they are good, that much is obvious and I've raced against enough of them to know how stupidly quick they are in proper race trim but I've experienced total brake loss in every single one without much effort (not as bad as the Megane R27 though - that took just 3 minutes of fairly hard driving).

I've also seen too many people trying to put the fire out on their brakes in the paddock or hammering away on them trying to unseize them.

There is another side to it - anyone can drive one of those clios fast. It is a car that compliments drivers of all levels of skill. Personally I prefer something that rewards the driver for trying harder.

 

[306maxi]

Tell him to watch the 888's in standing water, I went from all grip to no grip at 50 on a french motorway in a 4WD car with them, very deep water but the French in their Euroboxes were running possibly 20 mph faster than me with no probs. The grip loss is sudden and just a tadge scary

He's going to run them on a second set of rims so they won't be used on the road other than to scrub them in Definitely no running them in standing water.

 

[DraigFlag87]

The little A500 does well against a RS Clio here

 

[306maxi]

The little A500 does well against a RS Clio here

YouTube - Clio RS VS 500 Abarth Esseesse Circuit du Laquais 2010

You have to remember that most trackdays don't allow overtaking....... But anyway right at the end he just puts his foot down and streams past the Abarth.....

 

[jimbro1000]

You have to remember that most trackdays don't allow overtaking....... But anyway right at the end he just puts his foot down and streams past the Abarth.....

It is practically impossible to know how hard each of the two drivers were pushing their cars but the Abarth was struggling under braking while the Clio was immensely smooth and holding it's line through the bends. You could explain it any number of ways but driver experience appears to be the answer here. The overtake at the end was by consensus though. The SS held left and backed off a bit and the Clio driver got a little caught out at first and had to back off a bit as well before he went around. It could have been a missed gear or another error but that does not appear to be the case. Either way it was a track day so you can't really read anything into it at all except that both drivers were trying reasonably hard judging by their speed.

One small point of note, the Clio might have a bigger engine and more peak power but the turbo engine in the Abarths has very similar torque despite the smaller size which means a tussle like this one is consistent with the relative performance of the cars.

 

[306maxi]

It is practically impossible to know how hard each of the two drivers were pushing their cars but the Abarth was struggling under braking while the Clio was immensely smooth and holding it's line through the bends. You could explain it any number of ways but driver experience appears to be the answer here. The overtake at the end was by consensus though. The SS held left and backed off a bit and the Clio driver got a little caught out at first and had to back off a bit as well before he went around. It could have been a missed gear or another error but that does not appear to be the case. Either way it was a track day so you can't really read anything into it at all except that both drivers were trying reasonably hard judging by their speed.

One small point of note, the Clio might have a bigger engine and more peak power but the turbo engine in the Abarths has very similar torque despite the smaller size which means a tussle like this one is consistent with the relative performance of the cars.

Yup

The areas where I'm not happy with my 500's handling are bumpy corners and as you mention, under braking where it can feel very squirrely. Being a trackday of course overtaking had to be by consent but with a Clio and an Abarth actually racing together on a circuit the Clio will win everytime given equal drivers. Lets also not forget that this is an Abarth SS so the price is up there with the Clio cup which will be even faster.....

I do like the A500, in terms of looks it's nicer than the Clio by a mile, but as a performance car it's let down by its Panda roots.

 

[jimbro1000]

The problem is you are comparing the 500 with the Clio instead of the Twingo. The direct comparison on the Clio is with the AGP...

 

[306maxi]

The problem is you are comparing the 500 with the Clio instead of the Twingo. The direct comparison on the Clio is with the AGP...

If Fiat want to price their car up there with a Clio then those comparison's are going to be made. It's like a restaurant pricing a frying steak up there with a fillet or rib eye steak.

 

[DraigFlag87]

If Fiat want to price their car up there with a Clio then those comparison's are going to be made. It's like a restaurant pricing a frying steak up there with a fillet or rib eye steak.

No Maxi, the Clio starts at £16,710 for the Renaultsport 200 Cup, and £17,710 for the Renaultsport 200 (Renault's website?!)

The Abarth Punto EVO starts at £16,500 whereas the A500 starts at £14,100

 

[306maxi]

No Maxi, the Clio starts at £16,710 for the Renaultsport 200 Cup, and £17,710 for the Renaultsport 200 (Renault's website?!)

The Abarth Punto EVO starts at £16,500 whereas the A500 starts at £14,100

The car in the video is an SS. How much is one of them? Thought so.....

 

[DraigFlag87]

The car in the video is an SS. How much is one of them? Thought so.....

But a Clio with similar spec still costs more. The A500 has more standard equipment and besides, you said it yourself, the A500 is better looking, both inside and out. For me, a car that is nice to look at every day is worth more than a few seconds on a track once a year (if that) Again, just my opinion

 

[sikersh]

Plus the Clio is a predictable chavs car

"Clio innit!"

 

[306maxi]

But a Clio with similar spec still costs more. The A500 has more standard equipment and besides, you said it yourself, the A500 is better looking, both inside and out. For me, a car that is nice to look at every day is worth more than a few seconds on a track once a year (if that) Again, just my opinion

So what you're saying is that an A500 is a posers car?

 

[306maxi]

Plus the Clio is a predictable chavs car

"Clio innit!"

What sort of place do you live in where the chavs have 16k to put down on a Clio Cup?

 

[DraigFlag87]

So what you're saying is that an A500 is a posers car?

No not at all. It turns a few heads sure, but whenever i see a nice car, i look at the car, not the driver. The new Clio is imo absolutely hideous, the front grille area doesn't even look like a car anymore, it looks like some plastic prop from Star Trek, truly hideous. I much prefer the looks of the A500.

 

[306maxi]

No not at all. It turns a few heads sure, but whenever i see a nice car, i look at the car, not the driver. The new Clio is imo absolutely hideous, the front grille area doesn't even look like a car anymore, it looks like some plastic prop from Star Trek, truly hideous. I much prefer the looks of the A500.

I agree that the A500 is better looking. But the Clio is faster.

 

[DraigFlag87]

I agree that the A500 is better looking. But the Clio is faster.

Yea i think we established that a while ago

(and the reasons i prefer the A500 etc)

 

[ChrisUK]

What sort of place do you live in where the chavs have 16k to put down on a Clio Cup?

Near me tbh. Bleeding the benefits system dry so they can have one. Disability benefit for a 'bad back'. Parks up in a bright yellow clio cup then climbs up ladders to clean his gutters etc .

What I found weird about that vid is why the 4way blinkers round most of the footage? would drive me nutz following that! And for what it is the A500 is quick, no getting away from its Panda roots handling wise though (judging by that clip). Would benefit long time by a Quaffe LSD!