General My 595 Competizione (temp loan car)

[grimwau]

I thought I would post this even though it is only a courtesy car as I'm not sure if any one else on the forum owns one or has posted any pics. So below are some just for anyone who hasn't had the opportunity to see one. Differences to mine (apart from the manual transmission) are: Sabelt seats, wheels, sill embellishers, pedals, Monza exhaust, crackle effect dash a and satin finish to the door handles, boot handle and front whisker.





The downside of the Sabelts is that you loose two airbags and they are not (IMHO) as comfortable as the leather seats in my Turismo

 

[loveshandbags]

I thought I would post this even though it is only a courtesy car as I'm not sure if any one else on the forum owns one or has posted any pics. So below are some just for anyone who hasn't had the opportunity to see one. Differences to mine (apart from the manual transmission) are: Sabelt seats, wheels, sill embellishers, pedals, Monza exhaust, crackle effect dash and satin finish to the door handles, boot handle and front whisker.
...
The downside of the Sabelts is that you loose two airbags and they are not (IMHO) as comfortable as the leather seats in my Turismo

Great pictures Tony.

Those Sabelts look nice but after a 'little' accident off a ladder last week my T12 vertebrae might prefer the comfort of the leather seats.

Any difference in performance with the Monza and did you re-adjust to the manual easily after your 595 ?

Good comparison after the recent thread on black or white. I bet the neighbours must think have you lost your marbles with another 500 on the driveway.

Shame that the 595 does not come with the esseesse wheels.

 

[Adrian Bravo]

How do you find the manual transmission compared with your MTA?

That 595 is really very nice but one thing that caught my eye immediately is the exhaust. It looks very missmatched and ruins the way the back looks. The two cut outs are obviously designed to take a single larger pipe each rather than the two small pipes next to each other.

 

[grimwau]

Great pictures Tony.

Those Sabelts look nice but after a 'little' accident off a ladder last week my T12 vertebrae might prefer the comfort of the leather seats.

Any difference in performance with the Monza and did you re-adjust to the manual easily after your 595 ?

Good comparison after the recent thread on black or white. I bet the neighbours must think have you lost your marbles with another 500 on the driveway.

Shame that the 595 does not come with the esseesse wheels.

Well Michael, that sounded a bit Déjà Vu to me as it was just about a year ago I fractured my T12 and you are right, the leather seats are kinder to the ample form.

I found that the Monza was quite noisy, even when the valve was closed and I certainly didn't notice any performance difference in normal driving although I dare say you might see a slight improvement on a dyno graph.

I agree about the esseesse wheels, at this price they should be standard items, not a £1700+ option. Regarding going back to manual transmission I thought I would like it, after all the MTA box will never be as sweet as a manual, but surprisingly, despite it's shortcomings, once you learn to modify your driving style it is surprisingly easy to like.

 

[grimwau]

How do you find the manual transmission compared with your MTA?

That 595 is really very nice but one thing that caught my eye immediately is the exhaust. It looks very out of place and ruins the way the back looks. The two cut outs are obviously designed to take a single larger pipe each rather than the two small pipes next to each other.

Sorry Adrian, got you confused with someone else.

See my reply to multispoke, sorry! I mean loveshandbags re transmission and I agree with you about the look of the exhaust.

 

[loveshandbags]

I agree about the esseesse wheels, at this price they should be standard items, not a £1700+ option. Regarding going back to manual transmission I thought I would like it, after all the MTA box will never be as sweet as a manual, but surprisingly, despite it's shortcomings, once you learn to modify your driving style it is surprisingly easy to like.

Has anyone compared the price of a A500 + the esseesee kit + the badges verus a genuine 595 if one just wanted a manual ?

Is there any saving particularly if one wanted the esseesse wheels.

I found that the Monza was quite noisy, even when the valve was closed and I certainly didn't notice any performance difference in normal driving although I dare say you might see a slight improvement on a dyno graph.

I reckon for the everyday driving the Monza could get tiresome but it does look the business. Not too sure many would notice the difference on the size of the cut-outs.

Well Michael, that sounded a bit Déjà Vu to me as it was just about a year ago I fractured my T12 and you are right, the leather seats are kinder to the ample form.

Mine is a 10% compression fracture. Lost around 0.5cm in height - handy for sunroofed 500s.

 

[nottsfiat07]

I do like those seats! And I agree regarding the exhaust, don't like the look with the original cut outs. Plus I would never have another black one! Mine is chipped to buggery (anyone who looks at mine at MITcar must either admire from a distance or look with squinty eyes lol

 

[Gregi]

I found that the Monza was quite noisy, even when the valve was closed and I certainly didn't notice any performance difference in normal driving although I dare say you might see a slight improvement on a dyno graph.

How did you find Monza noise on motorway when driving at about 130-140 kph (80-90 mph) on 5th gear? I am considering fitting it somewhere in the future but I am afraid of its loudness especially as I drive Abarth mainly on long routes (almost no city driving at all).

 

[OrangeSport]

Losing the airbags would be deal killer for me.

 

[grimwau]

How did you find Monza noise on motorway when driving at about 130-140 kph (80-90 mph) on 5th gear? I am considering fitting it somewhere in the future but I am afraid of its loudness especially as I drive Abarth mainly on long routes (almost no city driving at all).

Gregi, sorry but I never got to go any faster than 40MPH but I imagine that once you start to go faster you might leave some of the noise behind you.

Mach1 would be a good starting point methinks.

 

[chas379]

Looking at the pic's there appears to be some 'geezer' squatting in the road???:yuck::devil:

 

[grimwau]

Looking at the pic's there appears to be some 'geezer' squatting in the road???:yuck::devil:

Chas, I noticed that as well, handsome looking bloke. Shame that the curvature of the car's bodywork made him look a little on the plump side.

 

[loveshandbags]

Chas, I noticed that as well, handsome looking bloke. Shame that the curvature of the car's bodywork made him look a little on the plump side.

I thought that was some 30 thirty year old bloke who keeps fit and is game ball for anything.

 

[grimwau]

You are very perceptive Michael.