General Punto Abarth

[skinner05]

Anyone know what insurance group the standard grande punto abarth will be? im guessing itll be similar to the polo gt which is 13.

Also does anyone know if there will be a remap avaiable that takes it up to the power that the essesse produces?

cheers

 

[ChrisUK]

The Essesse Kit is more than just a remap. Its got an exhaust modification, If I remember correctly a FMIC upgrade too and an ECU program update. and some cosmetic changes too (who cares )

As for insurance groups Id imagine it would be around 13-14 with the Essesse about 16.

Time will tell but don't hold your breath for this year though. Id say last quarter of 2008 at the earliest.

 

[GPS]

i have not heard anything about remapping the standard abarth but i know if you have the ss then it can be remapped to 200bhp maybe more i was thinking about having one but to be honest im sick of waiting so im pimping mine up for the moment then maybe in 12 months ill think about it as prices will have dropped and could probably get the ss for the same price as the standard abarth

 

[ChrisUK]

i have not heard anything about remapping the standard abarth but i know if you have the ss then it can be remapped to 200bhp maybe more i was thinking about having one but to be honest im sick of waiting so im pimping mine up for the moment then maybe in 12 months ill think about it as prices will have dropped and could probably get the ss for the same price as the standard abarth

I very much doubt it....

Mainly because the 'SS' Is a hyped up version of the 155cv motor which is already mapped (with a new exhaust and intercooler) so to remap it by another 20bhp is just asking for disaster IMO. Saying that I ain't and expert on this I just read a hell of a lot off reputable site on the internet .

Maybe 'Oldschool' from GSR engineering could shed some light on the topic :worship:

And I take it you mean wait 12months after launch?, as the current news is dont hold you breath for 2008 .

 

[jassyo]

I very much doubt it....

Mainly because the 'SS' Is a hyped up version of the 155cv motor which is already mapped (with a new exhaust and intercooler) so to remap it by another 20bhp is just asking for disaster IMO. Saying that I ain't and expert on this I just read a hell of a lot off reputable site on the internet .

Maybe 'Oldschool' from GSR engineering could shed some light on the topic :worship:

And I take it you mean wait 12months after launch?, as the current news is dont hold you breath for 2008 .

why is that???? its been on sale in italy 4 months lauch date is march but if by the time march comes and go`s and no abarth then maybe you are right but what are your asumptions based on

 

[ChrisUK]

why is that???? its been on sale in italy 4 months lauch date is march but if by the time march comes and go`s and no abarth then maybe you are right but what are your asumptions based on

From what I've read on the internet and speaking to 3 people at different dealerships as a whole know very little. Just a little strange don't you think 1 months from the start date?. With the 500 they had salesman training etc months before the start date!. So Fiat/Abarth what ever you want to call them either plan on telling no one anything and launch it as a huge surprise or they are putting it off. I'm not sure tbh wouldn't surprise me I don't think it well sell too well here due to the rising inflation and damn ridiculous petrol prices. The people in the market for this car are going to be too young to be able to afford it as a whole (insurance, petrol, rising interest rates!), and maybe fiat know this?.

 

[fiatdownunder]

From what I've read on the internet and speaking to 3 people at different dealerships as a whole know very little. Just a little strange don't you think 1 months from the start date?. With the 500 they had salesman training etc months before the start date!. So Fiat/Abarth what ever you want to call them either plan on telling no one anything and launch it as a huge surprise or they are putting it off. I'm not sure tbh wouldn't surprise me I don't think it well sell too well here due to the rising inflation and damn ridiculous petrol prices. The people in the market for this car are going to be too young to be able to afford it as a whole (insurance, petrol, rising interest rates!), and maybe fiat know this?.

If this is true then how do you explain the great sales of the Golf Gti?
If people want a performance car then they will buy it, providing it is a good car and the get what they pay for!

The Abarth isn't out in Italy yet, why have there been no full road tests yet?
From what i have seen it has only been "sneal photo's" taken and motorshow launches.
Please, if anyone has a road test post it up, or a link, i've got people wanting to hear about it! :bang:

 

[ChrisUK]

If this is true then how do you explain the great sales of the Golf Gti?
If people want a performance car then they will buy it, providing it is a good car and the get what they pay for!

The Abarth isn't out in Italy yet, why have there been no full road tests yet?
From what i have seen it has only been "sneal photo's" taken and motorshow launches.
Please, if anyone has a road test post it up, or a link, i've got people wanting to hear about it! :bang:

Because 50% of people buy them on company money or with a 'Car Allowance'. And they also appeal to older people too. My colleague at work (52yrs old has one). Theres at least 4-5 other people with a GTI on the base I work on all tend to be 35 or over(R.A.F Officers).

The golf GTI is a complete different car to what the Abarth GP is / going to be and appeals to a complete different crowd to the Golf GTI drivers.

And use teh google theres lots of driving vids on youtube of the Abarth and the Essesse.

 

[venomco]

They have already been released in Italy!

http://abarth.it - Go to Officine Abarth, you'll see them buildng the dedicated Abarth dealerships.

http://cgi.ebay.it/AUTO-FIAT-GRANDE...oryZ9843QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


http://cgi.ebay.it/PUNTO-ABARTH-1-4...oryZ9843QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[jassyo]

yeah i agree there is great mystery surrounding the abarth but 1 month or so to launch date is a long time in fiat land they even put back the launch date of the 500 it was suppose to be the 08 jan 08.as for the golf gti very popular on the road now but thats the company car market to blame for that.Dont see anyone buying a gp abarth for a company car.hance smaller demand for the abarth

 

[venomco]

My Mom's got a Golf GTi with the DSG box (Current Model), superb motor, but in an entirely different league to the upcoming Abarth. The Golf is a refined cruiser and then delivers the power when you want it, unlike the Abarth which was obviously not built with cruising in comfort in mind.

Tom

 

[ChrisUK]

yeah i agree there is great mystery surrounding the abarth but 1 month or so to launch date is a long time in fiat land they even put back the launch date of the 500 it was suppose to be the 08 jan 08.as for the golf gti very popular on the road now but thats the company car market to blame for that.Dont see anyone buying a gp abarth for a company car.hance smaller demand for the abarth

Exactly right . Me if I had a company car it would be an Abarth even if its a LHD one :devil: :slayer:

 

[T-Jet 120]

tbh i don't see the abarth coming out in march, unless as someone has said they are keeping it very very quiete. My dealer still knows nothing apart from fiat are planning on building 10 unique 'abarth' dealerships, which in my views is totally stupid, why don't they just realease it asap and sell it at the 10 best dealers across the country. All this secrecy and uncertainy is getting a joke now. Stupid Italians.

 

[ChrisUK]

tbh i don't see the abarth coming out in march, unless as someone has said they are keeping it very very quiete. My dealer still knows nothing apart from fiat are planning on building 10 unique 'abarth' dealerships, which in my views is totally stupid, why don't they just realease it asap and sell it at the 10 best dealers across the country. All this secrecy and uncertainy is getting a joke now. Stupid Italians.

Yup at the end of the day its a very narrow market this car will appeal too and there just going to turn people away with all this BS :bang:.

 

[T-Jet 120]

exactly, how long has all this speculation been going around about the abarth got to be coming up for a year now. It was meant to be launched last november, but it wasn't so i'll put my money on it not being released until at least june, if at all.

 

[sledge]

Fiat are a buisness and in it to make money, not keep people sweet. They will be selling every Abarth they can make right now and will be concentrating on offloading them first in LHD countries where demand is strong and where they can make the most profit from them, like they did with the GP and the 500.
We in the Uk are right down the list simply because its a niche car thats not going to sell in large numbers and because of the cost issues involved in making a relatively small number of RHD versions. The Uk wont get a look in until demand for the car eases off on the continent and thats why there are no dates yet.

Remember the VW (new) Beetle when that came out?........ It took VW almost 2 years to make a RHD version and get it on the market here.

 

[T-Jet 120]

Fiat are a buisness and in it to make money, not keep people sweet. They will be selling every Abarth they can make right now and will be concentrating on offloading them first in LHD countries where demand is strong and where they can make the most profit from them, like they did with the GP and the 500.
We in the Uk are right down the list simply because its a niche car thats not going to sell in large numbers and because of the cost issues involved in making a relatively small number of RHD versions. The Uk wont get a look in until demand for the car eases off on the continent and thats why there are no dates yet.

Remember the VW (new) Beetle when that came out?........ It took VW almost 2 years to make a RHD version and get it on the market here.

If fiat are in it to make money then they build 10 new abarth dealerships, why not just use the best ones already available? Also i'm sure they make more profit on cars that then sell in the UK as they are more expensive over here compared to the rest of europe.

 

[jassyo]

Fiat are a buisness and in it to make money, not keep people sweet. They will be selling every Abarth they can make right now and will be concentrating on offloading them first in LHD countries where demand is strong and where they can make the most profit from them, like they did with the GP and the 500.
We in the Uk are right down the list simply because its a niche car thats not going to sell in large numbers and because of the cost issues involved in making a relatively small number of RHD versions. The Uk wont get a look in until demand for the car eases off on the continent and thats why there are no dates yet.

Remember the VW (new) Beetle when that came out?........ It took VW almost 2 years to make a RHD version and get it on the market here.

the vw beetle was in a whole different ball game to the abarth,the beetle had more hype around it than the 500&mini put together,hence the long wait for the rhd version's abarths hype of what it was has wained immensly hype non existent now.its been viewed by jo public for a year now.it aint even fresh looking now.a lot to do with sales success of a car is its timing on to the market fiat have missed that opportunity i my opinion

 

[Venters]

If fiat are in it to make money then they build 10 new abarth dealerships, why not just use the best ones already available? Also i'm sure they make more profit on cars that then sell in the UK as they are more expensive over here compared to the rest of europe.

Cars over here are more exspensive because of tax not manufacturer mark up.

 

[puntokris]

I don't think it well sell too well here due to the rising inflation and damn ridiculous petrol prices. The people in the market for this car are going to be too young to be able to afford it as a whole (insurance, petrol, rising interest rates!), and maybe fiat know this?.

But the UK has also got one of the largest hot hatch markets (in comaparison) in europe. Take the clio trophy for example, 500 odd were made and over half sent over here because hot hatches sell well. Seat sold more cupra Rs over here than in the rest of europe (apparently)

If fiat are in it to make money then they build 10 new abarth dealerships, why not just use the best ones already available? Also i'm sure they make more profit on cars that then sell in the UK as they are more expensive over here compared to the rest of europe.

Fiat want abarth to be a recognised brand name and not just seen as an 'add on' company. They want to revitalise the brand to open up other opportunities.