Save up to 15% with Adrian Flux insurance!

General The 500C abarth is here!!!..(maxi):-)

Currently reading:
General The 500C abarth is here!!!..(maxi):-)

The 500 has a 4 cylinder engine in the front. Has Fiat turned it's back on it's heritage, and stuck a big middle finger up to the protectors of their name?
No.


A car manufacturers only purpose is to build cars they can sell. If you like the car fine. If you don't fine. But don't try legitimise a complaint with cries of blasphemy.
 
Venters said:
The 500 has a 4 cylinder engine in the front. Has Fiat turned it's back on it's heritage, and stuck a big middle finger up to the protectors of their name?
No.


A car manufacturers only purpose is to build cars they can sell. If you like the car fine. If you don't fine. But don't try legitimise a complaint with cries of blasphemy.
Click to expand...
Venters, it's more the concept of it all. I mean tbh for me the car in the current lineup which is most like the original 500 is the Panda. I've always maintained that the current 500 is only very superficially based on the concept of the original 500. I was one of the few people who in a sense stood up for the new Mini when a lot of the people who'd bought 500's at launch were saying how the new Mini was nothing like the original. Pot, kettle, black IMHO
 
Last edited:
Venters said:
A car manufacturers only purpose is to build cars they can sell. If you like the car fine. If you don't fine. But don't try legitimise a complaint with cries of blasphemy.
Click to expand...

Agreed to an extent. But when a company raids the history books to come up with an evocative brand they used to be associated with that built up its history and character through competition at all levels and then gives us a blingy marketing exercise, they'll get some negative reactions. I see no reason they can't target both the shiny/bling and the true-to-its-roots aspects of the brand. Even more customers then :)
 
306maxi said:
it's more the concept of it all.
Click to expand...

That's it though. A concept is something created in the mind. Using personnal understanding of the situation.
Fiats priority concepts are ways of selling more cars. So they make cars that will sell. This will easily outsell any stripped out rattle bomb.

People need toget over it. Fiats not a guy whoes been investigated by the RSPCA 10 times in the last year and the 500 isn't you dog which has been missing a week but your sure you can hear barking from Fiats hut.
 
jnoiles said:
Agreed to an extent. But when a company raids the history books to come up with an evocative brand they used to be associated with that built up its history and character through competition at all levels and then gives us a blingy marketing exercise, they'll get some negative reactions. I see no reason they can't target both the shiny/bling and the true-to-its-roots aspects of the brand. Even more customers then :)
Click to expand...

You could say that Fiat are raiding the history books with the standard 500, after all it's not got a tiny engine in the back with a dipstick for a fuel gauge. It does have lots of shiny blingy plastic chrome on it though.

Better to have Abarth as it is than not at all, and as Venters says Fiat are in the business of selling cars.
 
Venters said:
That's it though. A concept is something created in the mind. Using personnal understanding of the situation.
Fiats priority concepts are ways of selling more cars. So they make cars that will sell. This will easily outsell any stripped out rattle bomb.

People need toget over it. Fiats not a guy whoes been investigated by the RSPCA 10 times in the last year and the 500 isn't you dog which has been missing a week but your sure you can hear barking from Fiats hut.
Click to expand...
At the end of the day it makes little difference to me. I'm not one of these people who is uber precious about things like some people are on the forums when you get someone saying something negative about Fiat, but I guess I just don't like the cynical marketing exercise that is adding a bit of bling on cars that aren't really as good as they could be. IMHO of course ;)

I also think the way it's all been done by making Abarth a seperate brand has harmed Abarth's competition aspirations because the S2000 car has had the minimum amount of effort put into it and consequently Skoda and Peugeot pretty much screw them on most events.
 
I love it! Can't wait to see it in the flesh on Tuesday.

It looks as if it will be my next car - I was pining for the hatchback until I saw official pictures of this. I'm now wanting it!

Mid 2011 will be my aim, by then my 500 will have done its third year.

My guess is it will be £17,800 before options. I'd be happy to be corrected on this though.
 
Exoticaholic said:
I love it! Can't wait to see it in the flesh on Tuesday.

It looks as if it will be my next car - I was pining for the hatchback until I saw official pictures of this. I'm now wanting it!

Mid 2011 will be my aim, by then my 500 will have done its third year.

My guess is it will be £17,800 before options. I'd be happy to be corrected on this though.
Click to expand...

:eek:

and i'm out...
 
[duncan bannatyne]and for that reason along with the fact that it's naff, ugly and probably won't drive very well with having lost a great deal of its torsional rigidity.... I'M OOT[/duncan bannatyne]

:p
 
306maxi said:
[duncan bannatyne]and for that reason along with the fact that it's naff, ugly and probably won't drive very well with having lost a great deal of its torsional rigidity.... I'M OOT[/duncan bannatyne]

:p
Click to expand...

and i present your new avatar :D

duncan_bannatyne.jpg
 
306maxi said:
At the end of the day it makes little difference to me. I'm not one of these people who is uber precious about things like some people are on the forums when you get someone saying something negative about Fiat, but I guess I just don't like the cynical marketing exercise that is adding a bit of bling on cars that aren't really as good as they could be. IMHO of course ;)

I also think the way it's all been done by making Abarth a seperate brand has harmed Abarth's competition aspirations because the S2000 car has had the minimum amount of effort put into it and consequently Skoda and Peugeot pretty much screw them on most events.
Click to expand...

Maxi - the 500 is a marketing exercise and you bought into it. It does have added bling ( Lounge ) and it's also not as good as it could have been.
 
I think it is shocking that they have sacrificed the Abarth heritage.

The 500cA should have its bonnet permanently propped open to improve the cooling, and a periscope fitted for the driver to see where he is going. Only this sort of 60s engineering solution will do in the modern age for a company trying to make interesting fun cars that sell in worthwhile numbers.

:devil:
 
Ulpian said:
I think it is shocking that they have sacrificed the Abarth heritage.

The 500cA should have its bonnet permanently propped open to improve the cooling, and a periscope fitted for the driver to see where he is going. Only this sort of 60s engineering solution will do in the modern age for a company trying to make interesting fun cars that sell in worthwhile numbers.

:devil:
Click to expand...

And driven backwards to get the full nostalgic effect:)
 
Ok guys, i've been thinking about this, and how controversial it is. So here's my verdict. Abarth, we all know they are just Fiats with T-jet engines (and good engines they are too) I think it's nice Fiat decided to revive the brand after such a long dormant spell. It's linked to the old race/tuning name, but that doesn't mean they're just going to build a race prepped shell for the track (even though technically they have what with the Assetto Corse, and the R3T priced at around £50,000 a piece!)

We can see that Fiat like to recycle their cars (Panda/500/punto engine/Ford Ka etc) which helps keep design/production costs low and efficient. So as there is already a 500C, why the hell not have an Abarth 500C? We can see they have built a Panda, Panda 4x4 and as a result, maybe a 500 4x4 which has no link to the past at all, and really has no relation to anything produced by Fiat for decades.

Not many people today (especially young 'uns) make the link between the brand Abarth and the old racing days when Abarth were in their prime, so having a convertible version of a fairly quick stylish car is imo a good thing and can only appeal to a wider audience. I think whilst the Abarth 500 appeals to both young, old, male, female, the A500C would appeal to mostly girls who perhaps want all the style and thrills of the A500, just with that added girly side, and maybe those who are considering a 500C who would be willing to stretch their budget to get a slightly quicker car with more extras. I will quote myself again "the A500C is not making the A500 worse, it's making the 500C better" (y)

Remember folks, the majority of people buy cars these days for "image" the 500 is as others have said a lifestyle car with an appealing image. I'm guessing 90% of people who buy an A500 will never race it or track it, and i'm guessing that almost 100% of those who buy an A500C will never do this either.

So that's my verdict, like it or lump it. I think my mind was clearer before i started typing this (probably my fault for watching the Butterfly effect just now!)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
General Abarth diverter hose FS
Replies
0
Views
78
Ralph Mason
R
I
Technical 2015 Abarth 500C Drivers side armrest
Replies
0
Views
764
ijhursh
I
S
Technical EPS failure - where is the EPS grounding cable located?
Replies
4
Views
628
the green vanper
the green vanper
skidbarth
Technical Abarth esseesse - KYB vs. Koni struts
Replies
0
Views
199
skidbarth
skidbarth
B
Technical where is idle air sensor
Replies
5
Views
472
bigdustyman
B
Back
Top