2012 Fiat 500 Pop on 2040-cars

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2019 Fiat 500 Abarth Final Drive | Farewell to the Hellmouse

The market for tiny hot hatchbacks hatchbacks was always small in the United States, but it's getting even smaller. The Ford Fiesta ST has joined the dearly departed and soon to join it is the Fiat 500 Abarth, which Fiat has announced will go away along with its less caffeinated 500 siblings. Before it does, though, we got one more romp in the little monster and learned that, even with its age and rough edges, it’s still one of the most fun and charismatic machines you can get for the money. You're reminded of it the second you twist the switchblade key. The little turbo 1.4-liter four-cylinder has a gnarly burble at idle that wouldnÂ’t seem out of place in a muscle car. It only gets better when you start cruising around. The burble becomes a raging howl, and shifting right at redline results in a whiplike crack. ItÂ’s intoxicating. The 500 Abarth is boisterous, but itÂ’s not exactly fast. At 160 horsepower and 183 pound-feet of torque, most of its competition, such as the Veloster Turbo and Civic Si, feature at least 200 horsepower. The turbo isnÂ’t especially fast to spool up, and the engine isnÂ’t quick to rev either. But itÂ’s peppy enough, and the slowly building boost comes on very smoothly. As such, itÂ’s easy to manipulate what power the Abarth has. And the exhaustÂ’s placebo effect is omnipresent. But make sure the car is in Sport mode. If it isnÂ’t, the amount of boost is restricted, making the Abarth feel more like the normal 135-horsepower 500, and no amount of noise will distract you from that. The tiny turbo engine can be paired with either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The manual is a pretty average unit. The shifter is well-placed, but the throws are long and ropey. The pedal position is excellent, making rev-matched downshifts easy. Only having five gears to choose from seems strange in this day and age, but the long-ish ratios work nicely with the slow, low-revving engine. And you donÂ’t have to mess with the wriggly shifter too much. The automaticÂ’s six ratios feel like a good number, and each ratio is closely spaced, which helps keep the car in the power band. It shifts quite smoothly and fairly quickly, too, whether youÂ’re in automatic or manual mode. The automatic even makes smart downshifts when slowing for corners. ItÂ’s a good unit that doesnÂ’t detract from the experience. Curiously, the automatic model makes more torque at 183 pound-feet to the manualÂ’s 170.

Jay Leno gifts wounded warrior a Fiat 124 Spider Abarth

Comedian and car guy Jay Leno is making the talk show rounds ahead of the debut of the new season of Jay Leno's Garage. After revisiting his old digs at The Tonight Show on Monday, Leno arrived on the set of The Today Show Tuesday morning, and much as he did in 2014, one of America's wounded veterans was the big beneficiary. Stephanie Morris, a US Army specialist was stationed at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan when two rocket-propelled grenades landed inside the base's perimeter, shattering her left femur and fracturing her right foot. What followed was three years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where Spc. Morris worked to keep her right leg, undergoing intensive physical therapy and three dozen failed surgeries before ultimately deciding on amputation following her participation in the Warrior Games last June. The amputation was on the Fourth of July. Leno, who's long been a supporter of American troops and an active USO participant, met with Spc. Morris, and took her for a spin in the new Fiat 124 Abarth Spider. And like Leno did in 2014 when he gave Corporal Ethan Laberge a Dodge Challenger Hellcat, Morris's visit with the comedian ended with the Abarth's keys in her hand. Watch the video above. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Abarth trim of Fiat 124 Spider reportedly debuts in Geneva

Keep your eyes open for the possible debut of the high-performance Abarth version of the Fiat 124 Spider at the Geneva Motor Show, which opens March 1. Alfredo Altavilla, FCA's chief operating officer for Europe, told Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera the hotter droptop would debut in Switzerland, according to Road & Track. Unfortunately, he simply said the convertible would be there and didn't offer any details about its upgrades. Rumors paint a fairly complete picture about what to expect from the Abarth 124. European models would likely make 170 horsepower from a tuned version of the regular one's 1.4-liter turbocharged engine. However, there would also be an even hotter EsseEsse trim, which the US would get, with around 220 horsepower. Achieving that much power might require a new engine, and it's possible the convertible could borrow the 1.75-liter turbo unit from the Alfa Romeo 4C. Spy shots show the Abarth has a more aggressive look to match its extra performance. The body features larger front takes, bigger side sills, and dual-exit exhausts at each corner of the rear. Reports also suggest Fiat would borrow from the classic 124 Spider by offering options like a removable hardtop and blacked-out hood. During the standard 124 Spider's debut at the LA Auto Show, Olivier Francois, global head of the Fiat brand, said the company plans to market the new convertible as a relatively affordable but distinctly Italian sports car. A Ferrari might be out of a buyer's reach, but a Fiat is attainable. The Abarth's extra performance seems like a perfect way to further that message, and we can't wait to see it. Related Video: