1980 Fiat X1/9 Targa on 2040-cars

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1960s Fiat 500F becomes 960-piece Lego Creator Expert kit

Properly restored, the rear-engined Fiat 500 released in 1957 is worth more than most late-model front-engined examples. Lego is making it more accessible by adding a 1960s 500F model to its Creator Expert line of kits. This isn't the first Lego Fiat 500 we've seen, but we're not sure if this official one is related to the unofficial one we last saw back in 2018. The 960-piece set measures about four inches high, nine inches long, and four inches wide, meaning it will take up quite a bit of space on your desk. Lego recreated the 500's proportions with surprising accuracy, and its designers included details like the round headlights, the chromed emblem on the front fascia, the dish-shaped hubcaps, and the vented rear decklid. It's not as realistic as a die-cast model, but it's recognizable as a 500. Opening the hood reveals the gas tank and the spare tire — just like on the real car. Lego has thankfully left out the rust that tends to develop in the battery tray, which is right behind the front fascia. Both doors open to reveal a three-spoke steering wheel with a Fiat logo, a moving gear selector, a handbrake lever you can raise and lower, as well as a folding soft top — again, just like on the actual 500F. Lower the decklid to find the Danish firm's best rendition of Fiat's air-cooled twin, which in real life develops 18 horsepower and 22 pound-feet of torque in the 500F. Zero to 60 mph (its top speed) optimistically takes about a minute if you're on flat ground with a favorable tail wind. The replica's zero-to-60-mph time depends on what you're carrying it in. It totes a suitcase on its back everywhere it goes, and the kit includes a painting of a 500 in front of the Coliseum propped up on an easel. Lego will release its Fiat 500 on March 1. Sold online and through authorized retailers, it's priced at $89.99, which makes it a bargain compared to a vintage one. The catch is that you can't take it out for gelato. If you'd rather invest in one you can drive to cars and coffee, there's a 1967 500F just like the one Lego offers in its kit listed in the Hemmings classifieds for the princely sum of $29,500, or about $27 per pound — yikes. Related Video: Featured Gallery Fiat 500F Lego kit View 14 Photos Toys/Games Fiat

2013 Fiat 500 Turbo

Diet Abarth
Try as I might, I just can't bring myself to stick to a routine of drinking diet soda. Nevermind the fact that I'm trying to cut soda out of my life altogether - every now and then, I just want the high-octane stuff, and diet simply won't do. If I'm already going to subject myself to the sweeteners and caffeine, I'm going to take the calories that go along with it.
Some people feel the same way about cars (go big or go home!), but I'm not one of them - I often see the merit in less-potent machines that automakers offer. For example, while I simply adored the Mini John Cooper Works GP that I recently tested, I still said I'd rather have a Cooper S Hardtop every day. And while the Ford Focus ST may have been crowned the winner in my hot hatch comparison test from last year, my experience in the Fiesta ST a couple of months ago reminded me yet again that less can indeed be more.

2016 Fiat 500X First Drive [w/videos]

Fiat's return to the US market four years ago is already cooling off. Neither the Lilliputian 500 or its larger sibling, the 500L, have caught on with mainstream customers. Both were designed years ago for European roads, which are tight and crowded. That's the antithesis of America's driving ethos. Fiat knows this, and its answer is the 2016 500X. It lays the brand's curvy design over a crossover-style package with available all-wheel-drive. There's more room for cargo to suit our national preference for extra space. The 500X still has Italian charm, but it feels more at home on US roads than other Fiats. Put simply, the 500X isn't a transplant, it's made for American buyers (even if it's assembled in Italy, alongside the Jeep Renegade). We were skeptical that the 500X could turn around Fiat's fortunes, but this cute crossover had a way of winning us over. Maybe it was the bright arancio paint (Italian for "orange") of our test car, the most expressive of the 12 exterior hues. Even in the shadowy indoor setting where our test drive begins, in Culver City, CA, this car stands out. In stark contrast, the black and grey interior is subdued and tasteful. Out test car is a Trekking model, the middle of five trim levels, fitted with the optional 2.4-liter engine. This naturally aspirated four-cylinder is a 'free' upgrade from the standard 1.4-liter turbo, but mandates the addition of a nine-speed automatic transmission for $1,500. Taking off through morning traffic, we head for the Santa Monica Freeway. At the entrance we're pitted against an older Toyota Camry in an on-ramp drag race. We lay on the throttle to put the Tigershark engine's 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque into full use, and leave the Camry in the dust. As we head north toward Malibu, we can already tell that the 500X feels like a different kind of Fiat, more substantial. It fills the lane. There's an upright driving position, and we feel confident cruising along at 70 miles per hour. Okay, so the 500X can handle an interstate, but what about an open road? We make our way to the Pacific Coast Highway, California's State Route 1, a logical place to test Fiat's claim of being more in step with American buyers. There are stoplights. People wander across the street towards the beach. Cars pass us and we pass them. Subtract the ocean air and surfers, and this road is what a lot of US motorists deal with every day. The 500X is all up for it.