Fiat Abarth 500 and Punto Video

Fiat Abarth 500 and Punto Video Transcript

[ Music ] ^M00:00:06

>> Now, if you grew up screwing around with Fiats when you were a kid like I did, the name Abarth is magic, and it still is. Here's the reincarnation of the Abarth-Fiat marriage on a 500 also over there on that Punto. The 500 here is really the hot one. One point four liter, turbo-charged inline four, a little putt-putt motor, but it's getting a 140 horsepower. So that's a very stout number. Zero to 60 is 7.9. Not a blisteringly fast car, but certainly green inducing. That power goes out through an interesting gearbox. Those controls right there go to one of those automated manual dual-clutch gearbox. Unusual arrangement of the controls there as is the top. We don't get a lot of these in the U.S., a true cabriolet where you have a framed canvas top that will roll back but at all times the whole side rail and roof frame structure stays in place. Very European kind of thing. Of course, you've got bigger alloy wheels, a body kit all around, a lowering kit, a sports suspension, all the usual stuff, but this would not be a car that sells for high dollars. So that's part of the magic is aiming at an affordable market segment. Now, unfortunately, this car is not slotted for U.S. delivery. Neither is that Punto in Abarth trim, but they are getting closer to bringing Fiat technology at least more to our shores if not this car. We've got to see what happens with Chrysler, Fiat, Alfa, Launcha. That whole mess is still yet to be sorted out, but this is an example of how they take something simple and make it very hot coming from Fiat. ^M00:01:37 [ Music ]