Thursday 14th April 2011

Italian Tuner Creates Mid-Engined 500 Abarth

Motore Centrale R230 brings 230bhp, rear-wheel drive and mid-mounted engine to Fiat 500. Sounds good to us...

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Italian aftermarket firm Aznom has moved the engine in the Fiat 500 Abarth Esseesse one notch closer to its proper place (ie out behind the rear axles) by creating a mid-engined version of the Italian hatch.

In place of the back seats goes a 230bhp version of the blown 1.4 Abarth engine. Driving the rear wheels.

The car is called the Motore Centrale R230 (we can see how that name came about), and Aznom claims a top speed of 155mph, with the 0-62mph sprint covered in around 5.0 seconds. Hilariously, Aznom says it is working on a lightweight 900kg track version with up to 280bhp.

But for now fans of maddened Abarths will have to 'make do' with the road version, which gets larger brakes, its engine mounted in a custom cradle, and Bilstein suspension.

No prices have as yet been revealed for the car, which will make its public debut at the Top Marques show in Monaco this week.

[jellison]

Top Idea.

[TAHodgson]

Want one! RWD, 230bhp in a car with such a tiny wheelbase must be a right laugh.

[ZOLLAR]

article said:

The care is called the Motore Centrale R230 (we can see how that name came about), ...

What's a "care"?, .


Edit loving the bonkers 500

[Marf]

Love it

[Shinobi]

I want this alot, but engine in the boot. Not sure about that being better.

[cybersimon]

Why didn't he leave the one in the front too?

[Riggers]

ZOLLAR said:

article said:

The care is called the Motore Centrale R230 (we can see how that name came about), ...

What's a "care"?, .


Edit loving the bonkers 500

It's a car you get over-excited abotu and typ 'e' by accident... :facepalm:

[MarJay]

Want. That would be an awesome street sleeper with a bum basic trim spec and a ridiculously tuned motor. I want that car!

[Proxy]

Riggers said:

It's a car you get over-excited abotu and typ 'e' by accident... :facepalm:

Read that one back to yourself

Would love a shot of one of these!
That'll be a mental little car!

[Fittster]

So we have the Fiat version of the Clio V6.

[james_tigerwoods]

Bonkers - We need more info!

[Fluffsri]

More pics and more info. That would be a handfull and a lot of fun.

[ZOLLAR]

Riggers said:

ZOLLAR said:

article said:

The care is called the Motore Centrale R230 (we can see how that name came about), ...

What's a "care"?, .


Edit loving the bonkers 500

It's a car you get over-excited abotu and typ 'e' by accident... :facepalm:

Its got you very excited!

[evenflow]

Want one. Badly.

[kambites]

If you're going to take the back seats out and replace them with an engine, why use a four-pot?

[PetrolHeadSeb]

Love it!

Amongst all the doom and gloom of hybrids, emissions and... ... It's great to see something a bit lairy come out

[Liquid Knight]

kambites said:

If you're going to take the back seats out and replace them with an engine, why use a four-pot?

Because you can put another one in the front. Does 480bhp four wheel drive and 1170Kg sound good?

[Riggers]

ZOLLAR said:

Riggers said:

ZOLLAR said:

article said:

The care is called the Motore Centrale R230 (we can see how that name came about), ...

What's a "care"?, .


Edit loving the bonkers 500

It's a car you get over-excited abotu and typ 'e' by accident... :facepalm:

Its got you very excited!

Oh dear oh dear oh dear... i'll just be off home now shall I...?

[gofasterrosssco]

Excellent! Lets just hope this doesnt add ~300kg in the process of going mid-engined... I doubt it will as it uses the same engine, anmd is hopefully stripped out a bit to help account for the additional rear sub-frame etc.

[DJC]

Carlo would approved.