RE: SOTW: Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo

RE: SOTW: Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo

Friday 17th February 2012

SOTW: Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo

Not quite torque in telephone numbers, but pretty grunty for a shed, we reckon



When you think of cars with 220hp five-cylinder turbo engines, the one that instantly springs to mind is most likely never to drop to shed-depth in the classified ads - the day we see a roadworthy 20-valve Audi Quattro as SOTW would be a dark day indeed, however.


There is, however, an alternative with the same power and mechanical layout (save for the all-wheel drive) that is most definitely available at Shed money - the Fiat Coupe 20-valve Turbo, and it's one of these that we've picked as today's SOTW.

Whatever you think of the Chris Bangle work on the exterior (yes, he of flame-surfaced BMW fame), there's no denying that it's a distinctive shape, though perhaps in a love-it-or-want-to vomit-over-it kind of a way. History also shows that it was quite a forward-thinking shape, its design influencing turn-of-the-millennium Fords and Renaults as well as early-noughties BMWs (think 'New Edge' Fords and second-gen Meganes).


Inside, the Coupe is rather more classically elegant, courtesy of a Pininfarina-designed cabin whose neat use of exterior-coloured paint on the dash lends a spot of quirky sparkle without ever seeming inelegant.

But this coupe isn't about preening - it is (and always has been) about bangs for your buck. And 220hp (and 229lb ft) was sufficient to provide bang equating to a 0-62mph sprint of 6.5secs and a top speed of 155mph. At the time that made it one of the fastest front-drive cars in production, and even today you should be able to keep up (in a straight line at least) with all but the most extreme hot hatches. When it was new, there was an advert for the car with the tag line 'in Italy nobody grows up wanting to be a train driver'. For once that doesn't sound like hyperbole.


It might even have the capability to amuse in the corners, too, with a limited-slip differential helping to keep all that torque at least vaguely in check.

This particular one looks, er, a bit challenging in its green paint/dark wheel combo, but it's done a reasonably 83k miles, has plenty of paperwork with it and has tax and ticket. Crucially, it's also had its cambelt, pulleys and tensioners (and clutch) changed relatively recently, a weakness of these cars (they need doing every 36-30K miles).

Of course, if classical good looks are more your thing, and you don't need (or want) that much power, you could always go for the Fiat's sister car, an Alfa GTV like this one. Provided you're a fan of (very) red leather...

Advert is reproduced below


Fiat coupe turbo 20v uk spec...R reg (1997)
83,500 miles £995

Fiat coupe 20v turbo,uk car. 3 former keepers,83500mls,service hisory,cambelt with all pulleys and tentioners and clutch changed 20k ago cost £1100. Met scots green,graphite alloys,full tan leather,6 stack cd,full electric pack. completely original spec,drives superb,looks great! Tax and mot,all documents in fiat wallet,red key and blue key and also code card. A pleasure to haved owned,performance and looks for little money. £995



Author
Discussion

B'stard Child

Original Poster:

28,284 posts

245 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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Hmmm I've always quite liked the look of these even if they aren't my type

Baryonyx

17,988 posts

158 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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I usually love these, but this colour scheme really makes it look awful!

5charlie46

248 posts

174 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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brilliant cars, loved ours! my dad bought it for my mums birthday then proceeded to drive it everywhere lol

Six Fiend

6,067 posts

214 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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I really like these. Have been ferried about in a couple and loved the noise, feel, looks and well just about everything.

Excellent shedding smile

johnpeat

5,326 posts

264 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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These are seriously quick and fantastic cruisers/GT cars with a nice interior (you can get 4 semi-full-sized people in there).

Not the worlds most fantastic handler (it eventually just noses into everything) but not bad by the standards of the era - their sale point is the straight line grunt/cruising ability which is addictive (and licence threatening!) tho.

There's a bit of road not far from here - a quiet dual which eventually merges back into a single - it's mostly straight and there's nowhere for anyone to hide with a laser gun so let us call it 'my personal test track'. Many a car has been wound-out from the roundabout and most will get to 100 (kph of course) before I've thought better of it and backed-off.

The Fiat 20v Turbo Coupe was showing 135 and it was my passenger (and the owner of said car) who suggested backing-off - it was still pulling like a TRAIN at the time wink It's one of those cars which just cars 'CMON CMON' (and NOT a Corsa!!), that turbo rush and the noise eggs you on all the time (that maybe a bad thing too but I'm assuming here that it's not!!)

For comparison, a Bentley Conti GT didn't actually feel THAT much quicker on the same bit of road - it undoubtedly was (ask the Supra owner we left at the roundabout) but there's a point on public roads where you have 'enough' performance and the Coupe had that in spades.

Also LOVE the colourscheme on this one - the exterior colour and the leather are a fantastic match. The Black Wheels are not tho - they need to go (back to Silver).

Edited by johnpeat on Friday 17th February 01:08

carinaman

21,172 posts

171 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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Fantastic! I love Scotts green and the tan looks better than it did back in the day. I used to pop into Trade Sales in Slough and they had a few grey imports in with this colour interior. I seem to remember Sprint blue ones with tan leather there too.

smile Yes!

CAR called them 911 fast when they had one at their performance car of the year track feature in the late 90s. I think it also won a couple of their Giant Tests. smile

There's a handful of specialists out there and a enthusiastic website for the car. Seems that it's also in the current issue of Practical Classics though that particular title lost some credibility with me when they said the 164 was Alfa's first front wheel drive car.

The problem areas with these are well known and documented. I'm sure a Coupe head will be along shortly.

I can't believe I've just come from looking there for decent ones for sale and came here to check the classifieds here to see one is SOTW. Trouble is finding one that's standard and when they're highly priced there's a lot of other tempting machinery around at that price.

A cracking design from Bangle. Those that bemoaned his BMW work must be really pleased with the hideous current 5 series.

0a

23,878 posts

193 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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What's wrong with the colour? Looks rather modern and very nice to me.

carinaman

21,172 posts

171 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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'Tentioners'?

I want one badly but they don't quite give me wood.

carinaman

21,172 posts

171 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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'When it was new, there was an advert for the car with the tag line 'in Italy nobody grows up wanting to be a train driver'. For once that doesn't sound like hyperbole.'

From memory the blue car in the advert didn't have a front number plate on it did it, leaving those vents in the front bumper on show. Or did it have a smaller Italian number plate on it?


Thanks for the pics. I'd seen this advertised several times, including with photos in a dark car park. I'd not spotted the crumbled bonnet in front of the NS headlamp before seeing these pics. They're like Alfas in that they're such stunning looking cars they don't carry scars or bruising at all well! frown

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-coupe-20v-turbo-uk-...

Edited to add eBay link from a couple of weeks ago. If only eBay sold lives.

Edited by carinaman on Friday 17th February 02:04



Edited by carinaman on Friday 17th February 02:13

carinaman

21,172 posts

171 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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Are the recommended cambelt intervals the same for the four cylinder and five cylinders then Riggers?

Itsallicanafford

2,750 posts

158 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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...my brother had a 20v turbo, in green just like this one, was a bit ratty, he paid about £4 k for it back in the day...rocket ship fast, I remember a brand new boxster trying to overtake us coming off a roundabout onto a long straight, the fiat just blew it's doors off. In a straight line these things are seriously quick, not so good in the corners...

But for the money, these cars have got that 'special' quality.. The 20v burble, the one piece clam shell bonnet, faired headlights, wrap around interior band of body colour on the fascia, alloy fuelcap which is ontop of the wing so you feel like you are fueling a race car...the devil is in the detail...

We also had a non turbo 20v in the family from new, still a good car, but without the turbo bang...contemorary reference but think Saxo VTR quick, but don't try it on with a VTS...the turbo though, awesome...

Edited by Itsallicanafford on Friday 17th February 06:08


Edited by Itsallicanafford on Friday 17th February 06:14

Motorrad

6,811 posts

186 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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Cue torque steer talk and engine out cambelt stories (not true these days).

The car is a sure fire future classic and in 20V Turbo form can still compete with modern stuff.

Good shed.

Rollcage

11,327 posts

191 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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The tan leather is pretty rare, makes the car desireable to the Coupe fans! A lot seem to get broken these days, with that interior its parts value far exceeds it sale price - not that im suggesting breaking it!

acf8181

797 posts

233 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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Great shed....I really have a soft spot for these cars, wish I'd had one

M400 NBL

3,529 posts

211 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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0-60 was pretty quick back in the day, but it was 60-100 (and beyond) which set it apart from most on the road.




carinaman

21,172 posts

171 months

Friday 17th February 2012
quotequote all
M400 NBL said:
0-60 was pretty quick back in the day, but it was 60-100 (and beyond) which set it apart from most on the road.
That reminds me of the LJKS benchmark that a seriously quick car did 60-90 as quickly as it did 0-60. smile

VolvoT5

4,155 posts

173 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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I know nothing about these but I love it anyway. Like the colour and leather, fast, 5 cylinder turbo plus tax and MOT, what more could you want?

carinaman

21,172 posts

171 months

Friday 17th February 2012
quotequote all
VolvoT5 said:
I know nothing about these but I love it anyway. Like the colour and leather, fast, 5 cylinder turbo plus tax and MOT, what more could you want?
This one looks better, but then can't see the images to qualify the 'average condition for year' bodywork:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...


The bonnet crease on the shed reminds me of the legend of 'con amore', the phrase used when asking how the headlamp covers would be kept clean and comparisons with tenderly caressing a pert derrière. The crumple looks like an imprint of the headlamp cover or someone's bottom.

muppet42

323 posts

204 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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Really rather like the Coupe, needs to be the 20VT in my opinion for the combo of 5-cylinder sound and turbo... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed4mbrlP4Bs&fea... From memory, the old 16VT Integrale engined one's a decent goer too if maybe not as characterful.

There's a heck of a lot of thrashed examples out there though mainly down to how cheaply they can change hands for. As with most, I'd always look for an enthusiast owned car that goes into almost too much detail in the ad. This one does look pretty decent and as said, the cambelt and such has been taken care of, miles are pretty decent too. If it were me, I'd probably spend that bit extra and get a Plus or an LE version for some of the extras they had though many owners do add bits from them to the standard cars, which is no bad thing smile

carinaman

21,172 posts

171 months

Friday 17th February 2012
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The 20VT has some chassis changes over the Integrale powered 16VT. It's not just the engines that are different.