RE: Abarth Punto: Unsung Hero
Discussion
TallTom said:
Hopefully servicing it at 6k miles with the SS kit on it? Or did it change for the Evo?
Oil change every 6k with SS kit, not a service every 6k, there is a distinct difference there when it comes to costing, something else the dealers struggle with, but service intervals remain the same, mileage based.ZiggyNiva said:
Always been a massive fan of the Punto (well the grande and the MK1 anyway). Had a MK1 as my first car. Still hope to get a GT one day, but most are now trashed ;(.
Anyway I always like any excuse to post this
Aaah the Puntograle. Further to my earlier post, THAT is what they should have made...Anyway I always like any excuse to post this
They're great cars!
I've got the Grande Punto T-Jet. It has the same engine as fitted to the A500's, and the Grande Punto Abarth's but have different Cams and turbo.
These cars are greatly understated to me, quick (in a warm hatch way) built a lot better than Fiat's history makes you believe and have a MASSIVE following for them.
They're a very rare car, and the people who buy them mostly seem to know what it is, and appreciate them for that.
Cracking little cars, and a remap on some of them will see over 200hp. Bearing in mind the Grande Punto only weight 1100kgs dry.
I put mine on a weighbridge, with 2 fat gits, fluids and a full tank of fuel it came in at 1290. I can believe the weight.
Mine states 8.9 to 60, on a wet surface which was a little broken I got 8.3.
A dry surface, running on Super Unleaded with fumes left in the tank I reckon I could get sub 7.
I've got the Grande Punto T-Jet. It has the same engine as fitted to the A500's, and the Grande Punto Abarth's but have different Cams and turbo.
These cars are greatly understated to me, quick (in a warm hatch way) built a lot better than Fiat's history makes you believe and have a MASSIVE following for them.
They're a very rare car, and the people who buy them mostly seem to know what it is, and appreciate them for that.
Cracking little cars, and a remap on some of them will see over 200hp. Bearing in mind the Grande Punto only weight 1100kgs dry.
I put mine on a weighbridge, with 2 fat gits, fluids and a full tank of fuel it came in at 1290. I can believe the weight.
Mine states 8.9 to 60, on a wet surface which was a little broken I got 8.3.
A dry surface, running on Super Unleaded with fumes left in the tank I reckon I could get sub 7.
Test drove one of these ~2 years ago pretty much by accident. Went to have a look at a 500 Abarth for the wife which we both found completely horrendous to drive, when informing the salesmen of thanks but no thanks he insisted we take one out, think it was the Evo variety and I couldn't believe how much better it was the the 500, it felt like a well built, well setup hot hatch - something the 500 was far from.
Didn't buy it however, as the looks were too 'boy racer' for my wife's taste, she had / still has a point on that.
Didn't buy it however, as the looks were too 'boy racer' for my wife's taste, she had / still has a point on that.
sh33n said:
Test drove one of these ~2 years ago pretty much by accident. Went to have a look at a 500 Abarth for the wife which we both found completely horrendous to drive, when informing the salesmen of thanks but no thanks he insisted we take one out, think it was the Evo variety and I couldn't believe how much better it was the the 500, it felt like a well built, well setup hot hatch - something the 500 was far from.
Didn't buy it however, as the looks were too 'boy racer' for my wife's taste, she had / still has a point on that.
Are you a mental? Please forcefully get a hold of yourself this is a great auto, maybe your wifes needed a tuneup or was a retarded model a one off, but this is great car!Didn't buy it however, as the looks were too 'boy racer' for my wife's taste, she had / still has a point on that.
sandys said:
Only thing that mars the ownership experience is dealing with Abarth dealers who know very little about it either, you're lucky to get the right oil put in it at a service, assuming you can convince them that yes it does need an oil change before its 18k service .... 
^This.Exactly the experience I've had with my Abarth 500SS.
I've got a soft spot for these Abarth Punto's, they look superb and even as standard they sound lovely! I've only ever seen one on the roads, a Red one. They seem quite characterful, they remind me a little of the VXR's, old school, unruly but got something out them..
I looked at the Super Sport briefly, along with the other mid size class hot hatches but choose the Fiesta Mk7 ST instead.
I looked at the Super Sport briefly, along with the other mid size class hot hatches but choose the Fiesta Mk7 ST instead.
A guy I used to work with specced up an Evo with the full Esse Esse kit...took months for the dealer to actually get every last bit of said kit fitted. Can't remember the specific parts that took the extra time but may well have been silly stuff like the badges and such. With my experience of Fiat dealers, it sounds about right - they haven't a clue and once they sell you the car they don't give a flying feck about you :/
The cars themselves though are normally characterful things, which I keep find myself buying despite the urge to get something else. I drove a simple 1.4 16v Sporting GP a few years back and I have to say it felt awful. Almost broken in some way but then maybe that was the owner's fault
I had the Stilo at the time with the 1.2 of the same engine and they felt poles apart in terms of handling and build quality ie my Stilo (happily) was the better of the two.
The cars themselves though are normally characterful things, which I keep find myself buying despite the urge to get something else. I drove a simple 1.4 16v Sporting GP a few years back and I have to say it felt awful. Almost broken in some way but then maybe that was the owner's fault
I had the Stilo at the time with the 1.2 of the same engine and they felt poles apart in terms of handling and build quality ie my Stilo (happily) was the better of the two.Currently own an APE, it's a hoot to drive, 26000 miles on it, sounds throaty, great 0-60 time, and as said above supposedly 160bhp but on a test ran just under 180. Completely standard except for panel filter and updated discs, didn't like the stopping power of the originals. Just don't go to a fiat stealer for aftercare, find a decent specialist that won't rip you off and knows the car/brand.
RyCliff said:
I really like the look of these for the price when compared to the 500.
I think they share the same engine as the original fast Alfa MiTo but not sure how each compare, I would be interested to find out. I know the Alfa has the DNA system which may or may not make it a better drive
The Grande Punto Abarth shares the same engine as the A500 (T-Jet Engine) I think they share the same engine as the original fast Alfa MiTo but not sure how each compare, I would be interested to find out. I know the Alfa has the DNA system which may or may not make it a better drive
The Punto Evo Abarth uses a 1.4 Multiair enginer (Electonically controlled cams I think)
The T-Jet engine is more modifyable than the Multiair units due to the cam control being done by the camshaft on them.
A good friend has got a Grande Punto Abarth to well over 200hp using a few choice mods, and is running in reliably.
A multiair unit, a map is apparently the limit of what you can do.
R2T2 said:
RyCliff said:
I really like the look of these for the price when compared to the 500.
I think they share the same engine as the original fast Alfa MiTo but not sure how each compare, I would be interested to find out. I know the Alfa has the DNA system which may or may not make it a better drive
The Grande Punto Abarth shares the same engine as the A500 (T-Jet Engine) I think they share the same engine as the original fast Alfa MiTo but not sure how each compare, I would be interested to find out. I know the Alfa has the DNA system which may or may not make it a better drive
The Punto Evo Abarth uses a 1.4 Multiair enginer (Electonically controlled cams I think)
The T-Jet engine is more modifyable than the Multiair units due to the cam control being done by the camshaft on them.
A good friend has got a Grande Punto Abarth to well over 200hp using a few choice mods, and is running in reliably.
A multiair unit, a map is apparently the limit of what you can do.
Done a little more reading and there is definitely also a T-Jet engined MiTo with 155BHP, though they also don't seem to be all that common.
RyCliff said:
R2T2 said:
RyCliff said:
I really like the look of these for the price when compared to the 500.
I think they share the same engine as the original fast Alfa MiTo but not sure how each compare, I would be interested to find out. I know the Alfa has the DNA system which may or may not make it a better drive
The Grande Punto Abarth shares the same engine as the A500 (T-Jet Engine) I think they share the same engine as the original fast Alfa MiTo but not sure how each compare, I would be interested to find out. I know the Alfa has the DNA system which may or may not make it a better drive
The Punto Evo Abarth uses a 1.4 Multiair enginer (Electonically controlled cams I think)
The T-Jet engine is more modifyable than the Multiair units due to the cam control being done by the camshaft on them.
A good friend has got a Grande Punto Abarth to well over 200hp using a few choice mods, and is running in reliably.
A multiair unit, a map is apparently the limit of what you can do.
Done a little more reading and there is definitely also a T-Jet engined MiTo with 155BHP, though they also don't seem to be all that common.
Fiat also did a non-Abarth T-Jet Engined car (snappily named the Fiat Grande Punto T-Jet) and these, with a few modifications can run 200hp for £1500 of mods.
Intercooler: £300
Turbo from the Mito/AGP/A500:300
Remap:300
Custom Turbo-back exhaust: £600.
You can go further and uprate fuel pumps, boost actuators, Corsa/Astra VXR injectors but much over 230hp the engine has enough. To get more, you need to do a top end rebuild. After that though, you can run a TD04 from an Impreza (needs a new manifold though!) and 250-300is acheivable.
A friend has an Abarth Grande Punto, and with the map incomplete he's running over 200hp - from a 1.4!
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