Fiat 500 Abarth 180hp - Okay for a Bloke to Drive?
Discussion
I owned mine for about a year and loved it.
Driving one I noticed that a fair few of the ones I saw on the road were driven by fairly large looking guys. They didn't look prats in the car at all.
Your mates wont laugh at the car once you take them for a drive. Most of my mates used to take the mick but after going for a ride realised its a great car!
Driving one I noticed that a fair few of the ones I saw on the road were driven by fairly large looking guys. They didn't look prats in the car at all.
Your mates wont laugh at the car once you take them for a drive. Most of my mates used to take the mick but after going for a ride realised its a great car!
I have a BMW 3.0 z4 coupe and mrs 873 has an Abarth 500 essesse with the Koenig springs and damper kit (a must have) in the primer grey colour
I have not fired up the z4 in 3 weeks!
One thing ...... I makes you drive like a tit sometimes as it just encourages you to get the exhausts to pop and crackle especially in city centres!
I have not fired up the z4 in 3 weeks!
One thing ...... I makes you drive like a tit sometimes as it just encourages you to get the exhausts to pop and crackle especially in city centres!
Ive owned mine for a year now. Its a great little car, so much fun and quite nippy too. It always recieves a lot of attention because they are so rare. I often get people giving me the thumbs up, pulling up along side at traffic lights to ask questions or ill catch them peering through the glass of the drivers door having a gander. I do get some stick off my mates for driving it, but when they have a look inside they nearly always change their mind. Plus they dont have any taste anyway, they all think Astra diesels are good.
jacklewisno1 said:
Fantuzzi said:
Why are they still your friends...I've driven one, cancerous cars.
Yes ive driven a few and they are dreadful, not as bad as diesel Corsas though. I have to make allowances 'tuzzi, their simply arent enough well educated car enthusiasts about. No idea who is buying these sort of cars, they aren't as good as the cheapish VAG options, the old Passat might as well have been a Bentley next to the astra, and are pricier than the Korean cars, that are surprisingly good.
Right I am going to look for one close by to see if I can test drive one.
Ideal spec I think for me is 180hp, Sabelts, Black with Anthras
te wheels (The ones similar tot heprimer grey photo above). IF I can find one....
Ive got a 2012 E92 320d Sport Plus sat in a basement car park on getting driven once a week if its lucky. doing about 20-100 miles a month for the sake of £375pcm on a PCP deal. I dont even enjoy driving it!
I guess there's nothing to worry about financially with the Fiat 500 then? I cant imagine it being anything except piss cheap to run.
Ive had approval from my girlfriend and my close friends
Ideal spec I think for me is 180hp, Sabelts, Black with Anthras
te wheels (The ones similar tot heprimer grey photo above). IF I can find one....Ive got a 2012 E92 320d Sport Plus sat in a basement car park on getting driven once a week if its lucky. doing about 20-100 miles a month for the sake of £375pcm on a PCP deal. I dont even enjoy driving it!
I guess there's nothing to worry about financially with the Fiat 500 then? I cant imagine it being anything except piss cheap to run.
Ive had approval from my girlfriend and my close friends
I think the Esseesse kits make 160. There's forums dedicated to tinkering with them though if that's your boat (it's plenty for the car IMO). I drive quite spiritedly and not yet found an occasion where the car doesn't have more to give. I'm getting 33mpg with a lovely 20 mile country road commute (but also a couple of very short daily trips). Others seem to be more concerned with this and get well into the 40s.
Abarths were all I believe 135bhp standard.
The Essesse kit is a remap to 160 plus wheels brakes and koni shocks (not all cars have all the parts) also a monza back box gives some extra sounds.
Many tuning companies offer remaps to 180-190 for between £350-500.
You can do this remap on a standard car straight from 135 bhp if it's just the engine you want tuning.
The standard remapped car inc essesse appear to have max outputs under 200 bhp due to a small IHI turbo.
The special editions (Ferrari, maserati and 695 have I believe the larger turbo from Garrett which is standard on the punto abarth evo.)
I'm sure 180-190 is enough in a car of this size for most people.
I only found all this out in the last 2 weeks as I have bought one for commuting.
I can get 40 odd mpg quite easily but am regularly seeing 35 plus without hanging around.
I have a cls biturbo pushing out 700bhp and the missus has a m135i, the merc hasn't moved since I bought the abarth!
I have had mixed responses from Pimps car to Girls car but with the start up noise from the monza I just get a big grin and enjoy the car for what it is.
It's probably got too many stickers for most people but I've only had it 2 weeks and tbh am undecided about them myself but I love it.
The Essesse kit is a remap to 160 plus wheels brakes and koni shocks (not all cars have all the parts) also a monza back box gives some extra sounds.
Many tuning companies offer remaps to 180-190 for between £350-500.
You can do this remap on a standard car straight from 135 bhp if it's just the engine you want tuning.
The standard remapped car inc essesse appear to have max outputs under 200 bhp due to a small IHI turbo.
The special editions (Ferrari, maserati and 695 have I believe the larger turbo from Garrett which is standard on the punto abarth evo.)
I'm sure 180-190 is enough in a car of this size for most people.
I only found all this out in the last 2 weeks as I have bought one for commuting.
I can get 40 odd mpg quite easily but am regularly seeing 35 plus without hanging around.
I have a cls biturbo pushing out 700bhp and the missus has a m135i, the merc hasn't moved since I bought the abarth!
I have had mixed responses from Pimps car to Girls car but with the start up noise from the monza I just get a big grin and enjoy the car for what it is.
It's probably got too many stickers for most people but I've only had it 2 weeks and tbh am undecided about them myself but I love it.
Edited by Charliesum on Saturday 31st May 09:09
Great response thanks for that.
Do you think its b because you have a big, well put together car that you find it so fun?
I was given a Micra Diesel for a courtesy car and honestly its probably some of the most fun ive ever had in a car before. But I had a nice car to go back to.
I think Im going to hate whatever I have until I can afford M3's etc so at least I can hate it on a smaller budget.
Do you think its b because you have a big, well put together car that you find it so fun?
I was given a Micra Diesel for a courtesy car and honestly its probably some of the most fun ive ever had in a car before. But I had a nice car to go back to.
I think Im going to hate whatever I have until I can afford M3's etc so at least I can hate it on a smaller budget.
I had a mito diesel for commuting which whilst obviously slow when tuned had bags of torque for a lightish car and did 55 mpg even when doing silly speeds, I changed this to a new mito sportiva which was standard mito 105 bhp multi air 875cc with qv body kit and wheels.
I was assured by the dealer it would do similar mpg on a commute... Utter garbage,, crap car,,, couldn't wait to get out of it, and nearly bought a new s1 audi to run but at 30k ish was plainly ridiculous as a second car (for me anyway).
Speak to Dan at Meridien Milano Portsmouth, I wish I had first and not bought the alfa!
I traded in the new mito after losing the vat... for the abarth, it's on 17s from the essesse kit which gives it a nice feel but hasn't the best turning circle for a small car, something that I'm getting used to on 3 point turns !!
I think the best option is find a dealer who will let you try out the range of cars and then let you decide.
It's surprisingly soft on a daily long run, the car thumps about but the seat softens most of it.
Give it a go
If your really worried about the image, photo shop yourself in the car, but make sure your smiling in the pic !!
I was assured by the dealer it would do similar mpg on a commute... Utter garbage,, crap car,,, couldn't wait to get out of it, and nearly bought a new s1 audi to run but at 30k ish was plainly ridiculous as a second car (for me anyway).
Speak to Dan at Meridien Milano Portsmouth, I wish I had first and not bought the alfa!
I traded in the new mito after losing the vat... for the abarth, it's on 17s from the essesse kit which gives it a nice feel but hasn't the best turning circle for a small car, something that I'm getting used to on 3 point turns !!
I think the best option is find a dealer who will let you try out the range of cars and then let you decide.
It's surprisingly soft on a daily long run, the car thumps about but the seat softens most of it.
Give it a go
If your really worried about the image, photo shop yourself in the car, but make sure your smiling in the pic !!
Had a grey essesse when they first came out, 3rd in country at the time….great fun. No-one knew what it was and were soon staring at my disappearing tailpipes ! No gender problems ! Only thing bad i can say is they are not for long journeys….Manchester to Swansea and back in a day…..numb arse for a week !
grale23 said:
Had a gay essesse when I first came out, 3rd in country at the time….great fun. No-one knew what I was and were soon staring at my disappearing tailpipes ! No gender problems though ! Only thing bad i can say is they are not for long journeys….Manchester to Swansea and back in a day…..numb arse for a week !
I wonder how that numb arse came about...(Sorry........Just a completely diff. story with a few letters changed....)
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