360HP Fiat 500 Abarth by Romeo Ferraris to Participate in Italian Endurance Race

Romeo Ferraris, as in the Italian tuning firm and racing car builder, has announced that it will take part in the '6 Hours of Vallelunga' endurance race in Italy on November 22 with its specially developed Fiat 500 Abarth competition model. The carbon-fiber bodied Italian hatch with the humongous rear wing packs a heavily modified 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces a whopping 360 horsepower.

The Team Romeo Ferraris Fiat 500 Abarth will be driven Aldo Cerruti, Michela Cerruti and Mario Ferraris.

We remind that according to Chrysler's business plan, the sporty Fiat 500 Abarth is scheduled to arrive on U.S. shores approximately two years after the standard version of the Italian mini, sometime in 2012.

Abarth Takes to the Seas with Special Racing Powerboat Equipped with Three 350HP V8 Engines

Sure, Fiat's rejuvenated motorsport and tuning division is all about cars, but form time to time Abarth likes to extends its reach on other sports also, even if it's only for promotional reasons. The brand with the Scorpion logo has now teamed up with boatmaker Sacs and designer Christian Grande to create the Powershore Abarth SP (Sport Prototype). Based on the Sacs Strider 12S, the racing powerboat is propelled by three 350HP Yamaha V8 outboard engines, specially built for this version.

The powerboat has also been adorned with Abarth racing graphics from the deck to the interior, driving seats, stowage compartments, controls and dashboard.

Powershore Abarth SP - Technical specifications

Length ft: 12.30 m

Width ft: 3.64 m

Propeller draft: 0.7 m

Fuel tank capacity: 900 l

Water tank capacity: 120 l

Wastewater tank capacity: 51 l

Weight with engines: approx. 5.7 t

Sleeps: 2

Engines: 3 x 350 hp Yamaha

V8 – 350 engine - Technical specifications

Power (HP)

Displacement: 5330 cc

Cylinders: V8 (60°)

Valve gear: 32 valves DOCH

Timing: VCT (Variable camshaft timing)

Fuel system: electronic injection (Multi-Point EFI)

Weight: 365 Kg

Hamann Presents Insane Fiat 500 Largo with 265HP at 2009 Frankfurt Show

The Fiat 500 Abarth has certainly caught the attention of the tuning world in Europe. Making its world premiere at the '09 IAA in Frankfurt, the Hamann Largo is one of the most impressive tuning proposals for the Fiat 500 Abarth yet, putting to shame the official 180HP+ Ferrari-badged Abarth 695 special with its heavily modified 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that makes a jaw-dropping 265 horsepower at 5,630 rpm and 348Nm pr 257 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm. Pretty impressive if you consider that the base model makes a mere 135HP and 206Nm.

Hamann has yet to disclose performance figures, but we reckon that 265 ponies in a car the size and weight of the Fiat 500 should a spectacle worth seeing - don't know about driving though...

A sport exhaust system that includes an end muffler with four pipes, a pre-muffler with a metal catalyser and a sport manifold along with a high-performance brake system with internally ventilated brake discs and 4-piston callipers up front and optional 257mm discs at the rear, as well as a sport suspension that lowers the car's centre of gravity by up to 60 mm complete the list of performance mods.

True to Hamann's nature, the Largo features an aggressively styled bodykit with new fender extensions that broaden the car body by 30mm at the front and 35mm at the back, beefy side skirts, front and rear aprons and a diffuser at the back.

The Largo rides on 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance sport tires measuring 215/35 ZR18 or optionally, 225/35 ZR18.

As for the interior, changes include but are not limited to, an aluminium pedal set, a door mat set and embroidered logos. Pricing and more details are to be announced at a later date.

Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari: Live Photos from the Frankfurt Show

Launched for the very first time at the Frankfurt motor show, the Abarth 695 'Tributo Ferrari' is a specially-prepped version of the Fiat 500. It comes with the Italian firm's 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine modified to produce a little over 180 ponies that are transferred to the front-wheels through a five-speed automated manual gearbox. Other special traits include the 17-inch alloy wheels in a 'Maranello' design, a more powerful Brembo brake system, suspension upgrades and of course, the Ferrari-like Scuderia Red paint finish. Hit the jump for our 'live' gallery or click here for the complete story.

Read more »

Fiat Unleashes 500-Based Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari: Limited Edition Sport Model with Over 180HP

*Updated Gallery with First Photos of the Interior

The same Italian supercar maker that's so protective about its name that went as far as to threaten to take legal actions against a Brit that created a 360 Modena limo unless he removed all Prancing Horse emblems, has now given its blessings for the creation of a special edition version of the Fiat 500 Abarth... And unlike last year's special Fiat 500 that is only used as a courtesy car for the Ferrari sales network, the performance-orientated Abarth 695 'Tributo Ferrari' will go on sale.

Read more »

Fiat Sapor Roadster: Concept Study for a RWD Two-Seater Sports Car

Fiat's link with the Chrysler LLC Group has spurred a wave of speculative reports, product plan forecasts and even design proposals like the Fiat Sapor roadster that was conceived by the crew over at Diseno-Art as an entry-level sports. We see two basic problems with this idea: A. the 500 mini is the only Fiat badged-car set to make it to the States (unless it comes with a Chrysler - Dodge logo) and B. the design itself is very rough, meaning that there's something there, but it definitely needs more work to show its full potential.

According to the designers, the Fiat Sapor's exterior styling is influenced by various Fiat models such as the 124 Spider up front and the X1/9 at the rear. The two-seater features a removable canvas rooftop that stows away into a special compartment behind the rear seats.

As for the roadster's mechanical hardware, the Sapor was designed to feature a front-mounted engine that sends power to the rear wheels. The designers claim that one possible option could be Fiat's 1.4-liter turbocharged four that makes 180HP in the Abarth Grande Punto Esseesse hatch.

Via: Diseno-art

Fiat Releases New Sport Seats for Abarth Grande Punto and Abarth 500

Current or soon-to-be owners of the Abarth Grande Punto and Abarth 500 sport hatchbacks will now be able to enhance their cars with a new set of bucket seats that were created in collaboration with Italian specialist, Sabelt. The lightweight, body retaining sport seats are available in two versions, in Frau black leather with fretworked black Alcantara, or black "F1" technical fabric. Both seats are finished with red thread seams, a distinctive embroidered Abarth name, and the Scorpion Logo on the backrest tilt wheel.

In Britain, the 'Abarth Corse by Sabelt' seats are offered throughout Abarth's 16-strong dealer network and are priced at £2250 per pair (leather) or £1760 per pair (fabric). They will initially be available on the Abarth Grande Punto, followed later in the year by the Abarth 500 version.

Rinspeed's Fiat 500 Abarth E2 with Dual Power Mode

For this year's Geneva Motor Show, Swiss tuner and concept car specialist Rinspeed has developed a modified Fiat 500 Abarth study badged "E2" featuring a dual power mode system that affects the engine electronics. What this system does is, with the touch of a button, it reduces the output of the 500 Abarth's 1.4-liter turbocharged engine, from 160HP to 60HP. The 60-horsepower 'Commuting' mode, which is more suitable for city traffic, helps the 500 Abarth achieve an average consumption of around 4.0 lt / 100 km or 58.8mpg U.S.

Outside the city, the 'Highway' mode frees the 1.4 Turbo engine' 160HP. Fuel consumption in this mode is in the neighborhood of seven liters per 100 kilometers or 33.6mpg US.

"Just like the auto industry has to adjust to the demands of a new era, tuners have to look for new ways to do business as well," said Rinspeed boss Frank M. Rinderknecht.

"I don't believe too much in eco tuning. Many drivers are not willing to miss out on driving fun and don't want to drive a something that announces to the world that they do without. But the number of people who want to use our energy supply responsibly not in the least because they want to protect our environment will grow quickly," he added.

Abarth Gears Up with New Apparel Line

At the beginning of July, Abarth signed a license agreement with Basic Net, owner of Kappa, Robe di Kappa, Superga and K-way brands for the production and sale of Abarth labeled products. Now the Italian automaker has announced that it will reveal its first collection of Kappa apparels at the Paris motorshow in October. The initial lineup will include jackets and long-sleeve t-shirts with sales expected to start in Europe in a few weeks time. -Continued