Following in the footsteps of the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari, this year’s Geneva Motor Show will see a 695 Tributo Maserati. The custom Fiat 500C is a special tribute edition for Maserti, with only 499 units to be produced by Abarth.

Powering the 695 Tributo Maserati will be a 1.4L Turbo T-Jet engine with 180-hp paired with an Abarth Competizione transmission. The exhaust will be Abarth’s Record Monza unit with “dual mode” volume control and will sport hexagonal-shaped tips, paying homage to the design found on Maserati vehicles.

On all four corners are Maserati-designed 17-inch Neptun wheels while Brembo brakes reside behind each wheel. Suspension changes include upgraded shock absorbers. Completing the aesthetics on this limited edition Abarth is a three-stage clearcoat Pontevecchio Bordeaux paint with a gray-fabric soft top. Xenon headlights will be standard on the Tributo Maserati.

The interior has been accented with sand beige Poltrana Frau leather and the number 695 has been heat-printed onto the headrests. A matte-carbon look can be seen on the dashboard and shifter trim, which also sports the 695 logo. The black leather steering wheel gets a tri-color treatment of leather inserts while famed timepiece manufacturer Jaeger LeCoultre produced the instrument panel. Of course each vehicle has been numbered.

Last but not least, as with all limited edition Abarth models, the Tributo Maserati will come with the Tramontano Tribute to Abarth Travel Pack, which consists of two gray leather travel bags.

GALLERY: Abarth 695 Tributo Maserati

Sex sells, even if you don’t quite know what that pretty lady is saying.

Luckily we’ve got the subbed version of the popular Fiat 500 Abarth advertisement, right here! This spot, which was proved to be one of the most successful ads seen during the superbowl, was first seen way back in November. That doesn’t really matter, as we can’t get enough of it!

Check out the translations in the video below.

Continue Reading…

This Fiat 500 Abarth ad hit the spot with viewers, and showed the biggest increase in internet traffic during the course of the Super Bowl.

Edmunds revealed that the commercial showed the greatest increase of traffic to the models page on their site. Using measurements at 7 different points during Sundays game, Edmunds found that the Fiat section of their site had a 138 percent rise in activity at the end of the game.

The effective commercial follows Abarth’s “Small, but wicked” catch-phrase, and is sure to catch your attention in just 60 seconds.

The Abarth is going to be hitting North America some time this year, featuring track-ready performance and small car fuel efficiency.

Check it out in the video below.

Continue Reading…

10: Audi TT RS

Classic car insurance company Hagerty has just released its annual list of vehicles that it expects will become the collector cars of the future. The list of “affordable” collector cars is capped at $100,000 and comes on the heels of the annual Scottsdale collector car auction week.

“After more than twenty years of witnessing car-collecting trends, we have the unique ability to look at new cars through the eyes of a collector,” said McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty Insurance. “This year’s Hot List includes cars that are sure to develop a cult-like following because their characteristics resonate with driving enthusiasts.”

Starting off the list, and a favorite of ours is the Audi TT RS which retails for $56,850 and is a favorite amongst automotive enthusiasts as an affordable, fun ride without having to indulge into Porsche costs. The TT RS has plenty of global appeal which means it’ll have plenty of global demand down the road. And besides, Audi consistently finds itself at the Le Mans podium; you just can’t argue with success.

Fiat has finally announced the pricing on their 500 Abarth model for the American market, starting at $22,000 and will include a segment-exclusive, full-day Abarth driving experience.

The 500 model that’s been “designed for track-day enthusiasts and driving purists who want the ultimate high-performance small car at an attainable price,” the 500 Abarth is powered by a 1.4L MultiAir Turbo engine with 160-hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. The rest of the vehicle has also been tweaked for a truly sporty driving experience, including Abarth-tuned suspension, brake systems, dual exhaust, turbo-boost gauge with integrated LED shift light and 16-inch wheels.

Fiat will throw in an Abarth Driving Experience for new owners, offering them the opportunity to attend a segment-exclusive driving experience at no additional charge. The Abarth Driving Experience features a full day of driving training with instructors from the Richard Petty Driving Experience in a safe and structured setting.

GALLERY: Fiat 500 Abarth

It’s no surprise that the 500′s return to North America did not make the splash that Fiat expected. Having sold less than 20,000 vehicles in its first model year in the United States, the 500 only did half as well as the company initially forecasted.

The success of the 500 is essential to the Italian automaker’s re-entry into the North American market. In Europe, Fiat sold more than 770,000 units since the 500′s introduction in 2007. Fiat/Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne admitted that the 500′s weak performance was in part due to overly-optimistic forecasting. “We thought we were going to show up and just because of the fact people like gelato and pasta, people will buy it.”

However, Fiat believes that creating variants for the 500 could help boost its popularity.

Set for unveiling at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show, Fiat hopes that a 5-door Fiat 500 wagon will find better success in the North American market. The official release date of the Fiat 500 wagon is slated for 2013, while a sportier Fiat Abarth hot hatch will be available for sale later this year.

Whether the 500 wagon will boost Fiat sales remains to be seen. While the wagon’s dimensions will be slightly larger and more suitable for American consumers, station wagons are historically unpopular in North America.

[Source: Car Connection]

Pricing for the Fiat 500 Abarth model has finally been announced, starting at $22,000 making it cheaper than the Volkswagen GTI, MINI Cooper S and (presumably) the Hyundai Veloster Turbo.

Though the comparisons with the other models aren’t exactly apples to apples on paper, Fiat’s 500 Abarth has the most impressive power-to-weight ratio compared. With 160-hp and 170 lb-ft of torque in a 2,533-lb body, the Abarth, in a way, provides the best bang for the buck.

It’s powered by a race-inspired 1.4L MultiAir Turbocharged engine and also features Abarth-tuned suspension, brake systems, dual exhaust, turbo-boost gauge with integrated LED shift light and 16-inch wheels. The interior also gets some race-inspired amenities with performance seats featuring a one-piece design with large side bolsters and racing-harness pass through with accent stitching. It’ll come standard with BLUE&ME Handsfree Communication, Bose premium audio and steering-wheel mounted audio controls.

GALLERY: Fiat 500 Abarth

Rather than a version of the Alfa Romeo 4C, Abarth‘s upcoming sports car will be a front-drive machine. Rumors of a stand-alone model for the Fiat performance brand have been circiling for months, with initial speculation that Fiat would share the 4C among brands.

Not so, says the latest report, claiming instead that the Abarth brand’s flagship sports car will put power to the front wheels. How much power? Look for a number in the 200 to 250 hp range, indicating that the car will get an engine larger than the turbocharged 1.4-liter found in the Fiat 500 Abarth model – which debuted at the LA Auto Show last month and which will go on sale in North America soon.

Inspiration for the car is said to come from the 1968 Scorpione, though the car is far from a done-deal. Fiat has yet to officially green light the project and even if it does, the new Abarth sports car isn’t likely to make it to America.

GALLERY: Fiat 500 Abarth

[Source: Car&Driver]

Fiat could blame American consumer sentiment. They could also blame J.Lo’s advertising debacle. Or perhaps, the fault lies with the car. Whatever the case may be, sales numbers for the 2012 Fiat 500 are disappointing.

According to Automotive News, Fiat’s re-introduction into the United States reports will fall significantly short of its 50,000 unit sales target for 2011. Since the Fiat 500 hit American showrooms in March, it has only sold 15,826 units through October.

Of 150 Fiat dealers nationwide, 29 were unable to sell a single one last month. So, in order to give the car some life, Chrysler now offers a $500 rebate incentive as a means of shifting cars before the year ends.  According to internal company documents, Chrysler has almost a half a year supply of 500 models in hand if the abysmal sales performance continues.

Due to the lagging demand, production has slowed, with 65 workers sent home from the Dundee, Michigan Fiat 500 engine assembly plant.

Fiat-Chrysler CEO, Sergio Marchionne, insists that the problem is rooted at the distribution network. Dealers are simply claiming that American buyers aren’t interested in such a small vehicle. We hope the sizzling 500 Abarth has got enough kick to turn the sales numbers around.

[Source: Autoblog]

With Italy as one of its main markets, it’s no surprise that the Fiat Group would bring a huge collection of new and special edition models to the Bologna Motor Show. This year, the Fiat Group will headline the local auto show with a new 2012 Fiat Sedici model, a Fiat 500 Nation Limited Edition, a Fiat TwinAir 500, a Fiat 500C by Gucci, a Lancia Ypsilon Black&Red, an Abarth 595 turismo, 595 competizione, 695 Assetto Corse, and a Punto scorpione.

Fiat’s Sedici receives a minor facelift for 2012, six years after its initial launch. It’ll be available in three different trim levels, Dynamic, Emotion and Experience, with two engine options, a 1.6L 120-hp and a 2.0L 135-hp MultiJet diesel. Both models can be purchased with front-wheel-drive or selectable all-wheel-drive. Updates to the Sedici’s exterior includes a new color option (Rebellious Purple), painted roof rails and 16-inch wheels for the Experience model.

We’ve already seen Fiat’s 500C by Gucci, and the Fiat 500 Nation Limited Edition, so we’ll turn our attention to the four Abarth special editions that’ll be making an appearance. The new Abarth 595 will be making its world premiere in Bologna in two forms, the turismo and competizione, with the turismo targeted towards personality and comfort while the competizione is built for the racing purist.

Both Abarth 595 models will be powered by a 1.4L Turbo T-Jet powerplant with 160-hp and 170 lb-ft of torque in Sport mode. The turismo model sports a two-tone paint job and the vehicle on display at Bologna will feature Fiat’s Rosso Officina and Grigio Pista accented by a white liner. Turismo graphics are a finishing touch alongside the 17-inch titanium-colored wheels.

On the competizione model, Abarth outfitted the 595 with a five-speed manual transmission, metallic Grigio Record scheme with 17-inch titanium-colored wheels. Behind each race-styled wheel are yellow Brembo brake calipers. The interior further lends the racing spirit to the car with Abarth Corsa by Sabelt leather and alcantara seats. Both 595s also have customization suspension kits and brakes available as options.

The Abarth 695 Assetto Corse has been designed for track racing, and features an aggressive front-end design with a complete aerodynamic spoiler and screen-printed grilles. In the rear of the car is a winged spoiler and twin exhaust pipe. Under the hood is a 205-hp 1.4L turbocharged powerplant while 17-inch racing wheels puts the power to the ground. The interior features all the safety equipment required by FIA regulations including a roll-bar welded to the body. The side windows have been lightened thanks to the use of Lexan, making it 66-lbs lighter than the previous 500 Assetto Corse.

The last of the Abarth models is the Punto scorpione, a limited edition model with just 99 vehicles being made. A two-tone Nero Scorpione paint scheme is further contrasted with a special matte black paintwork on the hood and roof. Under the hood is a 1.4L MultiAir engine with 180-hp and 199 lb-ft of torque. Braking performance is enhanced with four-piston yellow brake calipers while the suspension features front and rear Koni shock absorbers and specially lowered springs.

Lastly, the Fiat Group will be introducing a Black&Red edition of the Lancia Ypsilon coming in four different color choices, two reds, a black and a two-tone black and red scheme. Other the hood is a 1.2L 69-hp engine or a 95-hp 1.3L turbo diesel.

GALLERY: Special Edition Abarths

GALLERY: 2012 Fiat Sedici

GALLERY: Fiat 500 Nation Limited Edition

GALLERY: Lancia Ypsilon Black&Red Edition