Fiat 500L Concepts Go for Wet and Wild at SEMA
Fiat’s 500L is still fresh on the market, and while the inflated Italian is plenty interesting on its own, the company saw fit to bring a couple of specially modified 500Ls to SEMA.
Of course, the point of the 500L is improved versatility over its sub-compact sibling and the Adventurer concept is aimed at exactly that. It gets roof rails and a storage basket to help haul large items and camping gear. Other highlights include 18-inch wheels, special graphics and an upgraded interior as well as a cold air intake and cat-back exhaust. There’s a mild suspension lift offering a little extra ground clearance, although the street tires are a strong hint at exactly how serious Fiat is about any off-pavement adventuring with this concept.
Then there’s the 500L Thalassa, which is an evolution on the 500 Beach Cruiser concept seen at last year’s SEMA Show.
2013 SEMA Show Complete Coverage
It features a production version of the “beach cruiser” wheels shown last year as well as – wait for it- roof rails and a basket. It’s meant to hold a surfboard and that theme continues in the cabin where you’ll find a towel drying rack and special storage for wetsuits. Speaking of wetsuits, the seats are upholstered in the same material.
Ridiculous? Maybe not, after all this is the SEMA Show where wild reigns supreme. While you won’t see something like this in showrooms, the Beach Cruiser wheels are at least an illustration of how quickly Fiat can go from concept to production.
GALLERY: Fiat 500L Adventurer Concept
GALLERY: Fiat 500L Thalassa Concept
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Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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