An Agressive Little Guy
Fiat has a hot little hatch they want America to know about: the 500. The original 500 is an Italian icon, this one is a popular, and very nice retrofuturistic remake. Fiat, now owner of Chrysler, has repeatedly stated that the 500 will be the first and perhaps the only Fiat badged vehicle to be sold Stateside. Interestingly, the first one to be brought over with be the Abarth - the factory tuner special:
I like the 500. I like the reviews I have read. But I dont think that the Abarth is really going to get Americans all hot an bothered. And let me give you two reasons why:
133hp
$19,000
Lets think about this. That is $142 per HP.
A Ford Mustang GT is about $83 per HP, with 300hp/$25,000
A Mazdaspeed 3 is also $83 per HP, with 263hp/$22,000
Even a Mini Cooper, which I have always regarded as expensive, is $127 per HP
Now, HP is not all of the battle. Neither is 0-60 times. To a degree, those are outdated ideas on performance, I will be the first to say. But they are outdated in part because most sports cars these days have enough power (depending on weight, between 220-300hp), and so arguing over more or less HP is a bit of a moot point. I still love me a good muscle car, but I bet you anything that an 1st gen WRX, my old S4, or a 99 M3 (three cars I have driven) all handle better and are more fun to drive than a Shelby GT 500, Challenger HEMI, or Camaro SS. Well maybe not the Camaro SS.
Anyway, all that said, 133hp does not cut it. You wont be able to get out of your own damn way.
The only competitor is the $18,500 base Mini. But lets be honest - how many of those do you see around? I would guess that easily 2/3 Mini's I see are Coopers. And for good reason: the base has 118hp, the Cooper 173hp for about $3,500 more, as well as better looks and suspension.
The Abarth already is the factory tuner, but the simple honest truth is that no American will buy a factory tuner special with only 133hp. I wouldn't, especially when I could get a Mazdaspeed three with almost exactly twice as much power, more room, and similar (very good) handling for $4,000 more.
Fiat expects to sell 20,000-30,000 of them in the first year.. which is not going to happen. So, one foot in the grave already for Fiat and Chrysler in this country. Lets hope their second effort comes out better. (or I could eat my hat and Americans suddenly like the idea of a small car with no power that you have to rev the stuffing out of with a manual just so you dont get run over claiming to be a sports car - but I dont think so).
I like the 500. I like the reviews I have read. But I dont think that the Abarth is really going to get Americans all hot an bothered. And let me give you two reasons why:
133hp
$19,000
Lets think about this. That is $142 per HP.
A Ford Mustang GT is about $83 per HP, with 300hp/$25,000
A Mazdaspeed 3 is also $83 per HP, with 263hp/$22,000
Even a Mini Cooper, which I have always regarded as expensive, is $127 per HP
Now, HP is not all of the battle. Neither is 0-60 times. To a degree, those are outdated ideas on performance, I will be the first to say. But they are outdated in part because most sports cars these days have enough power (depending on weight, between 220-300hp), and so arguing over more or less HP is a bit of a moot point. I still love me a good muscle car, but I bet you anything that an 1st gen WRX, my old S4, or a 99 M3 (three cars I have driven) all handle better and are more fun to drive than a Shelby GT 500, Challenger HEMI, or Camaro SS. Well maybe not the Camaro SS.
Anyway, all that said, 133hp does not cut it. You wont be able to get out of your own damn way.
The only competitor is the $18,500 base Mini. But lets be honest - how many of those do you see around? I would guess that easily 2/3 Mini's I see are Coopers. And for good reason: the base has 118hp, the Cooper 173hp for about $3,500 more, as well as better looks and suspension.
The Abarth already is the factory tuner, but the simple honest truth is that no American will buy a factory tuner special with only 133hp. I wouldn't, especially when I could get a Mazdaspeed three with almost exactly twice as much power, more room, and similar (very good) handling for $4,000 more.
Fiat expects to sell 20,000-30,000 of them in the first year.. which is not going to happen. So, one foot in the grave already for Fiat and Chrysler in this country. Lets hope their second effort comes out better. (or I could eat my hat and Americans suddenly like the idea of a small car with no power that you have to rev the stuffing out of with a manual just so you dont get run over claiming to be a sports car - but I dont think so).
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