Fiat 500 Abarth - Delivery Dates

[riwiho]

I am getting rather excited/impatient as any deposit holder would be.

When do Fiat hope to start rolling out the first Abarths and can we (the UK) expect to be low down the pecking order when it comes to delivery?

My local dealer would love to provide further information but they appear to be as informed as me right now.

I am keen to read reviews and discover what the motoring presses initial opinion is.

Roll on Q4 (hopefully) or Jan 09. Anyone else feeling like this?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[AndyWoodall]

I also can't wait, but at the moment thats all we can do.

The next 'step' as such is when the Punto Abarth goes on sale next month, presumably by then the dealers will be up and running, although there is no sign as yet. Once we know who the dealers are then there will be someone to actually put money down with, but I'd be very surprised if we got any new info.

I think we'll be lucky to see cars launched by January myself, but it is frustrating to have no info at all. I plan on having a test drive in the Punto to tide me over.

[riwiho]

AndyWoodall said:

I think we'll be lucky to see cars launched by January myself

I have to agree. As much as the projected Q4 deadline approaches I think it will be early 09 before we see any cars in real numbers

[AndyWoodall]

Where do you think your nearest dealer will be? At the moment the only places I've heard about are that big Fiat dealer in Cheshire and another down Gloucestershire way.

[riwiho]

AndyWoodall said:

Where do you think your nearest dealer will be? At the moment the only places I've heard about are that big Fiat dealer in Cheshire and another down Gloucestershire way.

Well my local dealer (Knutsford, Cheshire) are rather confident they are going to be an approved Abarth dealer. We will find out soon enough

[T5AMX]

I was in Italy last week and went to the new premises of the fiat group where arbarth have a large workshop.
There were 4 cars being stripped out to add the arbarth kit and one press car already completed. From what i saw they will be worth the wait.
They are also building some actual race series ones like renault do with the clio cups.

Im in Balloco at the test track in September so no doubt i will have some more news for you then.

[riwiho]

T5AMX said:

I was in Italy last week and went to the new premises of the fiat group where arbarth have a large workshop.
There were 4 cars being stripped out to add the arbarth kit and one press car already completed. From what i saw they will be worth the wait.
They are also building some actual race series ones like renault do with the clio cups.

Im in Balloco at the test track in September so no doubt i will have some more news for you then.

Thanks for that. It's reassuring to know that someone has actually seen one and can vouch for the appearence.

[riwiho]

T5AMX said:

I was in Italy last week and went to the new premises of the fiat group where arbarth have a large workshop.
There were 4 cars being stripped out to add the arbarth kit and one press car already completed. From what i saw they will be worth the wait.
They are also building some actual race series ones like renault do with the clio cups.

Im in Balloco at the test track in September so no doubt i will have some more news for you then.

The Abarths you saw. Were they all white?

I have seen a couple of photoshoped images of black with red wheels which could look great.

[Catherine197]

AndyWoodall said:

I also can't wait, but at the moment thats all we can do.

The next 'step' as such is when the Punto Abarth goes on sale next month, presumably by then the dealers will be up and running, although there is no sign as yet. Once we know who the dealers are then there will be someone to actually put money down with, but I'd be very surprised if we got any new info.

I think we'll be lucky to see cars launched by January myself, but it is frustrating to have no info at all. I plan on having a test drive in the Punto to tide me over.

I thought the Punto Abarth was already out, because a month ago I saw one at Castle Coombe during the performance car day.

[stephen300o]

T5AMX said:

I was in Italy last week and went to the new premises of the fiat group where arbarth have a large workshop.
There were 4 cars being stripped out to add the arbarth kit and one press car already completed. From what i saw they will be worth the wait.
They are also building some actual race series ones like renault do with the clio cups.

Im in Balloco at the test track in September so no doubt i will have some more news for you then.

Sounds like these being built

Assetto corse(ltd to under 50 cars I think)



I think the race series ones will be badged as Fiat.

[riwiho]

stephen300o said:

T5AMX said:

I was in Italy last week and went to the new premises of the fiat group where arbarth have a large workshop.
There were 4 cars being stripped out to add the arbarth kit and one press car already completed. From what i saw they will be worth the wait.
They are also building some actual race series ones like renault do with the clio cups.

Im in Balloco at the test track in September so no doubt i will have some more news for you then.

Sounds like these being built

Assetto corse(ltd to under 50 cars I think)



I think the race series ones will be badged as Fiat.

With red wheels it could look pretty sharp.

Don't know if I would have the balls to request that spec.

[AndyWoodall]

Catherine197 said:

I thought the Punto Abarth was already out, because a month ago I saw one at Castle Coombe during the performance car day.

There are no dealers to sell them right now, and the official launch is June/July. Was probably a press demo car I'd imagine.

[AndyWoodall]

riwiho, according to some folks on the FiatForum this months (June) Top Gear magazine has a 6 page review of the 500 Abarth. I don't normally buy the magazine but might pick it up just for this. I admit I'm surprised they have access to a car so early.

By the way, there is quite a debate going on in the 500 section of that forum with regards to the price. Top Gear seem to think it'll be around the £12,500 mark which actually comes in slightly less than all the 'circa 13k' rumours. What do you think?

Some quite excitable folks over there swear it'll be £15k, which for me makes little sense when the Twingo 133 is going to be around the 13 mark or so.

Edited by AndyWoodall on Friday 23 May 15:57

[stephen300o]

AndyWoodall said:

riwiho, according to some folks on the FiatForum this months (June) Top Gear magazine has a 6 page review of the 500 Abarth. I don't normally buy the magazine but might pick it up just for this. I admit I'm surprised they have access to a car so early.

By the way, there is quite a debate going on in the 500 section of that forum with regards to the price. Top Gear seem to think it'll be around the £12,500 mark which actually comes in slightly less than all the 'circa 13k' rumours. What do you think?

Some quite excitable folks over there swear it'll be £15k, which for me makes little sense when the Twingo 133 is going to be around the 13 mark or so.

Edited by AndyWoodall on Friday 23 May 15:57

You can spec up the 500 to around 11, so i'll split the difference and say it will probably go for 14ish.
Topgear also review the derv 500 and give it 17/20, about as high a mark as I have seen in there.
The Abarth just happened to be at the same circuit where the hacks were playing with the Alfa 8c, the Abarth held it's own too

[DoctorD]

AndyWoodall said:

riwiho, according to some folks on the FiatForum this months (June) Top Gear magazine has a 6 page review of the 500 Abarth. I don't normally buy the magazine but might pick it up just for this. I admit I'm surprised they have access to a car so early.

The press launch is the week before the Goodwood FoS, we'll all get a chance to drive it then and we've already made our petition for one as a DR long-termer.

Next best thing is what Jethro is driving in this weekend's Nurburgring 24hrs (currently running 170th out of 220 starters).

Edited by DoctorD on Sunday 25th May 12:07

[stephen300o]

Nice to see a 500 racing already

Not such a great lap on lap 32, anyone know what broke?

Fiat 500
Klasse: SP1-SP2
Startnummer: 168
Fahrer: Bovingdon Jethro
Naumann Guido
Friberg Remo
Freke Nathan

Gesamtrang: 147
Klassenrang: 12
Gefahrene Runden: 84
Gesamtfahrzeit: 24:02:47.721
ØGeschwindigkeit: 88.651

Schnellste Runde:
Beste ØGeschwindigkeit:
_________________________________________________________________
Runde Zeit


27 12:18.046
28 12:20.846
29 12:18.387
30 13:25.588
31 23:50.768
32 5:39:35.445
33 14:00.885
34 13:51.114
35 13:14.573
36 12:57.903

[riwiho]

AndyWoodall said:

riwiho, according to some folks on the FiatForum this months (June) Top Gear magazine has a 6 page review of the 500 Abarth. I don't normally buy the magazine but might pick it up just for this. I admit I'm surprised they have access to a car so early.

By the way, there is quite a debate going on in the 500 section of that forum with regards to the price. Top Gear seem to think it'll be around the £12,500 mark which actually comes in slightly less than all the 'circa 13k' rumours. What do you think?

Some quite excitable folks over there swear it'll be £15k, which for me makes little sense when the Twingo 133 is going to be around the 13 mark or so.

Edited by AndyWoodall on Friday 23 May 15:57

I will have to pick a copy up later today.

Had some bad news recently, the other half wrote my current P&J off so now I am really looking forward to the arrival of the Abarth.

I hope it will be around the 13k figure. Fiat did a good job pricing the standard cars (unless you were a little excitable when specing) so there is no reason why the Abarth should not follow suit. The factor that interests me is what's going to be standard on the new car and what is going to cost? There were nice touches on the show car at Geneva such as the flat bottom wheel, excellent seats etc. If these are cost options it could see the car raising in price, factor in the SS pack later in 09 and you are looking at a car that could easily see the nasty side of 15k (base price for a new Cooper-S)

[riwiho]

DoctorD said:

The press launch is the week before the Goodwood FoS, we'll all get a chance to drive it then and we've already made our petition for one as a DR long-termer.

Next best thing is what Jethro is driving in this weekend's Nurburgring 24hrs (currently running 170th out of 220 starters).

AWESOME! (any more images?)

You lucky blighers. Can I assume a free Abarth long-termer and also racing that in the 24hr. Good work.

I think an Abarth convoy is on the cars for Le Mans 2009

Edited by riwiho on Monday 26th May 09:53

[riwiho]

Can someone help me understand some potential queries?

The new Abarth will be released Q4 08/Q1 09 and ship with 135HP.

The Abarth SS. Is this a factory fitted performance pack like the John Cooper Works pack attainable for the mini? IE: will I be able to take my standard Abarth down to Mr local Fiat man and have the SS pack fitted?

Finally I have read rumors there is a 200HP version that is been talked about. Is this true?

Images from Fiat forum:

[KTiM]

My understanding of the SS pack is that it will be an upgrade "kit" that will have to be fitted to an Abarth by an Abarth dealer, not any old Fiat garage.