Fiat UK Prices New Abarth 500C 140HP and Punto Evo 165HP

The new Abarth 500C will cost from £17,500 OTR and the Abarth Punto Evo from £16,500 OTR, Fiat's UK arm announced. Both models will make their UK public debuts at this weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed, before going on sale in Britain from Saturday 17 July.
The semi-convertible Abarth 500C is motivated by a 140HP 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which provides a top speed of 127mph and a 0-62mph (100km/h) time of 8.1 seconds, while returning 43mpg UK on the combined cycle.
The feisty city car is equipped with seven airbags, xenon headlights, TTC (torque transfer control), parking sensors, Blue&Me hands-free telecommunications system, leather steering wheel and 16-inch alloy wheels plus a six-speed automated manual gearbox with paddle shifters, as standard.
The facelifted Abarth Punto Evo is powered by a 165bhp 1.4-liter Turbo, which can accelerate the car from 0-62mph (100km/h) in 7.9 seconds, and on to a top speed of 132mph, while delivering more than 47mpg UK on the combined cycle.
Standard equipment includes six airbags, TTC, Eco Gear Shift Indicator (EGSI), performance sport switch, Start&Stop tech, 17-inch alloy wheels and Blue&Me hands-free telecommunications system.

Fiat 500 and 500C get New TwinAir 85HP Two-Cylinder Turbo Engine

Fiat has rolled out the production version of its long-awaited two-cylinder gasoline engine family called TwinAir that's has been developed by FPT (Fiat Powertrain Technologies). The first car to receive the new turbocharged engine is the Fiat 500, in both three-door and convertible forms, with sales to begin from September, 2010.
The innovative 0.9-liter two-cylinder gasoline unit implements several technologies, including a small-sized turbine, start and stop and the firm's MultiAir electro-hydraulic valve management system that reduces fuel consumption and emissions by controlling air directly via the inlet valves, without using the throttle.
Fiat says that compared with a medium-sized four-cylinder of equal performance, the new Twinair engine is significantly shorter (-23%) and lighter (-10%), while returning 30% lower fuel consumption.
The new Twinair engine will eventually be offered in various flavors with power outputs ranging from 65 to 105 HP, while Fiat is also planning to present a hybrid variant pairing the two-cylinder gasoline unit with an electric engine.
In the 500 and 500C, the 0.9-liter gasoline unit produces 85HP at 5,500 rpm and 145Nm of peak torque at 1,900 rpm. The Italian automaker claims that compared to the 1.2 8v, the new 85 HP turbo has 23% more power and a 30% better performance.
Equipped with the 85HP 0.9-liter engine and a manual gearbox, the Fiat 500 reaches a top speed of 173 km/h (108mph) and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 11 seconds, while returning a combined fuel consumption of 4.1 lt/100km [equal to 57.4mpg US and 68.9mpg UK] with C02 emissions of just 95g/km.
Those figures are further improved with Fiat's Dualogic robotised gearbox as the 500 returns 4.0lt/100km [equal to 58.8mpg US and 70.6mpg UK] with 92g/km of CO2.
In addition, the Fiat 500 with TwinAir 85 HP and the Dualogic robotized gearbox will come equipped with an ECO button positioned on the dashboard allowing the driver to select from two modes, Normal and ECO. In the first mode, the engine delivers the maximum available torque (145 Nm) while steering assistance is set on normal.
In ECO mode, the emphasis is on "eco-friendly" driving as torque is cut off to 100 Nm at 1,750 rpm to minimize consumption and promote a driving style more suitable for city traffic while the steering wheel is lighter (CITY mode is automatically selected).
The new Twinair engine will be offered on other A- and B-segment Fiat Group models including the Panda and the Punto Evo.

Fiat Celebrates Panda's 30th Anniversary with Special Edition Model

The Fiat Panda turns 30 this year and in celebration of the event, the Italian automaker has presented a [supposedly] special edition version with exclusive content. The commemorative model starts out as the Active 1.1, but gains the same black-jean interior trim as the Panda 4x4 Glam as well as a special finish on the B- and C-columns. And well, that's about it.
The Panda Anniversary is available with a choice of three exterior colors - red, white and yellow, with pricing remaining unchanged over the "standard" Active 1.1 at €9,950.
Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the first generation of the Fiat Panda was introduced in 1980. It remained in production until 2003 when Fiat launched the current, second generation model. Fiat has sold more than 6 million Panda city cars (both generations) to date.

New Fiat 500 Prima Edizione: Special Edition Version for U.S. Market

We assume you already know that Fiat is planning to kick off sales of the retro-styled 500 mini in North America at the end of 2010, so let us share the latest news. Fans of the Italian brand here in the States will be treated with the limited-run Fiat 500 'Prima Edizione' (Italian for First Edition), of which only 500 examples will be built.
The announcement was made at the annual convention of the Club Fiat-Lancia Unlimited that took place in Asheville, NC, this past weekend. "The Fiat Cinquecento Prima Edizione was developed especially with the Fiat fans in mind," said Laura Soave, Head of Fiat North America.
So, is there something special about the 500 'Prima Edizione'? Well, not really - unless you think highly of badges and a numbered plaque. The limited edition U.S. market 500 will be available exclusively with a 1.4-liter MultiAir gasoline engine matched to a manual gearbox. Buyers can order the car in either Bianco (White), Rosso (Red) or Grigio (Gray) exterior color.
Those interested can reserve the 500 Prima Edizione through the dedicated website "www.ciaofiat.com" that will be made available at a later date.


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New Special Edition Fiat 500 Blackjack with Matte Finish

Fiat has announced a new limited edition version of the 500 city car, which will go on sale across Europe (including Britain) in September. Called, appropriately enough, the 500 Blackjack, the special mini is decked out in a matte black finish with glossy black details such as the door handles, exterior mirrors, fog lamp surrounds and bumper trims. The car rides on 16-inch black alloy wheels with a red frame on the center, while some variants also get red brake calipers.
The package also upgrades the interior with seats upholstered in red leather or alternatively, in black leather and fabric, unique trim and silver seams on the leather steering wheel and gear knob.
The 500 Blackjack will be available with all engines in the range including the new TwinAir 85HP 0.9-liter two-cylinder turbo petrol. Prices in Italy start from €13,850.

Found for Sale: 1987 Yugo GV Sport with only 1,800 miles

This hardly ever used 1987 Yugo GV Sport (don't take the "Sport" part of the name seriously), which has seen a mere 1,800 miles on the road, is up for sale by a Las Vegas car dealer. The asking price is $14,500, which is a long way off from the car's original sticker in the late 1980s.
The Yugo's short-lived American career started back in the mid 1980s, when Malcolm Bricklin, the automotive entrepreneur responsible for the introduction of several foreign brands to the American public including Subaru and Fiat, had another bright idea; to import the then communist-made Yugo subcompact hatch from [what is now former] Yugoslavia into the heart of Ronald Reagan's America.
The Yugo, which was based on the mechanics and platform of the 1970s Fiat 127, was presented in the U.S. in the summer of 1985 with a dirt-cheap price tag of just $3,990. In the beginning, customers loved it and it looked like Bricklin had hit it, with sales peaking at 48,500 units in 1987.
However, America's cult love-affair with the cheapest car in the market quickly dried out after customers realized that they got what they paid for with sales plundering to just under 4,000 units in 1991, the last year the Yugo was imported to the States.
Link: Autocollections