The Abarth Punto Evo and Abarth 500C were the only models occupying the Abarth stand at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, but we think the Punto Evo and the SS certainly make up for the lack of anything else. The Punto Evo is equipped with the 1.4-litre Multiair ’standard’ engine with 165 hp, while the Abarth Punto SS model has 180 hp and more aggressive styling, including 18-inch alloy wheels and brake cooling outlets. The Abarth Punto Evo also debuts with new “manettino” feature in front of the gear stick, which manages the engine, brakes and steering modes in Sport and Normal.

The Abarth 500C is one very chic, hot little cabrio for your city ride, equipped with the 1.4 T-Jet with 140 hp. It’s on show in a black-white colour combo, which is the only alternative to the grey tint seen in the official Abarth 500C pics. It comes with two transmission options: the ‘Abarth Competizione’ five-speed gearbox, or the MTA electro-automatic with steering wheel paddles. According to the press conference, the Abarth 500C will also get its own SS version, but no further information was available. The Punto Evo and 500C will both be available on sale from May this year.

2010 Abarth Punto Evo live pics Geneva

Continue reading: Abarth Punto Evo and 500C live at Geneva

This week’s 2010 Geneva Motor Show will see the new Abarth Fiat line-up on display with the Abarth 500C and Abarth Punto Evo announced. The Abarth 500C is the first open top version for the tuning company, and will be equipped with the 1.4-litre T-Jet engine with 140 hp and 206 Nm of torque. It comes with either the “Abarth Competizione” transmission with five speeds, or the MTA gearbox with steering wheel paddles.

The Abarth 500C can reach 100 km/hr in 8.1 seconds and has a top speed of 205 km/hr. Fuel consumption is 6.5 litres for every 100 km, while CO2 emissions measure 155 g/km. It has the Torque Transfer Control system (TTC) which manages torque distribution and acts like an autobloc differential.

The Abarth Punto Evo is a strong offering from the company, with the impressive 1.4-litre Multiair featuring with 165 hp and 250 Nm of torque. It has a six-speed manual transmission and reaches 100 km/hr in 7.9 seconds with a top speed of 213 km/hr. With its Start/Stop technology, it complies with Euro 5 norms and consumes six litres of fuel for every 100 km and has CO2 emissions of 142 g/km.

Continue reading: Abarth Punto Evo and 500C: Geneva motor show preview

The Italians are impatient to see what the next Abarth Punto Evo will look like, perhaps something like the rendering above or the Abarth Grande Punto after the jump. It is only a question of when the new Abarth Punto will be presented, as Sergio Marchionne has already confirmed the Abarth models for 2010: the Punto Evo, the 500C and perhaps even a 500 TC.

The Abarth Punto Evo is sure to have the new Multiair engine with 170 hp, meaning in the future the EsseEsse model will have 200 hp. The 500 TC stands for “Turismo Competizione” and was originally the name given to race cars based on street-legal models.

The big question is why Abarth should focus on just two models and get extreme handling out of the A and B segments represented by the Fiat 500 and Fiat Punto Evo. Frustrated with these tuned versions and lack of style, some Italians are asking where Alfa Romeo is in all this. Alfa represents a true, stylish sports brand with plenty of pedigree, and the Italians want to know why Abarth should be the only brand representing Fiat in the world of racing.

Perhaps Sergio Marchionne knows something we don’t about Alfa Romeo and its future, or perhaps we should wait a little longer and see what comes out of the Alfa-Abarth-Maserati mix. Whatever the case, there’s more than one Fiat/Alfa Romeo fan peeved that the 500 and Punto get the tuned treatment when money could be invested seriously in Alfa Romeo sports style, too. As one comment on Autoblog.it reads: “You can’t ever be a passionate fan of cars until you’ve got yourself an Alfa Romeo.”

Source | Autoblog.it and Caradisiac via Autoblog.com

Continue reading: Abarth 2010 Punto Evo and 500C: what happened to Alfa?

Move over Nick Reilly, there’s a new auto blog in town, this time from the guys at Neubauer. That’s right - you can get all your drooling done for Fiat group and Abarth models at the NDF Paris wordpress site, currently featuring a Fiat Punto Evo video and some lovely pics of a new Alfa Brera on the showroom floor.

In the pics here is an example of what we last saw from the guys - the Abarth 500 SS Speed Grey version. It has the impressive Abarth Essesse tuning kit with 165 hp and a special grey tint. They’ve probably already run out of these as only ten were planned for production, but check out the Neubauer blog for other news.

Continue reading: Alfa and Abarth on the Neubauer blog

Here’s a peek at the Abarth 500 and Abarth Grande Punto models presented at the Abarth Race Day, which was held earlier this month. Other special and historic models which were also present included the 595 and 695 Essesse, 850 and 1000 TC, 124 Abarth Sport Spider, Ritmo Abarth and Autobianchi A112 Abarth.

Participants had the opportunity to see the finals of the Abarth Selenia trophy, with its Abarth 500 Assetto Corse models, and take a couple of turns around the track, meeting official drivers like European champion Giandomenico Basso, Luca Rossetti and Umberto Scandola. Check out the Abarth tuned models in the gallery.

Source | Autoblog.it

Continue reading: Abarth Race Day pics: Assetto Corse on the track

The Abarth 500 Assetto Corse is challenging the best in the small car racing segment, up against the Renault Clio. Abarth has tuned version of the 1.4-litre turbocharged engine with 187 hp. The Abarth Trophy model is described as “very good fun”, as you can probably tell by the noise for such a small machine, and it certainly lives up to the “small but wicked” slogan. Damn, we would like to have a spin!

Continue reading: Abarth 500 Assetto Corse track video

This splendid version of the well-tuned Abarth 500 SS comes from French firm Neubauer and is called Speed Grey. It’s a perfectly kitted version of the Abarth 500 SS with Maserati Grey tint, Abarth Corsa leather seats and of course, the Essesse tuning of 165 hp. Only ten of these will be produced so when we say limited edition, we mean it. See the gallery pics of the Abarth 500 SS Speed Grey for a closer look.

Limited Edition Abarth 500 SS Speed Grey Neubauer

Source | Abarth Neubauer via Unica Strada

Continue reading: Abarth 500 SS Speed Grey limited edition from Neubauer

We already knew that the Fiat 500 would be the first Fiat to hit the US market, and had reckoned that the retro chic model would meet likely success in North America. It seems that Fiat is not quite convinced that the 500 has what it takes, in its current form, and so has decided to pull out the big guns on this model, and take the Abarth 500 instead.

It’s unclear though, whether the Abarth 500 will be a kind of teaser, limited edition model to raise interest for the following standard Fiat 500 version, which could turn up in showrooms next year as a 2011 model.

According to reports, Fiat expects to sell about 25,000 models of the Abarth 500, with pricing at between 18,000 and 19,000 US dollars. Whether this will actually kill off any chance the standard 500 has is anyone’s guess, but the Abarth model should certainly prove successful in itself. Fiat should be releasing more details in the coming week as to its US plans, which should hopefully put an end to the speculation.

Source | LeftLaneNews

Continue reading: Abarth 500 first Fiat to US

More from our friend Theophilus Chin with this rendering of the Fiat 500 roadster. The Fiat 500 is successfully continuing its evolution, after the standard model was developed into the Abarth 500 and the Fiat 500C. Coming in the future will also be the Abarth 500C, and the much-expected US debut of the Fiat 500 in 2011.

The Fiat 500 in the US will be assembled at Fiat-Chrysler facilities in Mexico, which will also produce the 500 Giardineria, or 500 station wagon version. The Fiat 500 is aiming for further competition with the Mini and the broadening of the range will go blow-for-blow with the new Mini Coupe and Mini Roadster concepts presented at Frankfurt.

Source | Autoblog.it

Continue reading: Fiat 500 Roadster rendering

Here’s the first spy shot of the Abarth 500C, which keeps most of the design of the Fiat 500C, proving it to be a successful car that only needed a little tuning to make it faster. The Abarth 500C will be equipped with the 1.4-litre T-Jet engine, with 135 hp (not Multiair) and, for the SS or Essesse, 160 hp. The Abarth 500C will most likely exceed a price tag of 20,000 euros and will be officially presented at the 2010 Geneva motor show.

Source | Autoblog.it

Continue reading: Abarth 500C spy shot

After the launch of the new Fiat Punto Evo, the Abarth Grande Punto also gets an update. Housed in a new look Abarth Punto will be the 1.4-litre Turbo MultiAir engine with 170 hp, soon to debut on the Alfa MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde (or Alfa MiTo clover leaf).

This would suggest that the future version of the Abarth Punto Evo EsseEsse could reach 200 hp, but it also indicates that we may soon see an Abarth with dual-clutch technology. The new Alfa MiTo will feature the new c635 six-speed transmision, built in Italy and having also dry dual-clutch technology. It will appear on the MiTo, future Alfa Milano and probably many other vehicles of the Fiat group. So fingers crossed that we will see an Abarth Grande Punto Evo with this technology - it would be car to test drive!

Source | Autoblog.it

Continue reading: New Abarth Punto and Fiat dual-clutch technology

Renault Sport will be directly involved in building the Renault Gordini revival, a first model of which will be made at the Dieppe workshop of the company. The first Gordini to be built will be based on a Renault Sport Twingo model and should make its appearance soon.

Renault Sport will build the Gordini Twingo with the classic blue livery and white stripes, to bring back a tuning version that should rival Abarth and John Cooper Works. The Gordini Twingo model is likely to include far more than just an external paint job, but there’s no news on what technical innovations may be coming our way.

Initial reports had indicated that a Gordini Twingo would be available in 2010, with the full revival of the Gordini brand occurring by 2012. We’re getting a little twitchy at the idea of another nifty European city car getting the tuning treatment. Move over Abarth 500!

Source | LeBlogAuto

Continue reading: Renault Sport Twingo Gordini revival