Fiat 500 Abarth Assetto Corse

Fiat’s performance devision has released the first details of its new 147kW Fiat 500 race car. Developed by a team of Abarth engineers and designers, the ‘500 Abarth Assetto Corse’ will campaign on race tracks across Europe in 2009.

The Abarth version sports a full racing kit with a wider track, white 17’ special ultralight racing wheels, low ride, sports racing mirrors and a place for a number on the sides.

It also receives a new, more aggressive front end with an aerodynamic chin spoiler, a white winged spoiler, dual exhaust outlets and Abarth branding.

The Abarth heritage is also expressed with a thunderbolt logo on the side representing the brand’s racing image and a red band and four white checkers on the roof, just as on the winning Abarth 850TC version of the 1960s.

Inside the ‘500 Abarth Assetto Corse’ gets the full race-spec roll-cage treatment, sports steering wheel, racing harness and an optimised racing position, shifting the racing seats closer toward the centre of the car.

The ‘500 Abarth Assetto Corse’ is powered by a 1.4-litre engine which has been boosted by a Garrett GT 1446 fixed geometry turbocharger developing 147kW at 6500rpm and 300Nm at 3000rpm. This is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, naturally.

Abarth has also provided a racing outfit for the drivers, including overalls, helmets, gloves and shoes, all branded with the ultra-new ‘Assetto Corse’ logo produced for the limited edition of the car.

2008 Fiat 500 by Tracey Emin

(from Fiat Press Release) FIAT 500 SELLS FOR Ј200,000!
It has to be the most expensive Fiat 500 in the world – and at Ј200,000, it turned out to be one of the star lots at an amazing fund-raising charity auction in London last week.Generous donors from the ARK (Absolute Return for Kids) charity raised an incredible Ј25 million for children at a gala reception in the Royal Naval College, Greenwich on Thursday (5 June) with an auction which included the iconic Fiat.

It wasn’t just any 500 though. This was one of four specially designed and painted examples of the supermini which took the art world by storm last year, designed and painted by acclaimed English artist Tracey Emin. The work, entitled ‘Dark, Dark, Dark’, was among lots which included diamonds, a safari holiday, a speaking role in actress Uma Thurman’s next film, Eloise in Paris, use of a luxury yacht, fashion pieces and other works of art.

“We were very pleased with how the car was received,” says Charlotte Locks-Moro, the charity’s event executive. “The Ј200,000 it raised is not only an amazing amount of money for a car, but it was also a significant sum towards the total we raised for charity. We are absolutely delighted.”

More than 1,200 guests attended the auction, including former Prime Minister Tony Blair, the actress Uma Thurman and model superstar Liz Hurley.

ARK is a charity organisation made up of financial institutions, including City hedge funds, and personal donors. It raises millions of pounds every year for good causes in areas such as tackling HIV in Africa, children in care in Eastern Europe, and inner city education in the UK.

The first of the Tracey Emin-designed cars, called ‘I Told You Not To’ went under the hammer for Ј42,000 last October during the Contemporary Art Auction in London.

© Source: seriouswheels

Fiat 500 estate to take on Clubman

Here's a Fiat 500 that’s got a little bit extra – to boot! The Italian giant is setting its sights on the MINI Club-man with an estate version of its successful small car – and this is how it will look.
Our exclusive pictures reveal the spacious new city challenger, which will hit showrooms in 2010. As you can see, it won’t rely on gimmicks used by its MINI rival, so there are no rear passenger doors, just a practical tailgate.
The extended roofline boosts head-room in the back and frees up more luggage space, making this the most sensible 500 of the range. The compact estate is inspired by the small load-lugger from the Sixties, and could even carry the same Giardiniera badge worn by that model. Fiat will keep development costs to a minimum by using the same front end and wheelbase as found on the hatch. However, a slightly longer rear overhang, a more upright tail and a pair of neat alloy roof rails will set the new model apart.

The Giardiniera won’t be the first 500 estate to appear, though. Italian coachbuilding firm Castagna showed its vision of the load-lugging city car at the Geneva Motor Show last month.

The firm has a history of beating manufacturers at their own game, having designed a line-up of MINI estates before the Club-man was officially revealed.

The standard 500’s engine range will be carried over to the Giardiniera, so customers will get the choice of an entry-level 69bhp 1.2-litre petrol unit, a more power-ful 100bhp 1.4-litre or a 75bhp 1.3-litre Multijet diesel. Fiat is also believed to be considering a hot Abarth version of the estate if there is sufficient demand. However, the next 500 variant to appear on UK roads will be the cabriolet, as seen in the sketch below. This model is set to be unveiled at the 2009 Geneva expo and hit showrooms late next year.

© Source: autoexpress