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| Looks great and goes great. But on a race circuit, it went greater when the pro' was driving... |
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Officially, Abarth is now a manufacturer in its own right, rather than just a badge on the sportiest versions of production Fiats. And that subtle difference in branding means a lot to the wealthy buyer who already has a fleet of supercars - but fancies adding a cute little bundle of open-topped motoring fun for the odd sunny day out. For the rest of us, the Abarth 500C is probably big enough to be an everyday car (unless you want to transport four adults on a regular basis), economical enough to use regularly, and quick enough to provide plenty of excitement. Plus, of course, you can choose to go topless. Though it's more of an extended sunroof than a full-blown soft top.
The 500C uses the same 1.4-litre, 1368cc turbocharged petrol engine as the Abarth 500 hatchback but with an extra 5HP to give 140HP. This means a top speed of 128mph and 0-62mph in a very tidy 8.1sec. Fully Euro 5 compliant, it emits just 151g/km of CO2, while the combined cycle fuel consumption of 43.5mpg is reason to be cheerful.
But of course, the single biggest reason to buy one is cosmetic. Like its Fiat-branded sibling, the Abarth 500C is among the most attention-grabbing, cutest, smile-inducing cars on the road. Regardless of the fact that it can be yours for as little as £17,500 OTR, this is a car that people stop and stare at - and that you can take to any event without feeling a poor relation when parking next to Ferraris, Astons or Bentleys. Abarth claims that the purpose of the deep front spoiler, sporty side-vents and skirts - and the extended roof spoiler - is to improve aerodynamics and air-flow to the engine. Whether that's the case, or it's really just an excuse to tart up the Fiat 500 body and make it look jolly exciting, doesn't matter. Fact is, it looks great... and goes great.
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