Posted on Wednesday 27 February 2008
Fiat just took the wraps off its new Abarth 500 hot-hatch but the Italian carmaker is already prepping a new performance kit for the car that should lift output to 160hp. The new Abarth model, which develops a milder 135hp, will make its world debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show but come November Fiat will unveil a new ‘Essesse-Essesse’ performance kit.
First details were revealed during a media presentation for the 500 Abarth where an image of the new kit and a November date were displayed, reports Auto Motor and Sport. Some of the modifications will include uprated brakes, a revised front bumper, lightweight alloy wheels wrapped with Pirelli Pzero tires and an adjustable lowering kit that sees the car drop up to 20mm.
This will actually be the second Essesse-Essesse model. The first officially tuned model will be the Abarth Grande Punto, which gets a 180hp version of Fiat’s 1.4L T-Jet petrol engine. To bump power up from the standard car’s 155hp, engineers added a new Garrett turbocharger, a sports air-filter and a new electronic control engine module.
i can just see it now.. people saying “yeah but its still not a cooper-S”….. the interior on this puppy would make it worth it.
They gotta bring this thing over to America. Mini needs competition.
Astonishing that a 160hp engine will get enough air from that relatively tiny front grill.