Not long ago, there were reports that Fiat performance brand Abarth was working on launching some sporty models of its own, based on either Fiat 500 underpinnings or those of the much more extreme KTM X-Bow. Such a move would not be without precedent, since during its heyday Abarth was releasing its own models such as the 1000 TC, 205A Berlinetta and later Monomille, all of which shared parts with cars from other brands.

Sadly, there won’t be any standalone Abarth sports cars this time around. Speaking with Autocar, Abarth chief Marco Magnanini said there won’t be any bespoke model for the brand, at least in the medium term.

Magnanini also said Abarth is unlikely to launch tuned versions of other Fiat models such as the Panda sold overseas or the recently launched 500L. Instead, the brand would remain focused on the 500, 500C and the Punto.

The bad news doesn’t end there however, as according to Magnanini Abarth also won’t be installing more capable engines into any of its existing cars, such as the turbocharged 1.75-liter four-cylinder debuting in the Alfa Romeo 4C.

The news, while grim for Abarth fans, doesn’t come as much of a surprise given Fiat’s lack of cash and the company’s more vital goal of positioning Alfa Romeo as its volume sporty brand. In addition to taking limited resources away from the development of cars like the 4C and upcoming Mazda MX-5 Miata-based Spider, the Abarth sports car is likely to have also stolen some sales.

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