Fiat Abarth

Fiat Abarth

Fiat Abarth

Fiat’s Abarth reminds us of the old chewing-gum ad line, “Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun,” in that it matches two of the factors that make these little Italian (via Mexico) cars so much fun.The first factor is the Abarth makeover, starting with the turbocharged and twin-intercooled 1.4-liter MultiAir four with 160 horsepower and 170 lb-ft that will light up the front tires through the five-speed manual box. (No word yet on the availability of an automatic.) Presentation points accrue for the red, look-what-I-have engine cover complete with scorpion logo. Adding some sassiness to the regular chassis are stiffer springs, Koni front shocks, a 0.6-inch-lower ride height, bigger brakes with red-coated calipers, and wider Pirelli tires. No one will doubt you are piloting something beyond a standard Abarth. There are Abarth scorpion badges on the front, sides, and rear; more-aggressive fascias at both ends; Abarth side stripes; and dual exhausts. The best visuals and dynamics come with the optional 17-inch wheels.The other factor is the cloth roof. The steel roof rails stay in place while the cloth roof and its glass rear window accordion back like a sardine-can lid. There are two folding positions. The first push of the convertible top button slides the top back, creating a giant sunrooflike opening to the rear rooftop spoiler. Push the button again, and the roof slides still farther back until it nestles just above the trunklid. You can open the roof to that first position at speeds up to 60 mph, but you need to throttle back to 50 to slide it all the way back. Very convenient.

Fiat Abarth

Fiat Abarth

The Abarth is not a rock-hard-suspended performance car Italians usually aren’t but the Southern California roads we drove were free of the broken pavement found in many parts of the U.S., so most customers can expect some jostling in this short-wheelbase, relatively stiffly sprung runabout. Also, the electrically assisted steering isn’t very feelsome, but if you assume the right mind-set, that doesn’t matter much. The Abarths are made for quick, characterful blasts through a canyon or around town, not precision hot-lapping. Cutting a hole in the roof for the canvas top doesn’t hurt the Cinquecento’s structure as much as you might think, because most of the door frame is preserved. Is the  Abarth as razor-edged as some small performance cars? No. But it can be a lot of rorty fun. Fiat lists almost the same curb weight for coupe and cabrio Abarths, so figure 0 to 60 mph in about 6.9 seconds. The EPA numbers come in at 28 mpg for city driving and 34 mpg on the highway.A normal  has a base price of $20,200, and a fixed-roof Abarth would set you back $22,700. Combine the pair, and the tab starts at $26,700. Out of curiosity, we went to Fiat's consumer site and built the Abarth cabrio of our dreams. The options on our Rosso car included the Dr. Dre Beats Audio system, black 17-inch wheels, TomTom navigation, and the Comfort & Convenience package (hey, need those heated seats), and it came in at $29,750. Fully loaded, the car nears $32,000, which is a lot for this little metal. Regardless, all Abarths come with a one-day Abarth Driving Experience school. We don’t think you need a class to enjoy the Abarth experience, but you’ll probably want to go anyway.

Fiat Abarth

Fiat Abarth

Fiat Abarth

Fiat Abarth

Fiat Abarth