Abarth cars

2013 Abarth 695 Record

Rounding out the four Abarth 695 ’fuoriserie’ models that will be in attendance at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show is the 695 Record.

As with the rest of its kind, the 695 Record comes with the usual digs that Abarth is offering to its customers as customizable options dedicated to ensuring top-level uniqueness and exclusivity that you won’t normally find in any other Abarth 695.

The 695 Record belongs in the fuoriserie’s New Heritage Collection with the 695 Scorpio and was built to target a market that understands the homage paid to the Abarth 750 Record Bertone.

The silver body paint of the 695 Record may look a little plain to the eyes, but once you add the red-and-silver checkered roof to the equation, as well as he polished interior trim bearing the same colors, you begin to see the customization angle attributed to Abarth’s fuoriserie program.

Plus, the 695 Record also features the 180-horsepower, 1.4-liter 16v Turbo T-Jet of the standard Abarth 695. A powerful engine plus a classy personalization program always equates to a sweet ride, and the 695 Record is no different.

2013 Abarth 695 Black Diamond

Abarth’s booth at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show will feature a cavalcade of finely dressed vehicles and a quarter of that belongs to the automaker’s new “fuoriserie,” a program devoted to customers who prefer the exclusivity typical of custom cars together with top performance levels.

One of these models is called the Abarth 695 Black Diamond, a special-edition model from the “New Wave” collection, one that also includes the Abarth 695 Hype. Built and designed to cater to the customer seeking refinement and style on his Abarth, the 695 Black Diamond is arguably the most finely dressed of the four special-edition ’fuoriserie’ models.

The two-tone black and polished grey 695 Diamond was carefully designed to adhere to its name as a sparkling example of the fuoriserie’s exclusivity. Add the checkered roof bearing the same two-tone finish and you have one special edition Abarth 695 that definitely reflects the company’s inspired attention to ensuring that its customers can get the best things out of Abarth.

All four fuoriserie Abarth 695 models will come with the standard 1.4-liter 16v Turbo T-Jet that produces an impressive 180 horsepower.

2013 Abarth 695 Hype

Abarth’s fuoriserie lineup that’s headed to the 2013 Geneva Motor Show comes with four pretty desirable models, all of which come with their own share of merits.

We couldn’t pick our favorite one so we decided that we loved all of them. Parity...you gotta love it!

One of these models is the Abarth 695 Hype, an aptly named creation, considering that it more than lives up to the hype of being part of the Italian brand’s fuoriserie program. That’s hard enough on its own, considering that individualistic nature of Abarth’s program.

But the 695 Hype pulls it off, remarkable considering the car it shares the stage as part of the New Wave collection - the 695 Black Diamond - is no slouch either.

The former is aimed at younger customers interested in cutting-edge trends, while the latter satisfies those seeking refinement and style.

The 695 Hype’s two-tone livery features a grey finish on the lower part of the vehicle, and a matching olive green color on the hood and the Abarth scorpion-adorned roof of the car, separated only by a yellow strip that goes around the entire length of the car.

Inside, it’s more of the same treatment, which particularly finds its way into the seats, adding a distinctive styling cue that fits in well with Abarth’s fuoriserie program.

The Abarth 695 Hype is powered by a 1.4-liter 16v Turbo T-Jet that develops 180 horsepower, giving the car even more reason to be as desirable as it should be.

2013 Abart 695 Scorpione

Abarth has prepared for the 2013 Geneva Motor Show a new Heritage collection designed in the spirit of motorsport and the history of Abarth. One of the models included in this collection is the 695 ’Scorpione’ - developed on the heritage of two historic models: Abarth 750 Record Bertone and the A112 or 124 Abarth.

The new collection is part of the company’s new ’fuoriserie’ - a program devoted to customers who want to exclusively customize their cars and combine them with top performance levels.

The new 695 ’Scorpione’ features an “Olio Fiat” livery combined with numerous "695 Scorpione" logos on the exterior and the interior. Under the hood, the model keeps the usual 1.4 16v Turbo T-Jet, which will deliver an impressive 180 horsepower.

Full details on the new Heritage collection will be unveiled during its official debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

2013 Fiat 500c Abarth

Last year at the Los Angeles Auto Show Fiat unveiled the American version of the Fiat 500 Abarth and this year the company made a comeback with the cabrio version. On the European market the model already enjoys a great success, and Fiat is now hopping it will do the same good impression on the U.S. market.

The model features the same design language as the coupe version, except of course its power-operated cloth top that can be operated at speeds up to 60 mph just be pressing a button.

"The new Fiat 500c Abarth delivers the wicked attitude and track-proven capabilities of the hatchback model, now with the rush of open-air Italian performance," said Tim Kuniskis, Head of FIAT Brand for North America — Chrysler Group LLC. "And with the push of a button our new turbocharged cabrio can unleash that added sense of freedom, while offering one of the most respected soundtracks of all-time, the rasp from its signature Abarth-tuned dual exhausts."

The new Fiat 500C Abarth will go on sale in the first-quarter of 2013.

UPDATE 12/06/12: Hold on to you pants, gentlemen. Fiat recently released a new commercial promoting the Abarth 500 Cabriolet. Suffice to say, it features supermodel Catrinel Menghia, a naughty little scorpion, and the 500C. Oh, and did we mention that Menghia went "topless" in the ad? Yep, click on the photo above to check it out!

2012 Abarth 695 "Fuori Serie"

The 2012 Paris Auto Show is still two weeks away, but we have already got information on almost every model that will be displayed at the show. For example, Abarth has announced the launch of a new customization program that will offer clients the opportunity to customize their car down to the smallest detail. The new "Fuori Serie" was inspired by the cars that have written the brand’s history, going from the Fiat 750 Record and 124 Sanremo all the way up to the X19 prototype. All of these cars have one thing in common: they are all record-breaking cars.

The 695 "Fuori Serie" to be displayed in Paris features a very cool "Olio Fiat" livery which appeared first on the Fiat 124 Abarth Rally at the 1976 Montecarlo Rally. Under the hood, Fiat has placed the 1.4 16v Turbo T-Jet which will deliver an impressive 180 HP. Each customer will have the possibility to choose between a range of colors and materials that are not offered in the standard product range. These will range from carbon fiber to sports fabrics, from leather to Alcantara, and from glossy to matte liveries.

2012 Fiat 500 Abarth Sportster by G-Tech

Over the past few months, we’ve learned that the Fiat 500 Abarth has become more than just a token cute little car. If you put it in the hands of an aftermarket company that knows what its doing, impressive things can come out of it.

We learned it from Lazzarini Design, and now German tuner G-Tech is proving that they can make a rocket out of the Abarth 500 too. Armed with a host of aesthetic and mechanical improvements, the Abarth 500 Sportster - as it has come to be known - is far from a standard 500. Far, far from it.

For starters, the car’s roof has been lowered by 14cm. The front fascia’s also been revised and a new set of alloy wheels have been added. Inside, there’s the addition of a pair of a carbon fiber trim and the addition of sports seats. While these enhancements do look good on paper, the highlight of G-Tech’s program are three different engine modifications that include two road-ready versions and one that’s ready for some race track action.

The first two involve base 230CV variant upgrades on the car’s 1.4-liter engine, resulting in an output of 230 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque. Impressive, right? Not as much when you add an adjustable rear wing, bigger wheel arches, and a G-Tech INOX Le Mans exhaust system with electronically-operated exhaust valves into the mix. With these in tow, that’s an output of 260 horsepower and 258 lb/ft of torque.

Then there’s the track version, which has been dubbed the Sportster GT/R. With a completely new 2.0-liter engine, the 500 Sportster is now capable of producing a stout 350 horsepower and 332 lb/ft of torque.

Not too shabby for an Abarth 500.

2012 Fiat 595 Abarth Turismo

Abarth is celebrating the launch of the new high-performance 500 and 595 ranges on the UK market with the launch of a special 595 Turismo edition. The model is priced at £17,725 ($21,798 at current rates) when based on the 500 version and at £19,625 ($24,125 at the current rates) when based on the 500C version.

The new 595 Turismo will be distinguished by Titanium Grey front and rear sports grilles, upgraded front and rear dampers, and dark tinted rear windows. For the interior, the model gets a "Turismo" pack that includes Alutex pedals, footrest and door kick-plates, bespoke floor mats, and machined aluminum fuel and oil filler caps. Leather upholstery and automatic climate control will also be offered as standard equipment, while, as an option, Abarth will provide a very cool set of 17-inch 10-spoke Diamond finish alloy wheels combined with red brake calipers.

The Fiat 595 Abarth Turismo is powered by a turbocharged 1.4 T-Jet engine that delivers a total of 160 HP and mated to either a manual gearbox or with Abarth’s MTA (Manual Transmission Automated) semi-automatic gearbox.

Jay Leno Reviews and Smolders the Tires on a Fiat 500 Abarth

Say what you will about his pop-culture shows, but when it comes to reviewing cars, Jay Leno knows what’s going on. In his series, “Jay Leno’s Garage,” we have seen numerous cars come in and out, but the Fiat 500 Abarth is one of the few cars to come into his garage that Jay hasn’t had the chance to drive yet.

Jay finally caught up with Fiat and snagged up a 500 Abarth, despite their very short supply, to test drive. Jay did what we all would do the second he got behind the wheel of this high-performance compact hatchback... He pushed it as hard as it would go.

You know what, the 500 Abarth took everything Jay threw at it and it just kept asking for more. We are quick to rag on the 500 lineup, mostly because Fiat has consistently added new models based on the exact same car, but this Abarth model is not one that is deserving of the taunting we give the lineup. It truly is a sports car in a compact car’s body.

At one point, Jay decides it’s time to pull a U-turn. Instead of coming to a complete stop, then slowly turning around, Jay quickly yanks up the E-brake, whips the car around, then smolders the tires as he takes off in the other direction. That was quite simply the marque moment in this video.

Man, it sure is good to be Jay Leno! Check out the video to see for yourself.

2012 Fiat 500 Abarth Venom

Italian automaker Fiat is tapping into its Chrysler ties by having the latter’s in-house aftermarket division, Mopar, partner with Italian parts supplier Magneti Marelli to develop and produce a line-up of Fiat 500 Abarth models.

The first of these special edition vehicles made its debut in Las Vegas and has been christened as the 500 Abarth Venom. A host of modifications were added to the 500 Abarth to give it that special edition feel, including carbon fiber components on the hood and side mirror housings and a large matte-black Scorpion graphic on the roof. The inclusion of the former also allows the little compact car to cut its weight by 200 lbs, which would serve it well when combined with a performance modification.

On that note, Mopar reprogrammed the car’s ECU unit while also adding a sport exhaust system that allows the 500 Abarth Venom to increase the output on the car’s 1.4-liter turbocharged engine from the standard 160 horsepower to 200 horsepower.

The ironic thing about this model and where it made its debut in Las Vegas - by the way, supermodel Catrinel Menghia was on-hand for its unveiling - is that the car won’t be available in the US.

UPDATE 04/10/2012: The Fiat 500 Abarth by Mopar was on hand at the 2012 New York Auto Show. Check out our live images in the gallery provided!

Hit the jump for a full list of upgrades.