When you ask most Americans what comes to mind when you say Fiat, one word consistently came up: "broken." Now with Fiat making a re- entrance behind their fantastic 500, feelings are changing. Although the Fiat 500 has only been on US soil for about a year, it is already gaining momentum like a blue whale rolling down a hill. It has just been announced that the long awaited Fiat 500 Abarth will make its American debut at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show and go on sale in the first half of 2012 . This is a huge move forward because according to Inside Line, the initial debut for the Abarth models was supposed to be introduced in the first half of 2013.
When this hot hatchback hits the market its major competitors will be the venerable VW Golf GTI and the Mini Cooper S. The angle that the Fiat successfully utilizes is that over the years both of its competitors have gone somewhat soft and strayed quite far from their roots. In the Fiat Abarth, the lineage is as clear as day and also adds a touch of warm nostalgic familiarity. As soon as your right foot hits the gas, a direct channel to your adrenal glads will be opened. The exhaust note from this peppy 1.4 liter engine reminds us of a little Boston terrier behind a fence, it sounds big but it’s really not. These primal signals will serve as a reminder of how a ’hot’ hatchback can enrich your life.
We adore the little Fiat. Its sense of style, presence, and plucky attitude make it a must have vehicle. This admiration will be multiplied with the Abarth version of this venerable Italian hatchback. The Fiat 500 Abarth serves as a case in point for automakers; in order to move forward, one must often look back.
America has been known for many years as the "land of opportunity", now it can be known as the "land of the insane engineering." This change of title is due to a car which defies convention and could be considered the Bell X-1 of tuned sedans. This vehicle truly breaks down what is possible in the tuning market and plows a new path. This seminal vehicle is the 2012 Hennessey Twin Turbo V1000 CTS-V Coupe. The guys over at Hennessey were the only people to look at the 2012 Cadillac CTS-V and think "ya know, we need to make it as powerful as a medium sized ICBM," and the outcome is simply staggering.
This latest offering from the Texas based tuning company boasts 1,000 horsepower and 950 ft/lbs of torque. This will push the sports car to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and will allow it to do the quarter mile in 10.9 seconds at 136 mph. All this while pushing it all the way to a top speed of 230 mph.
If you’re screaming "I want one!", you will have to a right a large check (somewhere north of 150K). You will also have to be quick because only 12 are being made. If you are lucky enough to have this automotive Hulk, you will undoubtedly love to get under the skin of other super car owners. They will roll their eyes at this pauper, but as soon as you press the loud pedal, you will definitely give their Mercedes SLS AMG and Ferrari 458 Italia models a fright.
Hit the jump for more details on the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Twin Turbo V1000 by Hennessey.
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Porsche has made headlines in the industry with its Panamera 4-door sedan since it hit the market in 2009 as a 2010 model. Contrary to many of the company’s other models, the Panamera had many critics. Not only did the idea of a 4-door Porsche rustle purist’s feathers, but the design and styling left many scratching their heads. From some angles the car is impressive and echoes the sports car heritage that made the company famous, but when viewing the rear it’s hard to imagine exactly what the designers were thinking.
Design aside, the Panamera puts up startling performance figures in Turbo trim and made the automotive press take a step back to examine it further. Three models were offered for 2010, each with a V8 engine under the hood pushing 400hp and the Turbo at 500hp. New for 2011 will be the addition of two V6 models with the engine being designed by Porsche specifically for duty in its flagship sedan. The increased fuel economy and lower sticker price are the main reasons driving Porsche to offer this model.
With the strong performance of the 500hp Turbo model being much of the reason why enthusiasts gave the car a second look, can a V6 Porsche sedan keep up with the pack?
UPDATE 07/15/2011: Porsche recently set out to the Shanghai International Circuit with the Panamera Turbo to break the lap speed record for a four-door production car. They succeeded with a lap time of 2:29.640 minutes, but we can’t find any mention anywhere of the original record. Was the Panamera a Turbo the maiden four door vehicle? That’s what it looks like, leaving Porsche to look a little silly for the announced "achievement." THat being said, a record is a record, so check out the video to watch it in action!
Hit the jump for more details on the 2011 Porsche Panamera.
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When we buy a car, we want it to make us feel special. Now that the Fiat 500C has hit our shores, it’s easy to see that this convertible has excelled in this aspect. It combines the fun of a convertible and the ease of use of a compact car. You feel so happy when driving the 500C it should be categorized as an anti depressant. With such a cheap and cheerful car, you would expect it be made of plastic and have the same cosmetic qualities as an outhouse. As soon as you peek inside and out, you are amazed.
The 2012 Fiat 500C promises all the fun and style of the Fiat 500 with a convertible drop top that lets you soak up the glorious sunshine. The amazing thing is a fully loaded 2012 Fiat 500 C is the same price as a base model MINI convertible. We just looked up thew word value in the dictionary and not surprisingly, it showed a picture of the 2012 Fiat 500C.
Details on the Fiat 500C after the jump.
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What happens when you take a sports sedan and add sprinkles of practicality? You get the 2011 BMW 535i GT. This car lets you carve the corners and allows you to transport the kids in comfort..sounds like a winner in our book.
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