Fiat Abarth 500 Takes on Subaru Impreza WRX STI on Italian Track

The Abarth 500, especially when fitted with the 'essesse' performance package that lifts the 1.4-liter turbocharged engine's output to 160-horses, is a capable little beast for its size and price, but is that enough to challenge a previous generation Subaru Impreza WRX STI on the racetrack?

Well, as any driver with some experience on the circuit will tell you, it’s as much about the car as it is about the person sitting behind the wheel. That said, the Abarth 500 shouldn't come close to an STI in the right hands but it's plausible under certain circumstances.

Youtube poster Marchettino says that he was able to chase the Impreza WRX STI –even though it was modded, which could potentially mean that it packed close to 300-ponies under its hood, with his Abarth 500.

"While driving at Franciacorta racetrack I played with a modified Subaru Impreza WRX Sti," said Marchettino. "I was also very surprised to keep up with such a fast car with my Abarth. Unfortunately, my GoPro HD [video camera] stopped to record the action for no reason!"

New Abarth Punto Scorpione Special Edition Limited to 99 Pieces

The Fiat Group's never-ending streak of special edition models continues with the new Abarth Punto Scorpione that will receive its world premiere alongside the 595 specials at the upcoming 2011 Bologna Motor Show in the beginning of December.

The Abarth Punto Scorpione is based on the esseesse model and is powered by the same 180HP 1.4-liter turbocharged MultiAir engine. It accelerates from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 7.5 seconds and its top speed is 216 km/h (134 mph).

However, it comes with several unique cosmetic touches. These include the special exterior paint job with a two-tone Nero Scorpione livery enhanced by special matte black paintwork for the bonnet and roof that encompass glossy black stripes. The Italian hot hatch also gets black alloy wheels and yellow Brembo brake calipers.

Inside, Abart fitted the Punto Scorpione with a set of bucket seats partially trimmed in Alcantara and featuring red and yellow stitching from Sabelt, leather steering wheel, gearbox and instrument panel cover, plus aluminium kick plate, sport pedals and accent trim.

The Italian automaker has also developed a special "Abarth Nitro" winter kit for those who like skiing and which includes 17-inch alloys with winter tires, a snowboard rack with magnetic fastening and a snowboard from the "Nitro powered by Abarth" lineup.

The company said that production of the Abarth Punto Scorpione will be strictly limited to 99 units.

Fiat to Abarth 595 Specials and 695 Assetto Corse Racer

There seems to be no end to the release of differently flavored versions of the Fiat 500, the Abarth version of which made its North American debut in L.A. just last week.

Today, the Italian company announced that it would reveal two new production editions and a racing version of the Abarth 500 at the forthcoming 2011 Bologna Motor Show, which takes place in Italy from December 3 to 11.

The new production models are the Abarth 595 Turismo and 595 Competizione, the first of which is said to target buyers that would like a sporty model "without going to an extreme", while the other is designed to appeal to those that would like something a little more aggressive.

Both models are fitted with the peppier 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder T-Jet engine featuring Abarth's customization kit that lifts output to 160-horses and 230Nm (169.6 lb-ft) at 3,000 rpm, for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 7.4 seconds and a top speed of 211km/h (131mph).

The 595 Turismo is equipped with an electrically-operated manual transmission with controls on the steering wheel, while the 595 Competizione comes with a 5-speed manual gearbox.

The Turismo stands out thanks to its two-tone livery in black and red, an option first introduced on the convertible model. The aluminum 595 logos on the rear fenders and tailgate along with the titanium-colored 17-inch alloy wheels complete the exterior upgrades. Inside, the Turismo gets two-tone red and black leather seats and steering wheel, and aluminum pedals and trim accents.

Moving onto the 595 Competizione, it sports a special Grigio Record exterior paint finish complemented by matching-color 17-inch alloy wheels, yellow Brembo brake calipers and aluminum logos on the rear fenders and tailgate. The two-tone natural leather and alcantara bucket seats from Sabelt highlight the interior while the same color combo makes its appearance on the door panels and steering wheel rim.

Fiat said that both the 595 Turismo and Competizione are also available with a variety of performance upgrades such as the sports brake and suspension kits.

The third 500-based model making its debut in Bologna is the Abarth 695 "Assetto Corse", which was designed for track racing. The competition model is powered by a specially tuned 1.4-liter turbocharged four-pot with 205HP and it comes equipped with race-spec wheels, brakes, transmission and suspension along with all of the safety equipment required by FIA regulations, including a roll-bar welded to the body.

Naughty 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth

After seeing the lukewarm response to its U.S. market commercials on the 500C starring Jennifer Lopez (…or was that the other way around?), Fiat's marketing division put its act together and presented a more appropriate ad for its 2012 500 Abarth, which was unveiled today at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The new advertisement conveys the message that the 160-horsepower 500 Abarth is a naughty little Italian city car in a cheeky but tasteful way. The 1-minute long commercial concludes with the female voiceover, "The Fiat 500 Abarth. You'll never forget the first time you see one".

You can take a look at the clip for yourself in the video after break.