Absolutely. Our first experience with the Fiat 500 has left us desperately wanting a few more miles behind the wheel. Fiat has always been at its best when channelling its creativity and engineering skills into the smallest of cars – think 1937 Topolino, the 600 of 1955, the 500 of 1957 and the Mk1 Panda – and the 500 proves that Turin has lost none of its small car magic. It’s quite brilliant, a car influenced by the nostalgic charm of the past but still perfectly judged for the 21st century’s high-profile premium supermini sector.
Fiat knew just who to get in to ensure that the 500 stayed true to the star of the 2004 Geneva Motor Show. It called on former head of Ferrari design Frank Stephenson to hone the 500’s design for production. There’s no one better out there for the job – Stephenson designed the Mini for BMW, after all.
The critter uses Panda architecture. Drivetrains range from a 75bhp 1.3-litre turbodiesel w/54mpg [US] to a 100bhp 1.4-litre “gas-guzzler” w/44mpg [US]. Euro guesstimates price it at $12,000 landed in the States.
Now, if they’d only make a turbodiesel mini pickup for me.
and for the uneducated person who didn’t know anything about Fiat, they are independent and they also own Alfa Romeo (soon, from 2009 in the USA) as well as Ferrari, Maserati and Lancia – and New Holland construction equipment, tractors and Iveco trucks.
Not sure what your point is, Moss, other than that you seem to enjoy being a childish prick.
I don’t care how many airbags it has, I would hate to come up against a Hummer.
42 – I get bored by ignorant pricks.
I didn’t appreciate the elegance of his solution at the time, but in retrospect it was sublime, and I still marvel at it. When I was in college, I was dating a beautiful young lady. She was a biochemistry major, and a good Catholic girl, and did I mention, beautiful?. I, as an Episcopalian and a aviation management major, was deemed unsuitable for her “Daddy’s little girl.” As our relationship progressed and seemed as if it might get more serious, her father bought her a new car, a Fiat (model unknown). My car was an old ’63 Falcon and notoriously unreliable. But her brand-new car was literally too small to accommodate my 6’1″ frame. And with that seemingly beneficent act (WHO could fault a father for buying his little girl a new car?), our relationship was doomed. Genius.
My neighbor has an old 70′s FIAT that he takes to shows – evidently there’s a rabid collector’s market. He can rarely get it running, not unlike the experience of my best friend back in 1982 who had a “Fix It Again Tony.” I took a short trip with her and learned the colors of all the engine fluids by looking at what was running out of the car. As a former Geo Metro owner and current Aveo owner, I do think it’s just as cute as a bug’s ear. Just look out for rowdy college kids carrying it away and putting it in their dorm room.
The start Fiat 500 car with 100 HP max. But until now they have a new one with 160 HP. And there is also a 200 HP competiton one which is in Europe not allowed to use on roads.
I’ve had many Fiats over the years and all have been reliable. The last one, a 1980 131 was approaching 250,000 miles and still running great when some bimbo teenager in mommy’s mini van crashed into me. That was about three years ago. I drive an Alfa now but would love to see the new 500 here in the US. Most people trashing Fiats are know-it-alls who never even owned one.