Nother CarGuy

Abarth has two debuts for this year’s Geneva Motor Show and chances are both will send your heart racing. The first is the Abarth 595 esseesse (the Italian pronunciation of “SS”) which is inspired by the legendary 1960s tuning kit and the later Abarth 500 edition launched in 2009. The second is the Abarth 124 Rally Tribute, a limited edition of just 124 cars that celebrate the 2018 FIA R-GT Cup victory. Starting with the Abarth 595 esseesse, it places itself at the top of Abarth’s 595 lineup as it’s equipped with the brand’s most powerful engine, the 1.4-liter turbo-four rated at 180 PS (178 hp). It features performance-enhancing standard equipment including an Akrapovic exhaust system, Brembo front braking system with perforated, ventilated front brake discs and oversized red brake calipers, BMC air cleaner, as well as Koni FSD (Frequency Selective Damping) rear suspension. The latter is said to improve cornering abilities. On the tech front, the 595 esseesse gets the...

A hardtopped variant of the Fiat 124 Spider could launch as early as next year according to a report from  Autocar . It is thought that Fiat has been spurred on by the success of the  Mazda MX-5  based model and wants to create a dedicated coupe variant with higher performance capabilities. The creation of such a model will also help to distinguish the 124 further from its Mazda sibling and provide the Italian manufacturer with an even sportier model. The world got its first taster of a Fiat 124 Coupe at March's Geneva Motor Show when Abarth unveiled its  rally-spec 124  with a fixed roof and racing livery. There's a good chance that the production 124 Coupe will utilize a very similar roof design or potentially, adopt a slightly extended roofline which would result in a shorter decklid. In either case, it seems probable that engines will differ depending on the market. Some are thought to be happy with the Spider's entry-level 1.4-liter 138 hp engine while o...

If you've been thinking of picking up a nimble new roadster, but can't decide between the  Mazda MX-5 Miata  and its Italian counterpart the  Fiat 124 Spider , the vehicle you see here might tip the balance. It's the new Abarth 124 Spider, tuned by the Italian automaker's performance division. And it's just made its debut here on the floor of the 2016  Geneva Motor Show . The Abarth version, of course, is based on the  Fiat  model, which in turn is based on the  Mazda . But the one with the Scorpion emblem offers a number of performance upgrades. Under the hood is still a 1.4-liter  turbo  four, producing the same 184 pound-feet of torque, but in Abarth spec offers a more prodigious 170 horsepower (up from 160). Buyers will still be able to choose between a six-speed manual or automatic transmission, but the rest of the components are no-brainers: Brembo brakes, Bilstein dampers, and a Record Monza exhaust. The steering is electrically ass...

 sketch depicting  Fiat’s new Tipo  Estate (name not confirmed yet) has appeared online, with some outlets portraying it as official, but we traced it back to a two-week old report from Italian daily  Corriere Della Sera . Whereas its authenticity as a Fiat-sourced teaser is questionable, what isn’t is the fact that it will make its world premiere at the  Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday , March 1, alongside the five-door hatchback version of the Tipo series.  The newspaper quoted Fiat’s EMEA region Chief Operating Officer Alfredo Altavilla as saying:  “The Geneva Motor Show will be an unprecedented event for FCA, the most significant in years. We expose news for all brands in the group, completing the Fiat Tipo family with two other models, the five-door and station wagon, which mark our return in the most important category of the European market, the C-segment that is chosen by families.” Altavilla went on to confirm the presentation of  the Aba...