Fiat Abarth Will Make Appearance at Melbourne Motor Show

I’m the first to admit that I am over the whole retrostyling trend. It started with the New Beetle, and was followed by the Mini and a host of others. Don’t even get me started on the PT Cruiser–although not strictly based on a specific older car, it just rubs me the wrong way every time I see it. Fairly recently, Fiat announced its new retrostyled version of the classic 500, an development that didn’t get my attention until the Geneva Motor Show: it turns out that Fiat’s Abarth Rally Division has released a rally-tuned, 150 hp version of the 500. The heart of the Abarth 500 is a turbocharged 1.4 litre, 16-valve petrol engine. Its body kit gives it a rough-and-ready stance reminiscent of the original 500, in a way that really separates it from all the other micro-bots that are hitting the market. One cool feature that really caught my eye is the Torque Transfer Control system, which ensures that the peppy Abarth stays stuck to the road when cornering. This is one that I will definitely be checking out at the Melbourne International Motor Show. Take a look at the video of the 500 whipping its way around a road course!