[csa02221862]

When is an Abarth an Abarth? Does it have to be built by Abarth? Is it performance? Styling? Both? Can you do the Eseesse kit and is it then an Abarth? Must the Dealer do any mods/upgrades?

Thinking of getting a Sport and 'Abarthing' it. But don't want to be a poser.

Rich

 

[Tweak]

It is an Abarth when it is modded by their company, anything else would although potentially better be labeled accurately as a "poser". Abarth could be thought if like Lingenfelter is to Corvette I suppose, maybe Mugen r any other similar modding company, that's how I see it. By the way, welcome to the forums.

 

[csa02221862]

It is an Abarth when it is modded by their company, anything else would although potentially better be labeled accurately as a "poser". Abarth could be thought if like Lingenfelter is to Corvette I suppose, maybe Mugen r any other similar modding company, that's how I see it. By the way, welcome to the forums.

I know with many of the 'modding' companies, including Abarth, you can get ad install a kit. The Essesse kit for example. So if I get a Kit from Abarth and put it on would it be posing?

 

[RobR]

I thought the Essesse kit in Europe was FOR the regular Abarth.

 

[SeaDawg]

I thought the Essesse kit in Europe was FOR the regular Abarth.

It is, and even requires certain requirements be met before it can be installed on an existing Abarth.

 

[Tweak]

I'd still see is as posing unless they did it for you, part of having the real thing is it BEING the real thing, changing every part makes it the same as an Abarth, but not AN Abarth, that's my point of view on it. It'd be cool and no one probably would ever know and I'm sure it'd make the car more fun but it just isn't unless it is which is this case it wouldn't so it isn't.

 

[freedomgli]

An Abarth is an Abarth is an Abarth. Let's forget for a moment the older Abarth cars and tuning parts and focus only on late-model Abarth cars made in the past 5 years or so as being relevant to the conversation, especially since this forum was created specifically to discuss the new FIAT 500 cars. Today, Abarth & C. S.p.A. is a subsidiary of Fiat S.p.A. That means an Abarth may only be a car that was originally assembled by FIAT to be an Abarth 500 or 500C (with or without the Esseesse kit), Abarth 500 Asetto Corse, Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari, Abarth Punto EVO, Grande Punto (with or without Esseesse kit) or Grande Punto S2000.

Anything done aftermarket is a copy/clone/fake. So taking your standard 2012 FIAT 500 and adding the Abarth 500 parts might make it a sportier car but it's still just a FIAT 500 with Abarth parts installed, not an Abarth 500. However, I fully expect to see a plethora of ricers putting Abarth stickers and emblems all over their standard cars just as they have been doing in Europe for decades. There's nothing wrong with being a poseur, per se. Abarth is an aspiration for many FIAT 500 owners. But let's call a spade a spade here. If you car did not leave the factory as an Abarth model then it will never be an Abarth. Period. End of discussion.

For more informaiton, read the Wikipedia article about Abarth: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abarth

While you're at it, make a donation to help keep Wikipedia alive as the worlds greatest encyclopedia.

Also, be sure to check out the official Abarth sites: http://www.abarth.it and http://www.abarth.it/uk/

 

[freedomgli]

Thinking of getting a Sport and 'Abarthing' it. But don't want to be a poser.

Are you joking? That is the definition of a poseur.

 

[freedomgli]

Can you do the Eseesse kit and is it then an Abarth?

The Esseesse kit exists solely as an upgrade to the standard spec 135hp Abarth 500/500C in Europe. The USA is already getting the 160hp spec Abarth 500, therefore, there will be no Esseesse kit for those cars.

 

[geeded]

Changing a 500 Sport over to an Abarth clone would cost much more than just going and buying one. Different front, different rear, turbo, intercoolers, a new heavy-duty 5-Speed transmission, different wheels, larger front brakes, different interior, etc, etc. Not cost effective by a long shot.

Cheers

 

[Giallo Edizione]

You mean my ABARTH vanity plate doesn't count?


oh no... (countin' the days till I can bolt a real one on to the plate!)

 

[csa02221862]

My point is.......

Even Mercedes sell AMG parts that say AMG, and if you put an AMG suspension under the car they will sell you the badges to go with it. If you put Eddelbrock parts on your car/truck you put Eddelbrock badgeing on the car/truck. If that's posing then every race car and hot rod on the planet is a poser.

 

[csa02221862]

My point is.......

Even Mercedes sell AMG parts that say AMG, and if you put an AMG suspension under the car they will sell you the badges to go with it. If you put Eddelbrock parts on your car/truck you put Eddelbrock badgeing on the car/truck. If that's posing then every race car and hot rod on the planet is a poser. I would not claim it was built by Abarth just letting people know what mods are on it. Everyone knows that even the ones from Abarth are just a Fiat 500 with a few Abarth parts on it. Abarth takes ALL the Fiat badging off it and they didn't build the car. Shouldn't the car have Fiat badging on the front and rear and Abarth on the flanks??????? Who's the poser???

Sorry for the partial repeat but the idiotic rules wouldn't let me edit.....

 

[freedomgli]

Do what you want. You've already justified it in your mind. Just don't get upset when people point and sneer at your fake Abarth. It's no different than people putting ///M badges on their BMW 325i. And yes, Mercedes-Benz has whored the AMG brand like no other, and they've diluted the AMG brand image as a result. It's shameful that Mercedes-Benz puts AMG badges on lowly C300 if you order the AMG wheels and appearance kit. But they're in it to make money and there is no shortage of buyers wanting to play the part at a lower price point.

 

[tommy]

You can always buy AMG badges. Of course, you'd have to be a special kind of idiot to buy them from a dealer and not from ebay.

The AMG brand is about the hand-built engines, imho, and not the other parts. Especially when there is much better stuff in the aftermarket arena (even with MB's sad little aftermarket support) than whatever AMG could provide. Though with such a lack of fun involved in AMGs other than the HP figures, most owners should be considered poseurs anyway.

As far as the Abarth discussion at hand, the lines are so blurred these days; I see no real issue with customizing it with Abarth pieces. I'd consider them all 500s, the rest is nitpicking and marketing.

 

[blefevre]

Any of the factory performance brands are about the complete package. Engine, suspension, brakes, etc. If you don't have the full thing you are missing the intended point of the car.

Example. Plenty of people put M engines in their 3-series. Is it a "M"....no. It doesn't have the suspension, brakes, geometry, etc to make the entire package "special" enough to slap a badge on it.

That's my take.

 

[tommy]

Example. Plenty of people put M engines in their 3-series. Is it a "M"....no. It doesn't have the suspension, brakes, geometry, etc to make the entire package "special" enough to slap a badge on it.

If by special, you mean overpaying for stock M/AMG/JCW pieces when there's better in the aftermarket, you're right. Not the kind of special I'd aspire to, though.

If there gets to be enough aftermarket support for the 500/Abarth, I'd hope that a lot of people would start skipping the factory Abarth stuff, and go straight for aftermarket - KW coilovers, for example.

 

[blefevre]

If by special, you mean overpaying for stock M/AMG/JCW pieces when there's better in the aftermarket, you're right. Not the kind of special I'd aspire to, though.

If there gets to be enough aftermarket support for the 500/Abarth, I'd hope that a lot of people would start skipping the factory Abarth stuff, and go straight for aftermarket - KW coilovers, for example.

I'm not even thinking about price. That has nothing to do with why a car has a "M" badge, "AMG" badge, etc. Yes they are more expensive and are charged a premium, but I wasn't factoring that in because I feel it's a different topic all together. "Is an M, Abarth, AMG worth it?" would be that topic. I was simply saying the engineering team focuses on the entire car and makes changes all across the board.

As far as the Abarth goes, it might actually be a good deal when you consider the full turbo/engine kit(different CR), different transmission, axles, factory suspension, brakes, etc. That stuff would be very expensive to add to a base Fiat if someone really wanted it. Only time will tell how well the base Fiat takes to modifications like turbo kits. Should be exciting to see!

 

[tommy]

I'm with you - both on the differences between a stock 500 and an Abarth, and also the excitement part. Can't wait to test drive one. Just hoping that the dealerships aren't all anal about test drives, or even having Abarths in the dealership when the time comes. It could be a very odd scenario if current sales trends for the base 500 force them to think irrationally about how they handle the Abarth.