The History Of Abarth, Expalined: Video

The name Abarth isn’t exactly a household name in the United States, but the brand is renown among enthusiasts in Europe. Abarth never built cars to challenge Ferrari or Maserati (or even BMW); instead, Abarth built parts to make commonly available Fiats go faster. By focusing on small cars, like the Fiat Topolino or the Fiat 600, Abarth earned a reputation and a nickname of “small but wicked.” Read more…

2012 FIAT 500 Sport Review & Test Drive

Small light-weight compact cars are attempting to make a big impact on the American car culture. Many brands are injecting what they consider to be “the best offering” when it comes to a subcompact. Chrysler and Fiat has made a fair attempt at this endeavor in the all-new 2012 Fiat 500.

Read more…

Velocità On The Cheap: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth Priced At Just $22,000

Affordable Italian sports cars used to be a staple of the American motoring diet. In the 1970s and 1980s, we had Lancias, Fiat Spyders and Fiat X/19s aplenty, and stepping up to the next price level would have gotten you an Alfa Romeo GTV or an Alfa Spyder. These cars all had a lot of personality, but most were constructed with inadequately rustproofed steel, which meant owners could watch their prized Italian automobiles decay before their very eyes. Since Italian cars weren’t renown for bulletproof reliability, either, getting stranded once or twice was usually enough to overcome their charms. In the 1980s, finding a cheap Fiat that needed work was as easy as opening the newspaper. Read more…

The 2013 Dodge Dart Doesn’t Look Like An Entry Level Compact

In the original gospel according to domestic automakers, one rule was clear above all others: entry level compact cars were built to a price point, with little emphasis on content or quality. By way of example I give you the previous Ford Focus, the Chevy Aveo and perhaps the worst offender of all, the Dodge Caliber. The Caliber wasn’t just bad, it set new standards for how truly awful an automobile can be when MBAs and accountants are left to make all the decisions. Read more…

Video: The Fiat 500 Abarth Visits Jay Leno’s Garage

The 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth will soon begin to trickle into Fiat dealerships, so Fiat chief engineer Joe Grace thought it would be an ideal time to bring one to Jay Leno’s Garage. Leno already has a standard Fiat 500, which he admits to driving on a regular basis for the entertainment value alone. Winding the 500 out to redline in each gear is fun, Leno explains, while attempting the same thing with a McLaren will likely produce jail time. Read more…

Is The Fiat 500 The Next Smart Car?

When the Smart brand debuted in the United States, the timing couldn’t have been better to launch a small, fuel efficient brand. Gas pricing had spiked to record levels and the U.S. economy was in a tailspin. Families were looking to squeeze every single penny out of a shrinking household budget, so replacing a fuel-sucking SUV with a skaterboard-sized commuter car seemed like the practical thing to do. Read more…

Video: We Wonder If THIS Car Ad Will Make Prime Time

The purpose of a car advertisement is to stir emotion, and to get the watcher aware of a particular product. The best ads convince you that you’re missing something, and that your life won’t be complete until you drive (or better yet, buy) a particular make and model. Based on that criteria, I’d put this ad in the “Top 10 Car Ads Of All Time” category. Read more…

Video: The Fastest Fiat in the World

Okay, I get that most of us relate Fiat vehicles and the new Fiat 500 with the words “slow”, “small” and maybe even “insignificant”. Although those terms may be accurate to some degree with a slight exception of the new 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth, all Fiats are not created equal. Case-in-point, this highly modified Racecraft 1970 Fiat 500 sporting its stock body runs the quarter mile in 10 seconds at 138mph! Yes, you heard me correct, a 10-second Fiat! If you need the proof, then check out the exclusive Fiat 500 drag race video on the link Here!