If you can get around the interviewer in this video, there’s a decent amount of good information about the upcoming Fiat 500 Abarth in it. For instance, Dan Fry, lead vehicle engineer, explains the differences between the 500 Abarth sold here and the same model sold in Europe. Dan covers the suspension differences between standard Fiat 500 models and 500 Abarth versions, too, and it’s pretty clear that the Abarth is more than just a trim package with a few extra horsepower.
Alison Singer, vehicle integration engineer, explains the benefits of track-testing the car at Nelson Ledges, and even goes into a bit of detail on why the 500 Abarth will challenge the MINI Cooper for “best handling front-wheel-drive” honors. Getting a front-wheel-drive car to rotate with the throttle can be a challenge, since most simply want to understeer at the limit. If you can induce controllable oversteer with a lift of the throttle in your front-drive car, the engineers behind its development deserve extra credit.
Enjoy the video below, but here’s a note to Fiat: next time, can you get an interviewer that doesn’t come across as a complete tool?
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
