2012 Fiat FreakOut Coming Soon

Attention Fiat enthusiasts! The premier Fiat event of the year has just been announced and is something you cannot miss. The largest Fiat club in America - Fiat Lancia Unlimited  -  will hold its annual convention in Virginia on August 2nd to August 5th, 2012. 

The convention, called Fiat FreakOut, is in its 29th year and is the largest gathering of Fiat Group cars in North America. This year's event will be held at Wintergreen Resort in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and features a host of activities spread over the four days.

Fiat Freakout kicks off Thursday, August 2nd with a track day at Virginia International Raceway that will be hosted by the Phil Wicks Driving Academy (veteran racer Phil Wicks was a works driver for Fiat Abarth – Radbourne Racing!). Other events include a great concours car show, coordinated scenic drives through the gorgeous Virginia country side including the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway, visits to historic sites and lots of socializing in a relaxed atmosphere.

FFO12 Schedule General Outline:

• Wednesday, August 1st, 2012:
• Early Bird Arrivals, check in 4PM
• Wintergreen Resort (WGR) Family Activities (on own)
• Sleep Inn – Danville, VA night before VIR Track Day
• Thursday, August 2nd, 2012:
• Virginia Intl Raceway School & Track Day
• WGR Evening Patio Reception (dinner on own)
• Friday, August 3rd, 2012:
• IAP Open House & Free Lunch
• Wine Tour Afternoon Drive
• Welcome Party – WGR outdoor terrace
• Friday Night Movie & Kids movie
• Saturday, August 4th, 2012:
• FFO12 Concours Show @ WGR
• Concours Lunch @ WGR
• Afternoon Drive
• Awards Banquet
• Late night lot party
• Sunday, August 5th, 2012
• Breakfast/Brunch
• Monticello Drive
• Closeout informal dinner @ WGR

Make sure you register early!  Here are important links:

2012 Fiat FreakOut homepage

2012 Fiat FreakOut online registration

New Alfa Romeo Spider in Works

It ain't easy being an Alfa Romeo enthusiast in America.  Here is a car company with the greatest heritage, the greatest emblem and has produced some of the greatest performance cars ever and all you can do is just watch from the sidelines while the cars are sold everywhere else but the USA.  Frustrating for sure, BUT there are plans for the storied marque to return this country.  Alfa Romeo fans are right now saying "yeah, sure..." and "I'll believe it when I see it".  Can't blame them, they've heard it all before.  Well now comes news that should tweak that carefully guarded pessimism.  Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. (Fiat) and Mazda Motor Corporation (Mazda) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the joint development of a new Alfa Romeo roadster based on Mazda’s next-generation MX-5 rear-wheel-drive architecture.

Fiat and Mazda will develop two distinctly different vehicles, each with their own style and powered by engines specific to each brand.  The sharing of the next generation platform will cut development costs, but also speed the reentry of an Alfa Romeo Spider into the US by 2015.  The new Alfa Romeo Spider is expected to be manufactured at Mazda’s Hiroshima, Japan factory.

The Mazda MX5 has developed into a highly capable vehicle over its 21 year heritage and has become the best selling roadster of all time.  There is talk of the next generation MX5 weighing as little as 2,000 lbs, so combining this lightweight chassis with say, the 235 HP turbocharged and direct-injected 1750 TBi inline-four that powers the top of the line Alfa Romeo Giulietta, gives you an idea of the performance potential this new Alfa Romeo Spider could have.

This agreement also hints that Fiat and Mazda may partner together in the upcoming future:

“This agreement clearly demonstrates our commitment to Alfa Romeo and the determination to grow it into a truly global brand. By partnering with Mazda, we will be co-operating with the recognized leader in compact rear-drive vehicle architectures in order to deliver an exciting and stylish roadster in the Alfa Romeo tradition. We are appreciative of this collaboration with Mazda and look forward to maintaining a fruitful and continuous relationship,” said Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne.

A new lightweight, high performance Alfa Romeo Spider would be something to celebrate, and may just break Alfa enthusiasts out of their perpetual pessimism. Let's hope everything stays on track...


Quote from Fiat Group Press

More Fiat 500T Rumors

I posted the first pictures of the Fiat 500T here in March. Now, more Fiat 500T news and rumors have begun surfacing from various sources. The 2013 Fiat 500T is a 500 Sport with a detuned 500 Abarth 1.4L engine. The engine makes 135 HP, or the same as the European Abarth 500.

This car would be slated between the $17,500 Fiat 500 Sport and the $22,700 Fiat 500 Abarth. The figure of $19,000 is often mentioned, again, this is not official, but is a logical assumption.

Transmission will be the heavy duty C510 from the 500 Abarth, but without the equal length driveshafts that the Abarth has . Done, no doubt, to save some money and probably not deemed totally necessary due to the the 500T's lower horsepower figure.

There is also a rumor that the C510 gearbox will  sport a sixth gear, however, that would be quite a coup and would mean there is a redesign of a chassis reinforcement that had previously precluded the fitment. This would also guarantee a sixth gear coming for the 500 Abarth for the 2013 model year. We'll have to watch this closely, and personally, I am thinking the long awaited 6 speed Dual Dry Clutch Transmission (DDCT) making its debut is a more likely scenario. A very interesting rumor indeed.

Other mechanical news is the car will have a single exhaust pipe and not the dual pipes the 500 Abarth has.

Fiat 500T preliminary engine output specifications:

Maximum Power (EEC)
100 kW @ 5000 rpm
135 HP @ 5000 rpm


Maximum Torque (EEC)
180 N·m @ 1750 rpm
133 ft. lbs. @ 1750 rpm

Remember, this is all very preliminary. Stay tuned...

Read the post on the first images of the Fiat 500T here

The New Abarth 695 Tributo Maserati

Abarth is unveiling the new Abarth 695 Maserati Edition at the thirtieth anniversary of the Mille Miglia road rally, May 16 -20. If this car sounds familiar, it is because originally this new tribute model was to make its public debut at the 82nd Geneva Motor Show, March 8 - 18, but it was pulled at the last moment, without comment.

This car was originally called the 695 Abarth Tributo Maserati

New name: Abarth 695 Maserati Edition

In the interim, there appears to have been a name change; now the car is called the Abarth 695 Maserati Edition. Previously, it was called the 695 Abarth Tributo Maserati. No reason was given, and it could be just to make it simpler for English speaking countries or be part of a new naming strategy. We'll see if we can find out more information, but in the meantime, here is more about this exciting new Abarth.

The new Abarth 695 Maserati Edition pays homage to its sister company Maserati, and has been thoroughly massaged in keeping with Maserati's high performance and luxury car standards. 

The car starts as a Fiat Abarth 500C cabrio and gets the full 'Tributo' performance treatment. Mechanical upgrades include; uprated engine tuning to 180 horsepower, brakes with larger, 305 mm drilled front discs clamped by 4 piston Brembo calipers, Koni dampers, and exclusive 17x7 "Neptune" wheels. An electrically-operated manual Abarth Competizione gearbox with steering wheel control and Abarth "Record Monza" variable back-pressure "dual mode" exhaust complete with hexagonal exhaust tips round out the performance package.

Besides outstanding performance, a car labeled "Maserati Edition" must also promise exclusive luxury and details. This new Abarth doesn't disappoint and captures the elegance of Maserati with distinctive exterior and interior trim.

The exterior features the unique Maserati paint color Pontevecchio Bordeaux complemented by a grey cloth top, Xenon headlights and special "Maserati Edition" badging.

Inside, the collaboration of Maserati  and Abarth is in full effect. The seats are upholstered in supple sand beige Poltrona Frau ® leather with "695" embossed into the headrests and the rear side panels and door panel inserts are treated to a stylish flocking effect. Trim includes a matte finished carbon fiber dashboard, black leather steering wheel, aluminium pedals and sill plates, and a carbon fiber kick plate with customised "Abarth 695 Maserati Edition " graphics.

The Abarth 695 Maserati Edition is an exclusive vehicle with only 499 being produced. It and the other limited edition 500 Abarths can be viewed on the new Abarth website called abarthspecialties.com, that debuted during the Geneva Motor Show in March.  The new site covers all special edition Fiat 500 Abarth models from the "Opening Edition" in 2008 to the current models and beyond.


Abarth 695 Tributo MASERATI Technical specifications
1.4 16v Turbo MTA 180 HP Engine
• 4 cylinders in line, 4 valves per cylinder, 1368 cm3.
• Power: 180 HP (132 kW) at 5500 rpm.
• Maximum torque 184 lbs-ft (250 Nm) in sport mode at 3000 rpm.
• Supercharged with Garrett 1446 turbo

Transmission
• 5 gears, C510 gearbox family with gear paddles on steering wheel
Suspension
• Abarth Koni front shock absorbers with FSD valve
• Abarth Koni rear shock absorbers with FSD valve
• Lowered ride.

Steering
• Electric power steering with “sport mode”

Brakes
• Floating, perforated and self-ventilating front brakes ø 305 mm × 28
mm
• Perforated rear brakes ø 264 mm × 22 mm
• TTC - Torque Transfer Control

Wheels
• 7×17" alloy rim Tyres: 205/40 R17"

Emissions
• Euro 5 EEC-F5 standard
Emissions of CO2 • 151 g/km

Consumption
• Urban consumption (l/100 km): 8.4
• Combined consumption (l/100 km): 6.5
• Extra-urban consumption (l/100 km): 5.4

Performance
• Max speed >225 km/h.
• Acceleration 0–100 km/h: <7 secs.

This article is an updated repost of the story I did on the 695 Abarth Tributo Maserati back in February.

Fiat Spin to Win Car Giveaway

Last month, Fiat USA's Facebook page hit 500,000 likes. To celebrate this accomplishment and to thank its fans, Fiat USA started a contest called 'Spin to Win' that will be giving away a new Fiat 500 Sport to one of ten lucky fans. Additionally, if you were one of the first 500,000 people to like the Fiat USA page, you are eligible for $500 off a new Fiat 500 or Fiat 500c.




The Fiat USA's Facebook page has been running fun games and contests over the past few months. These popular contests, along with attention getting TV commercials, have been successful in ramping up brand awareness and have translated to big sales gains since the beginning of the year.

Make sure you visit Fiat USA's Facebook page here to enter the contest. Good Luck!

Read more about Fiat sales

Read more about Fiat contests

US Fiat 500 Abarth Upshift Light

Here is an update on how the upshift light on the US Fiat 500 Abarth works. Previously, I posted a story on how the European Abarth 500 Turbo Boost Gauge and shift light works (read here). On the American 500 Abarth, the upshift light is implemented differently from the Euro Abarth. The upshift light on the US 500 Abarth is a “drag racer’s” shift light – it illuminates 0.3 sec before you hit fuel cutoff, regardless of being in Normal or Sport mode.

The upshift light on the European 500 Abarth operates as a “drag racer’s” shift light only in Sport mode and as a fuel economy reminder light in Normal mode. Speculation attributes the change to the traditional US driver's dislike of fuel economy reminders constantly blinking.

Below is a chart of the recommended upshift speeds for maximum fuel economy published on page 202 of the North American Fiat 500 Abarth owner’s manual.

Courtesy of Chrysler LLC