Every year, many people’s favorite part of the Super Bowl are the commercials. Year after year, it seems like more and more automotive-related commercials are being aired. For 2012, the Super Bowl XLVI didn’t disappoint, with a range of funny car commercials. Check them all out below:

(if the videos fail to load at first, click here to reload the page)

Chevy Sonic “Stunt Anthem”

Hyundai Veloster Turbo – “Cheetah”

2012 Acura NSX – “Transactions” (Jerry Seinfeld)

Chevy Silverado – “2012″ (The one Ford asked Chevy not to air)

Cars.com – “Confident You”

2012 Honda CR-V – “Matthew’s Day Off” (aka “Honda’s Ferris Bueller Commericial”)

2012 Audi S7 – “Vampire Party”

2012 Toyota Camry – “It’s Reinvented”

Hyundai Genesis Coupe – “Think Fast”

2012 Kia Optima Big Game – “A Dream Car. For Real Life.”

Cadillac ATS – “Green Hell”

Suzuki Kizashi – “Sled” (with 50 Cent)

2013 Lexus GS – “Beast”

Fiat 500 Abarth – “Seduction”

Chrysler – “It’s Halftime in America”

2012 Volkswagen Beetle – “The Dog Strikes Back”

Bridgestone – “Performance Football”

2012 Toyota Camry – “Connections”

Related posts:

1. Super Bowl Car Commercials
2. 2011 Automotive Super Bowl Commercials
3. Volkswagen Debuts Two Super Bowl Commercials

We’ve been hearing a lot about the Fiat 500L lately. It just got that name a few weeks ago, and we’ve been hearing it is a product geared toward the United States. With Fiat dealers here only having the 500 and the Abarth model to sell, new product is clearly needed. Now Americans traditionally have liked our larger vehicles, but if we’re going to buy a compact we usually want four actual doors. The 500L is the answer to that. Fiat has released images and specifications ahead of the car’s debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

Despite its name, the 500L isn’t a standard 500 with two extra doors. Its a different model, on a separate platform. It does share some design cues that give it a familial resemblance – it definitely is a Fiat. We’re seeing major hints of the MINI Countryman in its design (check out that floating roof) which isn’t a bad thing.

Fiat calls the 500L a segment blending vehicle, aiming to provide an SUV-like driving position with MPV-like interior space, along with size and efficiency of a B-segment car. That’s a pretty tall order. The end result is to provide an alternative to the usual B and C-segment models. It is a different story in Europe – there are quite a few models that fit that bill.

In the U.S, the choices are smaller. In our opinion, the 500L is way more stylish than most European MPVs though. Interestingly, Fiat calls the 500L a “first car”, likely in response to the 500 being considered by most in the U.S to be a second car. From what we can see they’re doing a good job with this. No doubt they are taking a page from the successful MINI playbook.

What we aren’t sure of yet is interior design or space – that stuff will have to wait until Geneva, or at least closer to it. The 500L is slated to go on sale by the end of the year in Europe. We don’t have a date set for arrival on U.S shores, but we’ve heard noises about an early 2013 arrival.

Related posts:

1. Five-Door Fiat 500 To Be Called 500L
2. Fiat 500 Abarth To Debut In LA
3. Five-Door Fiat 500 On The Way With Eye on Boosting Sales

Depending on person talking, the relaunch of the Fiat automobile brand in the United States late last year can be categorized anywhere from a complete success to a disappointment.

So far, over 20,000 examples of the trendy subcompact Fiat 500 have been sold through distinct dealership for the US marketplace. Performing below the lofty expectations set by the auto company, the high-profile ad campaign that included a product placement deal with Jennifer Lopez has left many people to expect more from the Fiat 500. Optimism rests on the Fiat 500 being excited by the addition of the 500 Cabrio, the 160-horsepower Fiat 500 Abarth and news of a practical five-door model in the future.

Chrysler‘s Mopar division has also gotten into the act of installing some excitement on their corporate sibling‘s small, new vehicle. While Mopar has previously interacted with the Fiat 500, an all-new factory-direct sport package deeply marries itself with the Chrysler family. With 2012 being Mopar’s 75th anniversary, the Pentastar outfitter welcomed the Fiat 500 into the celebration with a ‘Sting’.

Called the 2012 Fiat 500 Stinger, Mopar shows off a two-stage conversion where styling and performance have been centralized. People really in touch with motoring history would recall the “Stinger” name attached to 1966 and 1967 model year Chevrolet Corvairs. Prepared by auto dealer Don Yenko, the Yenko Stinger was a performance-perfected version of the European-inspired Corvair. From an entirely different company in an entirely different era, the Mopar-derived Fiat 500 Stinger is also an aggressive application of American racing desire.

Stage One of the 2012 Fiat 500 Stinger exploits the Mopar’s aesthetic creativity with Italian style acting as the canvas. Brilliantly paraded alongside several other Mopar-modified vehicles for a 75th anniversary set, the 2012 Fiat 500 Stinger wears a Giallo (yellow) exterior colouring. Contrasting the Fiat 500 Stinger yellow, Mopar has added touches of black accenting along the outer shell including stripes that run solid from the headlamps before transitioning to a checkered pattern at the rear. A black chrome finish is also applied on the door handles as well as the Fiat 500 Stinger’s mirror car. 17-inch black aluminum wheels within high-performance tires completes the Mopar exterior dress-up of the subcompact car‘s Stage One trim.

Matching the exterior colour scheme, the 2012 Fiat 500 Stinger Stage One’s interior is presented with a sports car feel. Katxkin leather seats, with alcantara seat centers, carbon fiber decaling of the instrument panel and a Mopar shifter ball.

Preserving the fuel-efficient, 1.4 liter MultiAir engine’s 101 horsepower, the Stage One trim for the 2012 Fiat 500 Stinger may not be the type of shot some Mopar fans would be hoping to find from such a sport tuner appearance. Improving the physical performance of the Fiat 500 Stinger is the task of Mopar’s Stage Two kit. Featuring track-proven upgrades cross-drilled performance brake rotors provides the Fiat 500 Stinger with more enduring stopping power. The improvement in braking is even more important as the MultiAir powerplant has a higher performance potential thanks to a cold-air intake assembly and a cat-back exhaust.

Judged the “Hottest Sport Compact Car” at the 2011 SEMA Show, the Fiat 500’s potential as a tuner vehicle is being solidified by the Stinger package. Interested, new Fiat owners only need to review the Mopar product catalog in order to build their own 2012 Fiat 500 Stinger.

International and photo source: Chrysler Group

Related posts:

1. When the Fiat 500 Meets Mopar
2. Fiat 500 Abarth Checks In At $22,000
3. Five-Door Fiat 500 On The Way With Eye on Boosting Sales

It doesn’t take a business genius to figure out that a dealer can’t survive on just one product. Especially a low-volume three-door mini car. It is a good thing then for Fiat that a lot of $1 million + Fiat Studios were financed by large dealers.

These dealers have been complaining about lack of new product. The Abarth (and Alfa Romeos, eventually) is coming but it is clear they need more than that. Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne is throwing them a bone with a new model geared specifically toward the United States-market. It is has been said to be a five-door model of the 500. Some news has come from Automotive News that sheds a little bit more light on this model, including its name – 500L.

It will be a five-seater hatchback, aimed at expanding Fiat’s volume. Maybe this could hit 50,000 sales a year – but we don’t think they’ll be apt to repeat making a projection that is too optimistic. The new 500L will replace the Idea in Fiat’s European lineup, and underpinning it will be the platform used on the existing Punto.

The five-seater is mostly geared for the North American market. There will be an even longer seven-seat (!) version sold in Europe as well. Fiat thinks American customers won’t opt for a seven-seat vehicle that is that small. We think they are right.

The 500L is said to share design cues with the standard 500 that it shares its nomenclature with. AN reports that it will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. It is evidence of more of a direction for Fiat in the U.S. Fiat recently said it wouldn’t go higher than the C-segment in the U.S – meaning it will exclusively focus on small vehicles. Given its European heritage in the minds of most consumers, that is exactly where it should be.

Related posts:

1. 2013 Fiat 500L Revealed Before Geneva Debut
2. Five-Door Fiat 500 On The Way With Eye on Boosting Sales
3. Fiat 500 Marketing Mess: Chrysler Looks To Fix, Sales Actually Look Pretty Good

One of the biggest (and smallest….) automotive stories of 2011 was the Fiat 500. There has been a lot of talk though about its failure to meet the lofty sales goals Fiat set for it. The company targeted 50,000 sales, with an overly-ambitious goal to beat the MINI right out of the gate.

That was always a tall order. Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne admitted as much recently. MINI is established, has brand cachet, and even more key, multiple models. The 500 is one car and it was launched with a widely panned advertising campaign. We questioned recently why the Fiat brand would be relaunched for just one model, and we’re getting an answer to that with news of a five-door 500. The Detroit Free Press reports it will be making an appearance at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

Word on that comes direct from Fiat CEO Olivier Francois. He says the car will be sold in the United States starting next year. Originally the five-door 500 was said to be U.S only, but that never made much sense. to us Fiat is a global company and this new car should be a global product.

This five-door 500 has big implications for sales. We know that Americans traditionally have never been big fans of hatchbacks, but the slowest sellers among them are ones that have three-doors. Most Americans want four-doors plus the lift gate. The five-door iterations are always the best sellers. In fact, most don’t even offer a three-door. Mazda does with the 2 currently, but the five-door outsells it. There are different reports as to what new five-door Fiat will look like. Some say it will be a 500 with two extra doors, others say it will be a larger, different vehicle but with shared design cues. We think a 500 with two extra doors would do the trick in boosting sales both here and abroad.

Related posts:

1. Five-Door Fiat 500 To Be Called 500L
2. Sergio Marchionne Says Fiat 500 Sales Goal Was “Naive” – You Think?
3. Fiat 500 Marketing Mess: Chrysler Looks To Fix, Sales Actually Look Pretty Good

History has held that the only successful mini car in the United States has incidentally been the MINI. BMW’s smallest car line has thrived with an ever-expanding lineup that includes the recently-introduced Countryman small crossover. It is MINI’s largest model, but is still diminutive.

Fans of European small cars rejoiced last year when the Fiat 500 went on sale. It has been an interesting ride ever since. The 500 is aimed squarely at the MINI; the company has made that clear. Rather than capitalize on Chrysler’s dealer network with the 500 though, the decision was made to relaunch the Fiat brand. That means a network of new Fiat Studio dealers was assembled, with just one product to sell. It was a curious decision. What was most puzzling though was the 500′s lofty sales goals: 50,000 units. That’s more than the MINI, and more than anyone in the industry thought Fiat could shift right out of the gate.

It was a move sure to set the little car up for failure, and Fiat-Chrysler Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne is now being candid about it.

“It was a number that we said would be in excess of what Mini was selling in the United States. It was that simple….we set ourselves up for a fall…the future of Fiat is exactly the same as when we launched it.” said Marchionne to CNNMoney. That means everything is still on track for U.S launch. It isn’t clear if anything else is going to be sold here with the Fiat badge though, or what is the state of the company’s plans with Alfa Romeo. It all seems incredibly haphazard.

Amid this, 19,769 Fiat 500s were sold last year, and that actually isn’t too bad. Marchionne said that the 500 is profitable at that level of U.S sales, thanks to the exportation of Mexican-built of 500s to China and South America. Marchionne targets 25,000-30,000 U.S sales this year, something that is much more attainable, especially with the Abarth coming online. Now if they could only figure out a coherent advertising campaign….

Related posts:

1. Five-Door Fiat 500 On The Way With Eye on Boosting Sales
2. Fiat 500 Marketing Mess: Chrysler Looks To Fix, Sales Actually Look Pretty Good
3. Five-Door Fiat 500 To Be Called 500L

In November, the Fiat 500 Abarth was revealed at the Los Angeles auto show. There was as swarm of press at the event, eager to see the new car. The 500 is known as a “cute” car, mostly aimed at women so far. Jennifer Lopez doing the advertising? Yeah….let’s just say performance and a hard core edge has been lacking. The 500 Abarth takes care of that for a lot of people. There has been a lot of anticipation for this car. Today, Fiat has released pricing for it – and it clocks in just about where it should be.

The 500 Abarth will set you back $22,000 when it goes on sale (not including destination). That is a hefty premium over the standard car’s $15,990 asking price, but the two cars are like night and day – both in appearance and power under the hood.

“The Fiat 500 Abarth feels like a double shot of espresso straight to your veins,” says Tim Kuniskis, Head of FIAT Brand for North America, Chrysler Group LLC. “…it will reward adrenaline fans who no longer need to pay six figures to feel the rush of true Italian performance.”

Fiat calls the car perfect for “track day enthusiasts” and driving purists. The 500 Abarth is powered by a 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged four-cylinder delivering 160 horsepower and 170 pound feet of torque.

That power only has 2,533 pounds to lug around. You row your own gears as well, as the 500 Abarth five-speed manual transmission is the only option. Changes include unique exterior detailing, beefed up braking system, redesigned exhaust, returned suspension, a turbo boost gauge and 16-inch aluminum wheels. Purchase price includes a ticket to the Abarth Driving Experience day, hosted by the Richard Petty Driving Experience. This the exclusive to owners, and Fiat says it will provide top-level driving instruction in a safe and structured setting. Nice. Extras like that help make the buying experience special. The 500 Abarth goes on sale this March.

Related posts:

1. Fiat Releases Images of U.S-Bound 500 Abarth
2. 500-Based Abarth Sports Car Coming From Fiat
3. 200HP Fiat 500 Abarth

If you have been wondering about the current whereabouts of Jennifer Lopez over the past couple of years, you have probably felt a huge sigh of relief. Fiat, the subsidiary of the Chrysler company, has recently launched a multimedia campaign featuring the once popular singer and actress in order to get people talking about the brand of cars.

Lopez, who lives in Los Angeles, did not even show up to the shooting of the advertisements. As reported by CNN, the series of ads were a strikingly digital masterpiece which shot footage from the streets of Brooklyn and had J-Lo placed in a studio out in Hollywood. If Fiat wants to promote their digital and interactive capabilities, they could spin this into a positive.

A spokesperson from Chrysler said that the company took this opportunity to place emphasis on Fiat’s commitment to increased mobility in automobiles. The official company statement said that people rely on their cars in order to transport themselves throughout the day because of increased work demands. This may work to get those interested in Phoenix auto title loans interested in the product, people on the streets of New York might be put back by J-Lo’s

Chrysler is facing some copyright issues regarding the street art placed in the commercials. Graffiti artists Tats Cru have settled out of court in order to get compensation for their street murals. While they managed to avoid a huge lawsuit, they lacked the proper foresight into New York’s actual street art scene. This may prove to be a complete disconnect with the actual urban dwellers who Fiat wants to sell their cars to.

The tradition of using famous people to sell cars has been used to various degrees of success in  recent years. After country singer Toby Keith became a household name, Ford decided to attach his image to their line of pickup trucks and saw sales increase. Led Zeppelin, who have been notorious for not allowing their music to be used for promotional purposes, collaborated with Cadillac in order to create some spectacular advertisements for the luxury car brand.

Time will only tell if Jenny’s advertisements will resound with American carbuyers. While she has lost some of her artistic relevance, she has been able to stay relevant in the tabloids with messy divorces and other debacles that would get people interested in the brand. The only clear resolution we have from this campaign is that the company should have done a bit more research before using J-Lo in this capacity.

Related posts:

1. Dodge To Sell Viper (sob)
2. Breaking: Ford Might Sell Volvo
3. Chrysler PT Cruiser Saved

Smart ForTwo

Smart encourages drivers to “think differently,” a phrase that becomes all that more relevant when trying to find parking in a crowded city. Aside from being the most convenient parking machine on the road, the ForTwo generates a lot of buzz (at least in the US) from its stark design contrast in relation to the average American car.

There’s obviously something special about the ForTwo; countless individuals have taken the leap from bulky, environmentally inefficient vehicles toward the new wave of design and purpose expressed by the Smart. Could this be the vehicle that paves the way for American drivers to completely change their ways?

Toyota iQ

The Toyota iQ is set to make big waves in the super compact market as being one of the first vehicles to offer the size and efficiency of a super compact without sacrificing adequate storage space or modern styling. Toyota removed various unnecessary components of the standard dashboard to accommodate for a comfortable front seat experience, as well as space for two additional passengers in the rear. If you thought cars of this size were only made for two people, think again. The iQ is set for limited production in 2012 and will likely be rebranded under Scion for US consumers.

Mini Cooper Coupe

Mini Coopers have been around for quite some time now, but it wasn’t until recent years that we’ve seen any significant changes in product lines and styles from the Mini brand. Enter the Mini Cooper Coupe. A subtle variation of the standard Cooper, the Cooper Coupe is a 2 door roadster that is undeniably Mini, yet quite unique in its own right. This is the first 2-door vehicle that Mini has produced, commanding a small market segment of emotionally charged Mini drivers searching for the stylish qualities that a coupe can provide.

Fiat 500 Abarth

Fiat has a lot of ground to cover if they want to make an impact in the US auto market, but the recent announcement of the 500 Abarth will surely stir up some excitement for those individuals looking for a little performance with their compact. The 500 Abarth boasts a turbocharged engine with around 130 horsepower – not bad for a car that is about half the size of all the other vehicles on the road in the US today. The exterior fascia upgrades on the 500 Abarth also help seal the concept that small doesn’t have to mean lower performance or inferior styling.

Aston Martin Cygnet

Based on the Toyota iQ platform, the Aston Martin Cygnet is not quite what you would expect from one of the world’s leading luxury vehicle manufacturers. And at a starting price of £30,995 (~$49,595 US), it’s not entirely aimed at the traditional super compact buyers either. Fortunately, Aston Martin carries a brand fully capable of marketing rare and expensive vehicles to small market niches. Few individuals will have the opportunity to indulge in the upgraded styling and feature set of the Cygnet, making it the perfect super compact luxury car for the upscale city dweller.

Kyle Suss is an Internet marketing guru at Suss Buick GMC, Colorado’s largest supplier of Denver used cars.

Related posts:

1. MINI Creates Macro Excitement with Cooper Coupe
2. Dodge Returns To Compacts With 2013 Dart
3. Ford Offers Performance Mod on 2011 Super Duty

Since its launch, the Fiat 500 has had its share of marketing problems – mainly the whole advertising deal with Jennifer Lopez. The first commercial for Fiat appeared during a football game as part of Lopez’s new singer. A lot of (negative) publicity ensued, but Fiat has continued its partnership with the singer, launching a new commercial that makes a bit more sense than the first.

For Fiat, we’re sure they would like the discussion to turn back to product. They are looking to do that with the Abarth at the Los Angeles International Auto Show this month. It will be the most engaging Fiat 500 offered, and we’re sure that product-starved Fiat dealers are looking forward to any shiny new toys they can sell.

Especially since the Abarth will likely appeal to a different set than the standard 500. New images of the car have been released, along with a few details about what we’re getting here in the U.S. The Abarth has been on sale in Europe since 2007.

The 500 Abarth will be powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter MultiAir four-cylinder offering about 130 horsepower, up from the standard 500′s 101 hp. There is a higher-power version in Europe called the Esse-Esse that produces 160 hp. It isn’t clear if we’ll get both packages; we sure hope so. The Abarth 500 is lowered and the exterior sees some significant tweaks to the front and rear fascias Other changes include bigger, blacked out rims that look pretty striking paired with red brake calipers and accent mirrors.

The visual heat is turned up significantly; we love the changes! The 500 Abarth includes other substantive upgrades to match the power, like a stiffer suspension and beefier brakes. All the finalized details on the 500 Abarth will be dropping at the LA show. Abarth has a storied history behind it; the first Abarth based on the 500 debuted in 1958 as the 595 Abarth. The car broke six international speed records. While the new one won’t be doing any of that, we’re sure enthusiasts will appreciate the extra power.

Related posts:

1. Fiat 500 Abarth Checks In At $22,000
2. Fiat 500 Abarth To Debut In LA
3. 500-Based Abarth Sports Car Coming From Fiat

Most of what we’ve been hearing about the Fiat 500 has to do with Jennifer Lopez. That probably isn’t the best way to launch an all-new car. The advertising campaign has been a flop, with the brand’s first TV commercial being the ill-fated “music video trailer” for the single “Papi.” Enough of that so-called image building, what about the actual product? Romeo Ferraris, an Italian tuner, is focusing on that – and it is unlike any Fiat 500 you’ve ever seen.

And Romeo Ferraris isn’t a typo – its Ferrari with an s at the end. This 500 wears the “Stradale” moniker, which is used on high-end Italian exotics from Lamborghini, Ferrari and Maserati. The car is a street legal mini super car and Ferraris labels it as “extreme.” Indeed. It is based on the racing-only Abarth 500 model, hence the Stradale name, which means street in Italian.

The tuner takes the 500′s 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder and gives it a complete reworking, delivering 300 horsepower. That is a power-to-weight ratio of 7.9! 300 hp in the Fiat 500 will deliver startling performance – the standard car puts out 101 hp and isn’t a slouch. Romeo Ferraris hasn’t released specifications on 0-60 but it will no doubt be lightning quick.

To match the upgraded performance, the 500 Stradale gets an extreme makeover on the exterior as well, with a body kit that includes large air intakes on the hood, wheel arches, side skirts, a new rear diffuser with center mounted exhaust and a spoiler. The look is topped off with new wheels and a black finish. If you want to seat people in the back of this car, you’re out of luck as the rear seat has been taken out. The car has been fitted with a full-roll cage and bucket racing seats with OMP harnesses.

All the key details, like how much it will cost, how many will be produced and if it will be offered in the United States, have yet to be answered. This thing would be handful to drive, but insanely fun. More details should be forthcoming. Until then, check out the Romeo Ferraris 500 Stradale in our gallery below. Unfortunately the photos are a bit grainy.

Related posts:

1. Romeo Ferraris 500 Abarth
2. Prodrive’s Limited Edition Alfa Romeo Brera S 3.2
3. Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione Delivered In Holland

Launching a new model can be an expensive and difficult proposition. Launching a new brand? Even more so. The Fiat-Chrysler partnership has brought us the Fiat 500, which has been a huge hit around the globe. The retro compact could be finding a niche here in the United States as a MINI alternative.

Who doesn’t genuinely like the 500? We bet most people couldn’t say that. What is questionable though is the strategy for the 500 in sales and marketing. Instead of being sold through Chrysler’s huge dealer network, 130 Fiat “studio” dealers have been setup to sell the 500 exclusively – at a price of $1 million a pop. These have just the 500 to sell until Alfa Romeo models arrive. Thanks to recent delays, Alfa Romeos won’t be hitting these dealers in full force until 2014. Despite us scratching our heads about the relaunch of the Fiat brand with just one new model, the product itself is very good. We’ve seen the 500 around town quite a bit, and by our own measures think it is doing quite well for itself.

According to AdAge, Fiat-Chrysler doesn’t agree. The Fiat 500 sold 3,106 cars in August. By any measure that is impressive for a recently-launched small car with only 130 dealerships and a horrific marketing strategy. MINI, which is a well-established brand in the U.S, sold a nearly exact figure of 3,109 units. And that is with a plethora of model that include the standard MINI, MINI convertible, Cooper S performance model, Countryman, and Clubman. Year-to-date, the 500 has sold 11,088 units, well off MINI’s tally. However, with any new car, there is a ramp up. The question is how well is it doing now, after dealers are fully-stocked and there is some awareness about the car.

As we said, 3,106 500s is nothing to turn your nose up at. Throw in the mangled, half-hearted advertising effort that resulted in the Jennifer Lopez “Papi” single music video/Fiat 500 advertisement and it looks even better. Oliver Francois’ protest that the is really a trailer for the single is one the most baffling explanations we’ve heard. What is it doing running at all then, and especially non-stop during football as some have said?

The ad looks to pigeonhole the car as a vehicle for women, and we aren’t sure that is a good idea either. Celebrity appearances with the car, something AdAge described as part of Fiat’s plan, aren’t a bad thing though. They do help to build awareness and lend some cool factor to the 500, which it needs at this stage. Regardless, Fiat is looking to sort out the whole mess by getting a new advertising account. When things are running on all-cylinders, expectations are for the 500 to sell around 50,000-60,000 units per year.

Related posts:

1. Sergio Marchionne Says Fiat 500 Sales Goal Was “Naive” – You Think?
2. Five-Door Fiat 500 On The Way With Eye on Boosting Sales
3. Five-Door Fiat 500 To Be Called 500L

Okay y’all, her we go again: Abarth tuner of all things small and Fiat will be rolling out three new specials for the upcoming Frankfurt show. To get the un-anointed up to speed, Abarth is to Fiat, the way John Cooper is to Mini, AMG is to Mercedes or Sox & Martin were to Mopar. In other words, they are the official, unofficial company go fast guys.

And Abarth, just like every other European automaker out there, is not going to let the Frankfurt Auto Show go by without something impressive to show. And, in the Turin tuners corner, there will be not one, but three new rides to gawk at.

Abarth seems to think that their 695 Tributo Ferrari version of the everso cute (and in the case of the 695 Tributo Ferrari, everso fast) 500 wasn’t good enough, so they’re upping the performance game. And that right there is why I pay so much attention to Abarth: Fast is never fast enough for them. Anyway, even though the 695 Tributo Ferrari is the fastest 500 to date, they will be showing a further refined version dubbed the 695 Competizione. Motivated by the same 180-horsepower 1.4-liter 16-valve turbo four found in the Tributo, the 695 Competizione also features a paddle-shift transmission (hot!), 17-inch alloys and Brembo brakes that are found in the Ferrari edition. The Competizione does ditches the Ferrari logos and bridges the gap to the track special Assetto Corsa, in a more streetable package.

Number two of three Abarth Specials will be the 500 Cabrio Italia. This special 500 is being presented to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Italian unification. This whole 150th anniversary thing is sort of like their Bicentennial, only much more puzzling since Italy has been around since Romulus and Remus … but getting into the details of Italian political “structure” would take a lot more room than I have at my disposal, or a lot more patience than any of you have. At any rate, the 150th anniversary is a big deal, so this special 500 gets a special blue paint job with a folding roof panel, a 160-horsepower turbo four with an overboost function and five-speed manual. No, I have no clear idea what an ” overboost function” is, but it sounds like fun, doesn’t it?

And the final Abarth triplet for Frankfurt 2011 is the Punto SuperSport. The Punto is sort of Fiat’s answer to the VW’s Golf or Ford’s Fiesta. Fiat had already produced a hot rod version of the Punto, called the EsseEsse, but the Punto SuperSport takes the existing to new extremes with a 180-horsepower 1.4-liter MultiJet engine, a Koni suspension package and tricked out interior with Sabelt buckets and Jaeger instruments. Nice, huh?

Sadly, no word that any of these will be making it across the pond, but they probably won’t. Which is sad, since Fiat owns Chrysler, and it looks like not only the cross-contamination is happening but Fiat 500s are here already (hell, I just saw two over the weekend).

No, there’s not that big of a market over here for things like Puntos, but I would bet that there are more than enough gearheads out there that would love to get their mitts on a 500 with a 180-horsepower 1.4-liter 16-valve turbo four, paddle-shift transmission, 17-inch alloys and Brembo brakes.

I know I would.

Source: Autoblog

Related posts:

1. Fiat Releases Images of U.S-Bound 500 Abarth
2. Fiat 500 Abarth To Debut In LA
3. 200HP Fiat 500 Abarth

I know, how many of you out there have had to use a pick up truck as a tool? How many gearheads also do construction? I know just what you’re thinking when you look at this Fiat Doblo. You’re thinking, “There’s no way in God’s green Earth that thing can function in a construction setting.”

You’re wrong, because I’ve seen something very close to this used as construction vehicle.

One day I was in this small town in Portugal. It was one of those towns that started out as a castle, then got bigger and bigger as more people flocked to it for safety. Allegedly there are over a thousand castles in the country of Portugal. Given that Portugal is the size and shape of Indiana, that is a staggering amount building. And that is also a staggering amount of maintenance to do.

You think your house has problems? Imagine living in a house that was built 300 years before Europeans knew about the existence of North America. You think you got remodeling hassles?

I was thinking about questions like that when I was walking down a street in this town one morning, and by “street” I mean something that is a little wider than your living room. I was thinking about this stuff walking down a street because driving up the street came a car/truck/thing that looked a lot like a Fiat Doblo loaded down with brick and with two Portuguese guys in the cab. And I mean this thing was loaded down with bricks. They covered the entire area of the flat bed, and were neatly stacked about four feet high.

They pull up to this “house” and get out. The House is about 5 stories tall (counting the rooftop deck) and about a room and a half wide. It’s whitewashed stucco over brick. A nice, middle-class, middle-aged guy comes out of the house and talks with the driver of this Miata-sized flatbed pickup. Five minutes later, the driver is leaning out of the third story window, and the passenger is standing on top of the bricks.

The guy in back starts bending at the waist, grabbing one brick at a time and chucking it underhanded to the guy leaning out of the window. Bend-grab-throw-move-bend-grab-throw-move- bend-grab-throw-move- bend-grab-throw-move, with a monotonous, machine-like consistency.

My mom, who is fluent in Portuguese and has a habit of striking up conversations with complete and utter strangers, starts talking with the nice, middle-class, middle-aged homeowner.

“Estou remodelação minha cozinha, ” [I'm remodeling my kitchen],” he said with a shrug.

My mom keeps talking with the guy, but my dad and I are mesmerized by the coordinated efforts of these two guys. My mom realizes this guy doesn’t have a functioning kitchen, so she invites him along to lunch with us. We walk 37 yards to this little lunch place and disappear inside as the two guys keep chucking bricks.

45 minutes later, we walk out, just in time to see … three … two … one! There goes the final brick. My dad shakes his head as if to say, ‘Never in my life have I worked that hard.’ And bare in mind that father worked as a coal miner for a few years.

Instead he looked at the tiny Fiat flatbed truck and said, “That little guy sure does come in handy I bet. It sure beats having to CARRY all those bricks over here, and THEN toss them up to the boss.”

A truck like the Fiat Doblo makes little to no sense in 95% of the tasks it might be asked to do here in America. But in it’s domestic, continental market, this thing is a real smart answer.

Source: Autoblog

Related posts:

1. The Nissan Leaf – This Better Work
2. 200HP Fiat 500 Abarth
3. Terrafugia Transition, Yeah, That’ll Work

Fiat’s reentry into the American automotive market continues apace. Even though Alfa is delayed (again) Fiat’s diminutive 500 is already here, in both coupe and convertible form. And even better news for the performance minded among us gearheads is that the Abarth addition of the toaster-sized 500 will be rolling out in the City of The Angels.

Fiat, trying to be everso hip, made the announcement via twitter that its U.S. spec 500 Abarth performance model will take a bow before the klieg lights at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show this coming November.

Sure, we knew the Abarth variant was coming anyway, but confirmation like this is still nice to have. The 500 is aimed squarely at BMW’s Mini line of sub-compacts (and, by extension, the upcoming Scion iQ), so, if Mini gets the John Cooper Works performance package, then Fiat better have something to answer with in that department as well.

Enter the Abarth package. Of course Fiat would go with the venerable and respected Turin tuning firm of Abarth in much the same way that Mini going with John Cooper’s outfit made sense. Both firms, back in the 60s, took unassuming commuter cars and turned them into full-blown track terrors. Abarth, with the original 500 and Cooper with the original Mini. Abarth took the first 500 and doubled the horsepower output (which is sort of damning with faint praise, since the original 500′s plant put out something frighteningly low like 32 ponies) and made it into a terror in its class. And Cooper turned the original Mini into one of the most successful and well remembered rally cars of all time.

Fast forward 45 or 50 years, and here we go again.

Although we here in the good ol’ U. S. of A. won’t get a lot of the real cool goodies, like the sequential semi-auto gearbox (sniff-sniff), we will get the more powerful 1.4-liter turbo with Multiair technology that cranks out around 175 horsepower. Which is not bad for a car as small and light as the 500.

Yes, yes I know that’s not as much as the JCW package on the Mini puts to the tarmac, but then again, the 500 weighs a lot less – as in the order of hundreds of pounds. And why is it, by the way, that Germans still can’t figure out how to make something lightweight? Seriously, they’ve been doing this ‘more is more’ stuff since the 30s, near as I can tell.

No doubt the Abarth 500 will get some snazzy graphics to set it apart from its lesser brethren, but most likely they won’t be as over the top as what you see here. I believe these shots are from a Continental Tire event from a while back, and Conti did the graphics treatment.

And even though all this is good news (funner small hot rods to blast around urban environments in), it is still news that is, by and large, happening before the event, so to speak. Look, let me just put it this way: I would be all over the new 500 and especially the 500 Abarth except for two things (one minor and one major), no semi-auto box and reliability.

The 500 is an unknown quantity on these shores. Sure, the little guys have been running rampant all over Europe for three or four years now, but that’s cold comfort to me. Look at Citroens as an example. Huge seller in France, seemingly indestructible on punishing rally stages … but you get them over here, and they last about as long as a tissue in a flu ward. And Fiat, less face facts, doesn’t have the most stellar of reputations when it comes to reliability. So whoever jumps in first is going to be a fairly brave soul in some ways (or someone who’s rich and just wants to get “that cute little car” for his second trophy wife).

Fiat both knows that sad fact, and they also know something else: They have to make it in America this time round. Why? Because they own Chrysler now, and they are in the U.S. to stay AND they’re going to be bringing in a bunch of Fiat brands to our shores under the Chrysler banner (e.g. Lancias).

So, not only do we have some interesting cars from Fiat heading out way, we also seem to have the full might and backing of one of the worlds largest carmakers putting their full weight behind it. Now if they’d just put that semi-auto box in the little guy …

Source: Autoblog

Related posts:

1. Fiat 500 Abarth Coming To America
2. 200HP Fiat 500 Abarth
3. Fiat Releases Images of U.S-Bound 500 Abarth