To mark Karl Abarth’s centenary, the brand has brought out a Limited Edition of the Abarth 500, known as the “DA 0 A 100”; a total of 101 will be manufactured.

The Abarth 500 “DA 0 A 100” is a tribute to the founder’s passion, and a clear reference to his life, starting from the specific silencer and variable counter-pressure exhaust system, harking back to one of the products that made the Abarth name famous all over the world. The hide colour leather upholstery with silver embroidery on the new special series also recalls Abarth cars of the past. And the mouldings on the side pillars are a tribute to one of Karl Abarth’s best known customisations.
This particular version is equipped with a powerful 1.4 Turbo T-Jet engine that delivers 160 bhp (118 kW) at 5750 rpm, and a peak torque of 230 Nm at 3000 rpm. Thanks also to the IHI RHF3 fixed geometry turboblower, performance is really exciting: the top speed is 211 km/h.

The performance has been raised even higher by adopting different gear ratios: the car reaches 100 km/h from a standing start in just 7.3 seconds. Pick-up is really astonishing: from 40 to 100 km/h in 4th in 8.5 seconds, improving on the performance of the Esseesse version by one second. What is more, perforated disc brakes front and rear, high performance front brake pads, a special air filter “powered by BMC”, special low springs and 17” alloy wheels – with chrome-plated hub covers and Scorpion logo in relief – complete with Pirelli Pzero Nero 205/40 R16 ZR 17 tyres make the 500 Abarth “DA 0 A 100” unique.

On the outside, in addition to the silencer with 4 terminals that identify the special exhaust pipe with variable counter-pressure, the car stands out for its Nuvolari Grey bodywork, which is made even sportier by the Abarth stripe on the sides, with a tone-on-tone effect. The identification badges on the pillar are also chrome-plated, like the wing mirror cases.

The same sporty imprint is evident inside, in the leather seats with their hide colour seat and silver stitching. The thumb-rests on the steering wheel (the centre is decorated with the Italian flag) are also covered with hide coloured leather, while the gear lever knob, the kick plate branded “da 0 a 100” and the special “da 0 a 100” plate with the number of the car are all aluminium. The same “da 0 a 100” branding can be found on the fuel tank cover, the ignition key fob and the car cover.

Such exclusive styling is balanced by a lavish array of standard equipment: for example, in the safety field, the car is fitted with 7 airbags, foglights, ABS complete with EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) system, ESP (Electronic Stability Program) with ASR (Anti Slip Regulation) and a Hill Holder, as well as the brand new Torque Transfer Control. In the field of well-being on board, the 500 Abarth “DA 0 A 100” knows no rivals, and this is underlined by the automatic climate system, the radio with CD and MP3 player, the sophisticated Hi-Fi Sound System Interscope and the Blue&Me Map satellite navigator (a specific Abarth version). The equipment is completed by electric front windows and wing mirrors, and height-adjustable steering wheel and seats.

Further to that, information sent to Fiat dealerships in the UK has revealed that the Fiat 500 Convertible will go on sale in the UK from April 2009. The same document also reveals Fiat have set the soft top 500 a tough target of an 18% share of Fiat 500 sales in the UK.

Still no official press images or news on the fold back 500, but we’ll let you know anything official as soon as we do!

For now you can view the review and track session on the BBC iPlayer and we’ve also seen it on YouTube less The Stig’s efforts, here:

Top stuff.

A special-edition Fiat 500 by DIESEL version of the in-demand supermini was displayed outside the London party, at matter nightclub in the O2 Arena in Docklands, where more than 3,000 lucky ticket holders partied late into the night.

The limited edition 500 by DIESEL model – just 10,000 will be produced – was created by Fiat Style Centre designers and the DIESEL design team headed by Lars Schwartz. The idea was to create an ‘Urban Survival Vehicle’, perfect for town traffic, yet expressing the personality of its alternative young brand lovers.

Based on a 500 Sport version, the 500 by DIESEL comes in metallic shades of green, black or brown. The exterior features 16-inch alloy wheels with the DIESEL logo, brake callipers painted yellow (an option only on the 100 bhp 1.4 version), unique side trim with the wording DIESEL and a special door mirror faring.

Inside, the car features special upholstery in denim fabric. The label logo also appears on the instrument panel and gear knob, while a special pouch reminiscent of the fifth pocket on DIESEL jeans appears on the side of the front seats.

Jade Jagger, Paris Hilton, Kelly Osbourne and Roisin Murphy helped celebrate the brand’s 30th anniversary, while 30 bands performed a one off ‘Creative Experiment’ in which 30 artists took part in a musical relay, including producer Mark Ronson, The View, Patrick Wolf and Friendly Fires.

A one-off car, signed by all 30 artists who performed at the event, is up for grabs as part of the Diesel xXx charity auction, with all proceeds going to the Livity Trust.

Eighteen other major cities hosted similar high profile parties on 11 October, including Paris, New York, Milan, Amsterdam, Helsinki and Tokyo.

The 500 by DIESEL will be available with all three Euro 5-ready power units in the Fiat range – the 69 bhp 1.2 unit, 75 bhp 1.3 Multijet unit with DPF, and 100 bhp 1.4 16v unit. Prices start at £11,400.

“The DIESEL party was a great success and proved a perfect opportunity to show the new 500 by DIESEL” says Elena Bernardelli, marketing director, Fiat UK. “The Fiat 500 is a perfect fit for DIESEL and we are pleased to have this fantastic association with them.”

To learn more about the on-line auction, which starts tomorrow (23 October), visit: www.dieselxxxauction.com

To learn more about the 500 by DIESEL visit: www.fiat.co.uk/500bydiesel

The Guide, which reviews the top 100 most economical cars and offers practical advice on greener driving, reveals that three cars break the 60 miles per gallon barrier – one of which is the Fiat Panda 1.3 MultiJet, which returns 60.1mpg.

Still in the top 10 – in ninth place – comes the sought-after new Fiat 500 1.3 MultiJet, which has been winning thousands of new fans since its launch this year, mainly for its stylish good looks, excellent running costs and value for money. It manages 56.5mpg, according to Which? analysts, who carry out their own stringent, independent tests on the vehicles.

“It’s a win-win situation,” says Richard Headland, editor of the Guide. “Choosing a greener car will reduce your carbon tyreprint, cost less in road tax, and you’ll save money every time you fill up your car.”

“Fiat is well known for the fuel economy and low carbon ‘footprint’ of its cars,” says Andrew Humberstone, managing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK. “We are working to continue to improve on our record and it is excellent news when independent organisations, such as Which? recognise the efforts we are making.”

The Fiat Panda range starts at £7,005 on the road for the 1.1 Active and the 500 range starts at £8,100 for the 1.2 Pop.

The 2008 MPG Marathon will take entrants from Bristol to Macclesfield and back again, but the winner of this event will not be first past the post, rather the teams who record the highest overall miles per gallon, and the greatest increase in MPG over the manufacturers’ stated consumption figures.

To help him prepare, Edmund has completed the AA’s Eco-driver Training that provides specific on-road tuition to help improve fuel efficiency and driver safety.

Read more about the AAs motivation for entering the MPG Marathon on the AA website.

The news comes as UK sales fell for the fifth month in a row. Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) data shows that the September market closed 21.2 per cent down on last year, while Fiat’s monthly retail sales figure (56.5 per cent up on the same period last year) boosted its market share by 15.4 per cent to 3.0 per cent.

Much of the success is attributed to the continuing appeal of the new Fiat 500, which was launched in the UK earlier this year. A total of 3624 examples of the award-winning supermini were sold in September alone.

The Fiat brand is on the move,

says Andrew Humberstone, managing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK.

This fantastic result is testament not only to our eco-friendly cars and the overall desirability of the Fiat range, but to the number of key dealer partners who exceeded their sales targets by more than 150 per cent.

We expect the fourth quarter to be challenging but, that said, we believe we are positioned to face these challenges. There has been a shift in consumer buying behaviour, and people are choosing to downsize into the small car sector – an area which is clearly one of our primary strengths.

Managing Director of Fiat Automobiles, Lorenzo Sistino, presented “ecoDrive” to the international press; it is an innovative system that allows drivers to gain better insight into how their driving style influences their consumption and emission of pollutants.

“ecoDrive” is a software application that can be installed on your computer and is available from today on www.fiat.com/ecodrive (there is also a video dedicated to the product on this site).

As you are driving your car, “ecoDrive” processes in detail all the information relating to the vehicle’s efficiency and your driving characteristics. Thanks to the versatile Blue&Me’s USB port, all the data is transmitted via a normal USB key and can, therefore, be “read” on a computer at a later date.

In fact, the user can carefully analyse consumption and emission on each journey they make (ecoIndex) and receive advise on how to drive in order to create less impact on the environment. In fact, thanks to a series of progressive tutorials, you can improve your score: just think that drivers who are more conscious of their “eco-responsible” driving can expect to improve their driving style by 15%, and that means: reduce CO2 emissions by 15% and see an annual saving in fuel of between 120 and 200 Euro. Furthermore, “ecoVille” has been created specifically for Fiat’s “ecoDrivers”, an on-line community where everyone can share interests and their commitment to an eco-responsible way of driving by accessing the site www.fiat.com/ecodrive where there is also a video dedicated to the “ecoDrive” system.

Fiat 500 and Grande Punto are the first Fiat Group vehicles to make use of “ecoDrive” and, as of today, will be available for downloading from the site and installed at no extra cost. In 2009, the system will be extended to the rest of the range equipped with Blue&Me. Lastly, thanks to a contribution from users, the “ecoDrive” application will be updated to make it even more useful.

“ecoDrive” is a Blue&Me evolution, the platform developed by the Fiat Group Automobiles in conjunction with Microsoft that has already earned a great deal of recognition and reached a quota of 500,000 pieces installed in the various Group’s models in about the last two years.

The above photo shows you the Fiat 500 Lounge SS. Apart from being clad in yellow, inside and out, and limited to a run of only 100 vehicles, we can’t quite see what makes this particular special edition at all “special”. It’s a 1.4 petrol model, with leather seats, electric roof and mirrors.

On sale in Japan from 11th October, for around the equivalent of £15,000.

Via: New Launches

As a result of visitor feedback we have ditched our criminally under-used Fiat 500 shopping page in favour of a more useful, Fiat 500 Directory.

The Fiat 500 directory will to some degree rely on you, our readership, to offer up suggestions of sites and clubs you feel we should feature, so please check out the new Fiat 500 directory page, and if you know of a regional group, club, or international fan site we should feature, then please let us know.