Fiat Abarth 230hp Venom With Ferrari Tribute Badging on 2040-cars

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2023 Fiat 500e Abarth revealed, quicker than the gas model

The much-loved Fiat 500 Abarth finally has a successor, and now it's electric. The 500e Abarth takes the regular model and adds a much more powerful electric motor, plus sportier styling. And while outright power is less than the top gas model, Fiat says that the new Abarth is faster on track. On the outside, the Abarth features the brand's name plastered across the nose in place of the regular "500" logo and chrome bar. The scorpion badge now sits on top of the hood. The front bumper is unique with more aggressive air vents and a deeper air dam. The side skirts are new, too, and the rear bumper diffuser gets white inserts to match the front air dam. The Abarth scorpion badges on the sides have been tweaked to fit the electric theme, and the car gets new 18-inch wheels and some of the coolest side stripes we've seen in some time. Inside, the Abarth in the launch Scorpionissima trim gets a three-spoke steering wheel, Alcantara upholstery and stainless steel pedals and door sills. The major performance upgrade for the 500e Abarth is the motor. It makes 153 horsepower and 173 pound-feet, compared to the next most-powerful 500e at 118 horsepower. It will get the little hatchback from 0 to 62 mph in 7 seconds. Fiat didn't say much about suspension and brake upgrades, but we assume they've been improved to match the sporty pretensions of the Abarth. Especially as Fiat says the electric Abarth will lap the company's Balocco test track more than a second faster than the current gas-powered 500 Abarth 695, which packs 180 horsepower. Certainly the lower center of gravity, wider track and longer wheelbase play some role, but there are likely other upgrades at work. The Abarth won't be going farther than the regular 500e, though. It uses the same 42-kWh battery, which returns 199 miles of range on the WLTP cycle in the 500e. In the Abarth, with its more powerful motor, range is likely to decrease somewhat. Owners worried about the lack of sound from an electric car won't have to worry about that with the Abarth. Available is an external sound generator. It can produce an emulated exhaust note based on the gas-powered Abarth models audible to the driver and to passersby. Fortunately, it can be switched off, too, if you don't like the idea of fake exhaust sounds. We sort of wish they opted for a more creative and less "realistic" sound like Dodge did with the Charger Daytona concept and its Fratzonic exhaust sound generator.

Meet the Greenest and Meanest vehicles of 2016

If you've been keeping track, you won't be surprised with the number one entry in this year's list of greenest cars from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). In fact, the top three spots on the 2016 list are all the same as they were in 2015. After that, things get interesting. For one thing, this is the first Greenest list that doesn't have any purely internal combustion engine powertrain on it. Hybrids, yes, but if you want to be one of the top 12 greenest cars this year, you'd better have some sort of electric angle. ACEEE says that the conventional, gas-powered Smart Fortwo and Chevrolet Spark just missed the cut. In a statement, ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan said, "The 2016 scores are in, and plug-in electric vehicles are outpacing all other vehicle offerings in terms of environmental friendliness." Like last year, one of the noticeable vehicles missing from the green list is the Tesla Model S. One reason? ACEEE takes curb weight into account (lighter is better), and the Model S is a heavy beast. The ACEEE doesn't just look at the clean side of the ledger. It also puts out a "meanest" list. These are the vehicles that pollute the most, not only from their tailpipes, but also any pollution created during the entire manufacturing process, from mining the raw materials to the energy used to produce the vehicle at the factory. The entire list, from greenest to meanest, is done using a "cradle to grave" analysis. You can see how the ACEEE determines its rankings here, explore the entire greenest cars site here, or click through our galleries to see which vehicles are extra green (above) or extra mean (below) this year. 12: Mercedes-Benz GL550 4MATIC View 12 Photos More Electric Cars than Ever on Greenest Vehicles List Electric Vehicles Nab 9 out of Top 12 Spots in ACEEE's Environmental Vehicle Rankings Washington, DC: Despite a tumultuous year for the automotive industry, manufacturers have continued to offer exciting technology options for a growing vehicle market. Today at greenercars.org, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released its 19th annual comprehensive environmental ratings for vehicles. The following vehicles comprise the Greenest List for 2016: Greenest Score 1. Mercedes-Benz Smart ForTwo Electric Drive Convertible / Coupe 63 2. Chevrolet Spark EV 63 3. Fiat 500E 62 4. Toyota Prius Eco 61 5. Volkswagen E-Golf 61 6. Nissan Leaf S / Leaf SV 61 7. Kia Soul Electric 59 8.

Fiat 124 Coupe could join Spider line next year

While Mazda's content to tease coupe lovers with the last-gen MX-5 Power Retractable Hardtop and the upcoming RF, the company is loath to offer a version of its lovable roadster with a permanent hardtop. But Fiat isn't so fickle. According to Autocar, the Italian brand could unveil a proper hardtop Fiata as early as next year. Likely called the 124 Coupe – duh – Autocar reports the addition of a fixed roof will spice up the current Spider. But what kind of spice is more difficult to predict. AC reports that FCA could stay the course, offering the new hardtop with the same powertrain lineup as the Spider – 138 horsepower in the UK and 160 hp (164 hp in Abarth trim) in the US – or drive the 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder higher. As for how the car will look, Autocar points to the handsome 124 Abarth Rally Concept from the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. Don't expect integrated rally lights or a standard yellow-on-red paint scheme, but the new model will likely borrow that concept's roofline – more notchback than the MX-5 RF's fastback-like look. That'd fit with the 124 Coupe's ancestors, which wore a traditional notchback roofline. Fiat offered a 124 hardtop between 1967 and 1975, giving a new hardtop Fiata much more historical precedence than a comparable MX-5. AC reports the new 124 Coupe will likely carry a 10-percent premium across the pond, with a similar increase in the US. But predicting the impact of that price hike is a little bit trickier than multiplying the 124 Spider's price by 1.1, since we don't know what trims the Coupe will come in. The Abarth is likely a shoe-in, starting around $31,000. If, and it's a big if, Fiat sells a 124 Coupe Classica, expect a $27,500 starting price, while a hardtop Lusso would be a smidge over $30,000. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.