Fiat 500C Abarth coming?

Fiat are on a real roll with the little 500. The hard-top version has been a cracking success, and the Convertible 500 – The Fiat 500C – is taking orders left, right and centre. Fiat seem to be doing everything right in terms of marketing; they even got the celeb angle right by using pictures of Elle Macpherson with the Fiat 500C. Good choice.

But the best comparison to the Fiat 500 on the market is the MINI. Fiat are obviously taking a leaf out of the MINI handbook of marketing by throwing special editions like the Fiat 500 Abarth Cometizione on to the market. And now it looks as if they’re following the MINI route by introducing a hot convertible – The Fiat 500C Abarth.

According to sources in Fiat who spoke to Autocar, Fiat are planning the hot version of the 500C to launch in time for next Spring. It will feature the oily bits from the Abarth 500 together with the drop-top from the 500C, which means it will still retain the rigidity that makes the 500C so good. Instead of going the full convertible route, Fiat have left the roof rails and pillars intact – more of a Landaulet than a full convertible. But it works.

Expect the standard 500C Abarth to come with Fiat’s 1.4 litre turbo delivering 133bhp, with the option of the Esseesse add-on delivering 157bhp. That would give the Abarth 500C Esseesse performance to rivel the MINI JCW Cabriolet. But the prices should be lower. The extra cost of a 500C over a regular 500 is around £3k. Which would make the Fiat 500C Abarth Esseesse around £19k – £5k less than the MINI JCW Convertible.

Looks like 2010 may be a ‘Hot’ Summer!