Which would you choose the performance of an Abarth 500 or the freedom of a convertible Fiat 500? Melanie Sykes got both when she took delivery of a new red racy Abarth 500c
Melanie, the new presenter of BT Sport’s MotoGP TV coverage, has previously owned a Fiat 500C and wanted another. But she was also looking for the added performance that a 140bhp Abarth 500 can offer.
“Having owned the Fiat 500C before, I knew I wanted to go back into a convertible, but I also had my eye on an Abarth,” says Melanie. “So when Abarth told me there was 500C version, I was really excited. And just look at it – it’s fabulous.”
The soft top of the Abarth 500C stands out for its refined electric linkage and quality engineering solutions, such as the foldaway glass rear window and the built-in centrally positioned high mounted stop light.
The car also features Abarth’s Competizione gearbox, a five-speed automated manual transmission, which also allows drivers to change gear using paddles mounted behind the steering wheel for a sportier feel.
A 1.4-litre turbo-charged engine gives the 500C a top speed of 128mph, and 0-62mph time of just 8.1 seconds. The eco-friendly unit complies with Euro 6 standards.
The Abarth 500C costs £16,055 (manual version), and £17,355 (Competizione gearbox).
Melanie collected her car from London-based specialist Abarth dealership, Motor Village Marylebone.
25th March, 2014
Follow Us!