Fiat To Unveil Turbocharged 500 Abarth

Fiat SpA plans to unveil a faster, more powerful 500 subcompact at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month.  The speedy new addition to the Fiat subcompact family—called the Fiat 500 Abarth—will be unveiled during the Los Angeles Auto Show’s press days on Nov. 16 and 17.

Named for Karl Abarth: a legendary small-displacement engine tuner who turned Fiat models into powerful race winners circa 1960, his namesake Fiat is expected to dazzle car enthusiasts.  Abarth used to describe his revved up Fiat racecars as “small but wicked”. The new 2012 500 Abarth will be just that; tiny and lightweight but with a turbocharged version of the 1.4-liter MultiAir engine used in the standard 500.

Fiat says the 2012 500 Abarth is “designed for track-day enthusiasts and driving-purists who want the ultimate high-performance small car with the pedigree of an exclusive Italian exotic.” The 500 Abarth will be among numerous other new models slated to be unveiled at the Los Angeles show.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

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