OPEN-AIR MOTORING – ABARTH STYLE

The new Abarth 500C, which has just gone on sale in the UK, allows drivers to combine unrivalled small car performance with the thrill of wind-in-the-hair motoring in one stylish and well-equipped package.

Abarth’s hard-top version of the 500 has caught the imagination of drivers everywhere and helped cement the return of Abarth to the public consciousness. By thoroughly re-engineering the soft-top 500C, Abarth is planning to attract an entirely new audience to the attributes of the resurgent brand, broadening that appeal and encouraging the discerning driver to enter the world of Abarth.

The Abarth cornerstone is performance and the Abarth 500C embodies that with innovations that transform it into the fastest and most focused soft top of its size. The most radical of these is the Abarth Competizione gearbox. Developed specifically by Abarth engineers, the Manual Transmission Automated (MTA) allows drivers to change gear using paddles mounted behind the steering wheel for a sportier feel. Or, for more relaxed progress, to push a button on the dashboard console, turning the five-speed unit into a full automatic.

The engine is the same 1.4-litre turbo that’s used on the Abarth 500 hatchback model. However a reprogramming of the ECU adds another 5bhp, boosting it to 140bhp. This gives a top speed of 128mph, while 0-62mph acceleration is dispatched in 8.1 seconds. But the new engine is also eco friendly, complying with Euro5 standards and emitting just 151g/km of CO2.

Just because it’s clean doesn’t make it boring, however, and the racy rasp of the exhaust note is matched with urgency at the wheel thanks to the 206Nm of torque produced by the engine from just 2000rpm. The performance on tap can be adjusted according to the driving environment using the vehicle’s Sport button. When Sport is selected gear changes are made quicker, engine responses are sharpened, and the electric Dualdrive steering weights up. At the press of a button, drivers can also select TTC (Torque Transfer Control).

This latter system uses the ESP sensors and braking system to mimic a limited slip differential and inhibit understeer. It sharpens handling that’s already been finely honed. Spring and damper rates have been tuned to ensure an exciting ride that’s also very compliant. It remains predictable and safe at all times yet offers the dynamic responses expected of an Abarth.

An additional welcome benefit is that the 500C is a very safe car. A high level of passive safety, including seven airbags as standard, is supplemented by an array of active safety devices such as Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) and ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD).