Abarth 500 Insurance?
Any one have any luck getting a good insurance quote on a Abarth 500?
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Monday 28 May 2012
Thursday 24 May 2012
Esseesse kit or No Esseesse kit
So I have been trying to weigh up the options is the Esseesse kit worth the extra R35 000?
A extra 19Kw, Slotted and drilled disc's, brake lines, BMC flat filter, and a set of 17'' wheels and Koni suspension kit.
I have explored other options the Bilstein B14 PSS kit retails for R9500, The BMC OTA retails for 3500 and adds a extra 4Hp and the O.Z. Super turismo WRC is available for R13 400 the only problem is getting the extra 19Kw out of the motor. Magneti Marelli has a plug and play ECU that clams a extr 20% - 25% more Hp that will give the little Fiat 180HP +- 135Kw putting it in VW Polo GTI range, how ever it is $1500.
What is the way forward?
So I have been trying to weigh up the options is the Esseesse kit worth the extra R35 000?
A extra 19Kw, Slotted and drilled disc's, brake lines, BMC flat filter, and a set of 17'' wheels and Koni suspension kit.
I have explored other options the Bilstein B14 PSS kit retails for R9500, The BMC OTA retails for 3500 and adds a extra 4Hp and the O.Z. Super turismo WRC is available for R13 400 the only problem is getting the extra 19Kw out of the motor. Magneti Marelli has a plug and play ECU that clams a extr 20% - 25% more Hp that will give the little Fiat 180HP +- 135Kw putting it in VW Polo GTI range, how ever it is $1500.
What is the way forward?
The Abarth 500
I first saw it at the Abarth Dealership in Sandton, with is flared body and aggressive front end. Its a small car, but you get a lot for your buck. Ok the negatives are you can only fit 3 adults in the car as i am 1.9m tall and the drivers seat goes all the way back. The boot is not exactly the biggest and the 17'' are run flats that are becoming more common how ever with the roads in South Africa today it has become a bit of a worry. Things i liked about it from the start were the race inspired bucket seats and the true attention to performance, they use the real stuff not "made to look like racer" its a real racer similar how the first Subaru WRX were.
Taking the car out on the test drive I found it to be very responsive and very little turbo lag. Its not really a robot to robot racer, but more of an A to B how fast can I take the next three corners and how late can I brake kind of car. Its a drivers car and some thing I find lacking in most hot hatch backs it gives you the right amount of control and feels like your doing all the driving and not some computer.
Its fast and going down Willam Nicol at 189km/h it feels stable the Brembos that were on the car are extra but they work well and gives you the needed confidence. The ride is hard and even harder on the Esseesse "ss" with its Koni kit, in the end is all based on preference and driving style as I prefer a car to handle so you can feel the car holding on to the road like the old Ferrari F40's and not like a boat. The sound from the exhaust is amazing and some may knock the audio sound system, how ever I cant see why when you have a Italian growl behind you.
Parking it is a charm, as its so small and in Sandton and most of the world now days is an advantage as there is limited parking, the size also makes it a great day to day run around and moves in and out of traffic easily and does not need to be driven hard. Over all its a great car and with a service plan and a 3 year warranty its a great buy and has a style to it, not every one will have one and even if a Golf 6 GTI R or a Ford Focus RS stops next to you, trust me your having more fun then them.
I first saw it at the Abarth Dealership in Sandton, with is flared body and aggressive front end. Its a small car, but you get a lot for your buck. Ok the negatives are you can only fit 3 adults in the car as i am 1.9m tall and the drivers seat goes all the way back. The boot is not exactly the biggest and the 17'' are run flats that are becoming more common how ever with the roads in South Africa today it has become a bit of a worry. Things i liked about it from the start were the race inspired bucket seats and the true attention to performance, they use the real stuff not "made to look like racer" its a real racer similar how the first Subaru WRX were.
Taking the car out on the test drive I found it to be very responsive and very little turbo lag. Its not really a robot to robot racer, but more of an A to B how fast can I take the next three corners and how late can I brake kind of car. Its a drivers car and some thing I find lacking in most hot hatch backs it gives you the right amount of control and feels like your doing all the driving and not some computer.
Its fast and going down Willam Nicol at 189km/h it feels stable the Brembos that were on the car are extra but they work well and gives you the needed confidence. The ride is hard and even harder on the Esseesse "ss" with its Koni kit, in the end is all based on preference and driving style as I prefer a car to handle so you can feel the car holding on to the road like the old Ferrari F40's and not like a boat. The sound from the exhaust is amazing and some may knock the audio sound system, how ever I cant see why when you have a Italian growl behind you.
Parking it is a charm, as its so small and in Sandton and most of the world now days is an advantage as there is limited parking, the size also makes it a great day to day run around and moves in and out of traffic easily and does not need to be driven hard. Over all its a great car and with a service plan and a 3 year warranty its a great buy and has a style to it, not every one will have one and even if a Golf 6 GTI R or a Ford Focus RS stops next to you, trust me your having more fun then them.
Wednesday 23 May 2012
About 1 month ago I started looking for a new car, it had to be some thing fast, stylish and with in budget. I had looked at a few, Audi A1, Polo GTI, Alfa MiTo, Clio RS and so on.
After looking at each car, comparing insurance quotes, servicing and day to day driving the three that stood out for me was the Abarth 500, VW Polo GTI and the Renult Clio Sport.
Now in South Africa the Polo GTI comes in at a high spec and the performance is great how ever on top of the cost there is a shortage so trying to find one was a problem and to ad to that it will soon become a very common car. The 1.4 turbo and supercharged motor is all fine and well, but a small motor that is heavy labored may not last very long coupled to this is the DSG (formula 1 style gear box) that works great, but if things go wrong they going to go wrong in a big way and the 3 year warranty does not cover it. And lastly the car does not come with any motor plan and for a car over R250 000 I would expect that.
The Clio Sport is a cool little hatch and goes like a rocket, I was looking at one a few years ago. How ever maintenance and spares in South Africa are expensive and trying to insure the car is another thing all together, some quotes were as much as the repayment and lastly the 2.0l motor does not perform as well as the other Turbo cars at high altitude, that's just chemistry.
Now in South Africa the Polo GTI comes in at a high spec and the performance is great how ever on top of the cost there is a shortage so trying to find one was a problem and to ad to that it will soon become a very common car. The 1.4 turbo and supercharged motor is all fine and well, but a small motor that is heavy labored may not last very long coupled to this is the DSG (formula 1 style gear box) that works great, but if things go wrong they going to go wrong in a big way and the 3 year warranty does not cover it. And lastly the car does not come with any motor plan and for a car over R250 000 I would expect that.
The Clio Sport is a cool little hatch and goes like a rocket, I was looking at one a few years ago. How ever maintenance and spares in South Africa are expensive and trying to insure the car is another thing all together, some quotes were as much as the repayment and lastly the 2.0l motor does not perform as well as the other Turbo cars at high altitude, that's just chemistry.
So its 2012 and the Fiat Abarth 500 has arrived in South Africa
As many people do into days times, and some thing I have picked up from my father as well as the industry I am in (Marketing) I tend to research some thing, compare every thing down to the core. And in the current times with the global economy we all are doing it, I have created this Blog to share my experience and my views on purchasing a Fiat Abarth 500.
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