Joe Grace, Fiat Vehicle Line Executive, swung by Jay Leno’s garage with the brand’s new 500 Abarth for a little history lesson and a quick walk around. Here in the States, it’s easy to forget that Karl Abarth, the man behind the Fiat tuning division, was as driven as they come when pushing the performance envelope. Abarth got his start racing motorcycles before turning his eye to four-wheeled prototypes and aftermarket performance, and his list of lifelong achievements is as lengthy as it is varied. Abarth was our kind of guy.
Grace took the time to show Leno exactly what makes the 500 Abarth so different from the comedian’s own pint-sized hatchback, including its turbocharged, 1.4-liter four-cylinder good for 160 horsepower, along with its unique aesthetics and performance-oriented suspension and exhaust. Is the 500 Abarth cool? Sure. Is it as cool as Karl Abarth racing a steam locomotive with a sidecar motorcycle? We think not.
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