Most liked posts in thread: I drove an Abarth & I liked it!

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  1. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    #24 Crashton, May 9, 2014
    You can say that, because you are an old fart in training. :yesnod:

    Now get off my lawn! :p
     
  2. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    #30 MCS02, May 9, 2014
    I've driven the new Abarth and I did like it. But I really miss my old Abarth. 750cc of raw power! It was a 1958 and in its time a Mini could not touch it.
    Gone but not forgotten!
     

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  3. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    #2 Metalman, May 8, 2014
    Nice review Chuck....

    Since the MINI's design team seems to be distancing themselves from what I like.... I would consider the Abarth....

    With all the hoopla that MINI used with the reason the "Pedestrian Safety Issue" influenced the 3rd Gen..... I'll be interested to see what the new front end of the Fiat looks like..... Or is that excuse not going to be used by the Italian Job.....

    However....

    I'm thinking we are on the cusp of a lot of small pocket rockets being developed by the other manufacturers.....

    Honda S660

    [​IMG]
     
  4. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    #5 Crashton, May 8, 2014
    I like odd small quirky cars. I gots a MINI after all. :)

    I liked the Abarth very much more than the new new MINI I drove recently. It is not the prettiest thing although for me it doesn't look bad, plus it has a nice personality & the exhaust sings a sweet song.

    Just my opinion & that is only worth 1 day old donut. :donut1:
     
  5. Firebro17

    Firebro17 Dazed, but not Confused
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    #31 Firebro17, May 9, 2014
    Not to be disrespectful, but I've yet to see an Abarth finish ahead of us on the track in seven years... Though they are very fast!
     
  6. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    #3 Dave.0, May 8, 2014
    ^^^^ now that Honda looks very interesting, but the FIAT IBarf not so much.
     
  7. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    #8 cct1, May 8, 2014
    The Honda looks good on the outside. The 64 HP 660 CC turbo inside, not so much.
     
  8. B.A.D.

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    #11 B.A.D., May 9, 2014
    Nice review Chuck. I think you and Welshy should make this a new recurring thing. Every month you meet up for lunch in Waldo, fill up on fried bologna sammiches and pie and then go test drive a different car. I'm sure we could teach you how to record videos on your phone, so that we could all enjoy the real time commentary. You could even come up with a special test drive route so that you could compare each of the cars.

    Now to come up with a catchy title....
     
  9. B.A.D.

    B.A.D. Club Coordinator

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    #23 B.A.D., May 9, 2014
    I thought of a name for the web series....

    Old Farts in New Cars
     
  10. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    #25 cct1, May 9, 2014
    I drove an Abarth today as fast as I could. Into a brick wall. There wasn't enough HP to do any damage to the car. Or the wall. Nice stick location though. That's about it for me.
     
  11. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    #28 Crashton, May 9, 2014
    I also like the BRZ-FRS twins. For me its 200 ponies would be enough. Maybe I'll have to get co-pilot Jeffy & do another test drive.
     
  12. wmwny

    wmwny Well-Known Member

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    #29 wmwny, May 9, 2014
    Wooohoooo...on the road again....:Thumbsup: :devil:
     
  13. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    #33 MCS02, May 10, 2014
    No disrespect taken. The New MINI is better then the new Abarth. Just to clarify I was talking about the old days. :biggrin5:

    The first Abarth was based on the Fiat 500. In Abarth trim it topped out at 120mph, that's a two cylinder! In 1958 they took a Fiat 600 and converted it to 750cc. It had a steel built crank and cam. Starting in 59 they took the 600 and punched it out to 1000cc and in 1970 they put the Radiale (Hemi type) head on it. It was fast. Nothin could touch it. It was first raced in 1970 at the Mosport Can-Am weekend, when that head was allowed by the SCCA. It won big till the end of 1971 when it was outlawed from sedan class.

    Back then Abarth was its own company that got the blanks from Fait. It was started by Carlo Abarth. He and Ferdinand Porsche were friends. Abarth even did a Porsche. Also Enzo Ferrari drove a 128 Abarth. They did a lot of different versions, most Fiats that raced were Abarths. Now it is part of Fiat.

    When I heard Abarth was coming to the U.S. I knew I would buy one. That is where my roots are. If there was no New MINI I would be driving an Abarth but Mini is a better car today.

    Sorry for the history lesson. Yea I know I'm an old fart! :frown2:
     
  14. wmwny

    wmwny Well-Known Member

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    #35 wmwny, May 10, 2014
    Nice name, B.A.D. Now, all we have to do is to make sure we DO NOT FART in the new cars we are driving...[aka, ahhh, ain't aging and body "emissions" fun?] :devil:
     
  15. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    #36 Crashton, May 10, 2014
    Fiat did what MINI did with John Cooper Works, bought them up. MINI has added JCW to everything & diluted what JCW once was. Fiat has not done that yet.

    I agree MCS02 an R53 is a better car than an Abarth. The Abarth is better that the F56 justacooper. I have yet to drive an F56 S. Trouble is even if the F56 drives better it still looks like a carp.

    Thanks for the history lesson. I knew these things at one time, but they were lost somewhere in my head. :crazy:
     
  16. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    #39 Metalman, May 10, 2014
    Wholly cow....

    These two autogeezers turned a perfectly good Abarth into an Afarth....:eek:
     
  17. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    #4 Metalman, May 8, 2014
  18. rum4

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    #6 rum4, May 8, 2014
    nice looking Honda
     
  19. jiminni

    jiminni Well-Known Member

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    #9 jiminni, May 8, 2014
    Why would the Mini ever be "done"? That's what repair parts are for :cool:
     
  20. wmwny

    wmwny Well-Known Member

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    #10 wmwny, May 8, 2014
    I think he is concerned about the miles he has put on it since it was new. He bought it new and its miles are hard and fast miles from daily driving, twisties, MOTD and the track. Mine is the same year, and it is also my daily driver, track car and twisty and MOTD car, but mine only has 96k while his is over 121k.
     
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