Fiat’s Abarth Grande Punto Boosts Its Way Down To Frankfurt

Auto Shows, Special/Limited Editions | Dean | September 15, 2009 at 16:01

The new Abarth Grande Punto SuperSport has been launched by Italian automaker, Fiat. The new Fiat Abarth model will house a 1.4-litre petrol engine with a good, and more than capable 180-horsepower and 270Nm of torque at an average 3,000 RPM.

The SS will not be too slow, as the 0-100km/h comes in at 7.5 seconds with the top speed being set at 215km/h. These figures are more than acceptable for a sporty minicar with a fourteen hundred cc motor.

To keep the car in check on the road the Abarth division from Fiat has added a stiffened suspension with a new set of springs which will drop the car by 20mm. The wheels will be in the size of 18-inches and they will play a big role in keeping the car on the road when driving at higher-than-normal speeds.

Braking has also been upgraded where Fiat decided to pop on a set of perforated discs with performance pads.

Fiat’s Abarth division is not only about power, as the sporty Grande Punto will come with equipment that includes an Abarth Blue&Me MAP satellite navigation system that uses data from the engine and gearbox to obtain maximum efficiency and engine performance.

There will be an Airfield Grey paint job with the inside being wrapped in “Abarth Corsa by Sabelt” leather seats.

Press Release:

The Abarth Grande Punto “SuperSport”

Powered by a 180 HP 1.4, 16v engine that develops 270 Nm of torque at only 3,000 rpm, the Abarth Grande Punto “SuperSport” reaches a top speed of 215 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.5 seconds. This superb performance confirms the car’s true racing spirit.

Further contributions to performance come from the modified suspension (one of the features of the “SS” kit), which includes new, more rigid and lower springs, 215/40 R18 tyres and specially designed 7.5 J X 18 alloy wheels. Thanks to this new kit the car has gained a far sportier setup and a roll centre some 20 mm lower. On top of this, the braking system has been equipped with perforated discs front and rear and performance brake pads at the front.

Inside, the Abarth Grande Punto “SuperSport” boasts “Abarth Corsa by Sabelt” leather seats (homologated and lightened in keeping with the car’s racing spirit) and an Abarth Blue&MeTM MAP satellite navigation unit with a telemetric function developed in conjunction with Magneti Marelli. In all there are four functions that make this innovative device stand out. The first function, called “monitoring”, displays the main acquired in-car parameters (engine rpm, vehicle speed, gear engaged) that are transferred from the Blue&MeTM to the PND (Portable Navigation Device) via Bluetooth. The second function, “Track”, accessible if the driver is on one of the circuits present in the device’s SD memory, displays a set of additional information such as the car’s position on the track (ascertained by GPS) and lap time. The third function, “configuration”, makes it possible to store telemetric data for a track and associate it with a personalised session (identified by the driver’s name, circuit, date). The information recorded may be retrieved easily and also analysed at a later stage using the fourth “analysis” function.

In addition to the characteristic Abarth colours, the Grande Punto “SuperSport” comes in the historical Airfield Grey (typical of Abarth racing models) and a livery inspired by motor sport.

The new model will go on sale starting from the weekend of the 12th and 13th September, when an open house event will be organised for Abarth’s entire network.