Chinese Man Commissions US$666,000 Gold Trimmed Fiat 500 C Abarth with Diamond iPad

An incredibly wealthy Chinese businessman has commissioned Italian tuning firm Fenice Milano to build a one-of-a-kind Fiat 500 Convertible Abarth inspired by the 'La Dolce Vita' concept study we first showed you back in October 2010. The bespoke 500 C Abarth is named "La Dolce Vita Gold and Diamonds 200hp" and according to Fenice Milano, the car will cost a breathtaking €500,000 or about US$666,000 at current exchange rates.

The starting point of the build is a Fiat 500 Convertible Abarth. As the car's name suggests, at the unnamed client's request, there is abundant use of gold. On the outside, the golden pearlescent white painting includes 24K gold particles while the precious material also adorns the body trim and wheels. The electric fabric roof top is finished in black.

Inside, Fenice Milano has completely overhauled the 500 C Abarth's interior. For starters, the redesigned steering wheel has the outer ring made of teak wood and comes with 24k gold inserts. The original carpet floor was replaced with handmade teak wood while the center console is embellished with a gold framed instrument panel, more wood and 24K gold inserts.

The redesigned seats are also sewn with the precious material, the interior elements are full grain leather and natural-colored Alcantara with handmade on sight stitching.

One of the most eye catching items is the Apple iPad Supreme Edition made in 24k gold and diamonds by English designer Stuart Hughes. The removable Ipad is positioned on the upper section of the center console and provides a complete interaction of the device with the car. It is fitted with a GPS navigation system, an audio system that can handle MP3 and all Ipod features and also an internet connection run by wi-fi and a appropriate sim card.

In partnership with Romeo Ferraris, the Italian tuning firm also applied some performance upgrades to the car including an engine kit with a new turbine, a complete exhaust system and an ECU tune, lifting the 1.4-liter motor's output from 140HP to 200HP, plus a set of Brembo brakes and a sports suspension.

Being such an expensive build, the handover of the "La Dolce Vita Gold and Diamonds 200hp" to its new owner won't be a simple transaction. "The future owner wants the delivery of his new “little treat” to be made in absolute concealment, in a jewelry shop owned by a friend, as depicted in the animation video," said Fenice Milano in a statement. Video and photos follow after the break.

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Romeo Ferraris' Fiat 500 Abarth Monza Special Edition with 260HP

Apparently, Italian tuning firm Romeo Ferraris believes that the Fiat 500 is a dish best served with lots of power. Named after the legendary Italian circuit, the 500 Abarth Monza is a limited edition Fiat on steroids sporting extensive engine and styling modifications.

At the heart of the 500 Abarth Monza is a heavily tuned version of the stock car's 1.4-liter force fed engine featuring a new and larger turbocharger complete with an intercooler, optimized ECU and a custom sport exhaust system, just to mention a few of the upgrades. The end result is an eye-popping 260-horsepower. All that power is transferred to the front wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox and a limited slip differential.

The 500 Monza rides on 17-inch Romeo Ferraris alloys, wrapped around in 205/40 Yokohama Parada tires, while a Brembo brake set and a sport suspension with adjustable shocks complete the performance package.

The tuners at Romeo Ferraris also developed a styling kit with a front carbon fiber splitter, hood air intake, rear diffuser, and black mirror housings and door handles, plus Autodromo Nazionale Monza livery.

As for the interior, the designers applied the same white color theme accented by red and blue stripes as the exterior, with most parts of the cabin dressed in a combination of leather and Alcantara.

Only ten units of the bespoke Fiat 500 will be built.

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Hamann and H&R Jointly Tune the Fiat 500 Abarth with 275HP

Tuning firms Hamman and H&R have joined forces to create a monster out of the Fiat 500 Abarth with an insane power boost to 275-horsepower.

Beginning with the engine bay, Hamann's engineers used forged pistons, enhanced connection rods, new camshafts and a modified turbocharger to increase the 1.4-liter petrol unit's peak output to an impressive 275 hp and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque. That's 196.4 hp/liter, more than double of what is considered to be an excellent ratio.

All that oomph is sent to the front wheels through a 5-speed manual transmission with a race clutch, as the factory version would be torn apart. There's also a limited-slip differential (LSD) to improve traction.

It's clear that this Abarth must be very fast, so adequate stopping power is a must. The German tuner offers a choice of sport brakes, with four-piston calipers and discs ranging from 264 to 305 mm in diameter.

It would a shame if this much grunt wouldn't be accompanied by proper looks. Fortunately, Hamann didn't disappoint as it fitted the 500 Abarth with an aggressive two-tone bodykit, featuring modified bumpers, extra-wide wheel arches, lowered side skirts and two- or four-pipe exhaust system, plus a large diffuser.

Oversized 18-inch alloys wrapped around in 215/35 or 225/35 high-performance tires complete the package.

With Hamann's work done, H&R took center stage developing a new coil-over suspension and widening the car's tracks with wheel spacers. According to the company, these changes also made the steering more accurate as the firmer suspension reduces pitching and swerving movements to a minimum.

The H&R Hamann FIAT 500 Abarth will be on display at the Essen Motor Show, starting Saturday, November 27. More information on pricing and availability should follow soon.

By Csaba Daradics

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Paris Show: Abarth 500C Esseesse with 160 Ponies

If you feel the regular Abarth 500C could benefit from a few more ponies under the hood, Fiat's performance division has the answer in the form of the Esseesse edition. The tuning package bumps output of the standard 1.4-liter turbocharged engine from 140HP and 206Nm to 160HP and 230Nm, respectively.

As a result, the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) drops 0.6 seconds to 7.5 seconds, while top speed increases from 205km/h to 209km/h (130mph).

The scorpion-branded version of Fiat's 500 rag-top convertible that was shown in Paris featured a two-tone paint job with a white chromatic line separating the two colors, and came fitted with a Record Monza exhaust silencer and unique 17-inch alloys with 5 diamond shaped spokes.

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Paris Preshow: Abarth Unveils 160HP 500C "esseesse" and 180HP Punto Evo "essesse"

Fiat's Abarth division is expanding its range with the launch of the esseesse tuning kits for the new Abarth 500C (convertible) and Abarth Punto Evo models at this month's Paris Auto Show. While Abarth is withholding most details on the "esseesse" packages that are designed improve the cars' performance, handling and styling, the Italian company did release info on the power upgrades.

With this kit, the scorpion-branded 500 convertible's 1.4-liter turbocharged engine delivers 160HP and a peak torque of 230Nm (170 lb-ft), up from the standard car's 140HP and 206Nm.

Acceleration from 0-100 km/h (62mph) drops from 8.1 seconds to 7.5 seconds, while top speed increases from 205km/h to 209km/h (130mph).

Output in the tuned Punto Evo "esseesse" is increased from 165HP and 250Nm to 180HP and 270Nm (184 lb-ft) at 3000 rpm. As a result, the 0-100km/h sprint is reduced from 7.9 seconds to 7.5 seconds, and top speed goes up to 216km/h (134mph).

The 'essesse' package also includes a set of 17-inch alloys with 5 diamond shaped spokes against an anthracite background for the Abarth 500C, and 18-inch alloys in a special titanium-coloured design for the Abarth Punto Evo.

Full details will be released at the presentation of the cars in Paris.

Abarth 500C "esseesse"

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Abarth Punto Evo "esseesse"