And before you say "oh, Spain might have high taxes on cars", or something along those lines, we checked out some local prices on various sports models, and let's just say that you can buy a brand-new Nissan 370Z and still be left with a LOT of pocket change. Tell us what you think in the comments section after the jump
Only 152 examples of the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari will be available in right hand drive form in Britain, each carrying a steep price tag of £29,600, which comes to around €35,500 or US$46,900 at today's exchange rates. That's roughly what you'd pay for a BMW 135i Coupe M Sport (£30,675) in the UK.
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The semi-convertible Abarth 500C is motivated by a 140HP 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which provides a top speed of 127mph and a 0-62mph (100km/h) time of 8.1 seconds, while returning 43mpg UK on the combined cycle.
The car in question is the extremely rare Fiat 500 Abarth Ferrari Dealers Edition (there's also a non-Abarth model). Starting with the stock engine, Pogea Racing upgraded the 1.4-liter turbocharged unit with a larger turbocharger and intercoolers, new exhaust system, modified downpipe, new catalytic converter and recalibrated ECU.
The result? Output has been inflated from 165HP to 268HP, with torque climbing from 230Nm to 330Nm / 243.4 lb-ft.
Aside from the male population looking for a relatively affordable cabrio with some punch, Fiat claims that the new open-topped car was also made to appeal to women customers "who seek design and elegance but also appreciate the performance of a true sports car."
That's one of the reasons why the Abarth 500C is offered with a choice of two colors for the electrically operated rollover canvas top (black or titanium gray) ,and for the first time on the 500 series, optional two-tone paintworks for the body (racing black and white or two tones of gray).
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Fiat's performance division has sourced a larger turbocharger from Garrett in order to lift output to 165-horsepower and 250Nm of torque (at 2,250 RPM). 100 km/h rolls by you in 7.9 seconds, meaning there's got to be more than just a power boost to make this worthy of the Abarth name. And there is.
Motivation comes from a 1.4-liter turbocharged T-Jet engine delivering 140 horsepower and 206Nm of peak torque at 2,000 rpm. Power is transferred to the front wheels through a standard six-speed automated manual gearbox with paddle shifters.
The Abarth-ized 500C can sprint from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 8.1 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 205km/h or 127mph, while returning an average fuel consumption in the combined cycle of 6.5lt/100km, or the U.S. equal of 36.2mpg.
The Italian company said that it is also working on a more powerful "Esseesse" model that will be available later this year.
Italy's Fiat Group, which recently bought a 20 per cent stake in Chrysler, is continuing to shake up its executive and business structure. Today, the company's boss, Sergio Marchionne revealed plans to create a new group for the sporty Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Abarth brands that will be headed by Harald J. Wester, born in Linz am Rhein, Germany, on 26 February 1958.
Fiat said that Wester will maintain his current positions as Chief Technical Officer for Fiat Group and Fiat Group Automobiles and Chief Executive Officer of Maserati and Abarth.
"The purpose of bringing the Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Abarth brands under the same leadership is to emphasize and leverage the value of the shared qualities of the three brands in terms of their sporting characteristics and performance," said Marchionne.
Recent reports state that Marchionne is reviewing several options for the Fiat Group's money losing Alfa Romeo marque.
According to Autonews, among the options under consideration is to stop all investments for the brand leaving Alfa with two new models, the Giulietta and MiTo hatchbacks and three older cars, the 3-Series-fighting 159 Sedan / SportWagon, the Brera Coupe and the Spider.
If the new Giulietta five-door hatch proves successful, then Marchionne would revaluate the brand's future, otherwise Alfa could find itself in a very difficult position.
However, it's 100 per cent certain that if for any reason Fiat decides to shut down the brand in the near future, the company will face a public backlash in Italy and elsewhere as Alfa Romeo is a historic marque with many hardcore fans around the world - if you thought Saab has many loyalists, wait till you see the "Alfisti"...
Fortunately though, there's also another option on the table for Alfa and that's to invest in the historic brand by using common platforms with Chrysler's mid-size models for the 159's replacement and a new range-topping sedan that would rival the BMW 5-Series, with both cars being built and offered in the States as well.
Romeo Ferraris, as in the Italian tuning firm and racing car builder, has announced that it will take part in the '6 Hours of Vallelunga' endurance race in Italy on November 22 with its specially developed Fiat 500 Abarth competition model. The carbon-fiber bodied Italian hatch with the humongous rear wing packs a heavily modified 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces a whopping 360 horsepower.The Team Romeo Ferraris Fiat 500 Abarth will be driven Aldo Cerruti, Michela Cerruti and Mario Ferraris.
We remind that according to Chrysler's business plan, the sporty Fiat 500 Abarth is scheduled to arrive on U.S. shores approximately two years after the standard version of the Italian mini, sometime in 2012.
Sure, Fiat's rejuvenated motorsport and tuning division is all about cars, but form time to time Abarth likes to extends its reach on other sports also, even if it's only for promotional reasons. The brand with the Scorpion logo has now teamed up with boatmaker Sacs and designer Christian Grande to create the Powershore Abarth SP (Sport Prototype). Based on the Sacs Strider 12S, the racing powerboat is propelled by three 350HP Yamaha V8 outboard engines, specially built for this version.The powerboat has also been adorned with Abarth racing graphics from the deck to the interior, driving seats, stowage compartments, controls and dashboard.
Powershore Abarth SP - Technical specifications
Length ft: 12.30 m
Width ft: 3.64 m
Propeller draft: 0.7 m
Fuel tank capacity: 900 l
Water tank capacity: 120 l
Wastewater tank capacity: 51 l
Weight with engines: approx. 5.7 t
Sleeps: 2
Engines: 3 x 350 hp Yamaha
V8 – 350 engine - Technical specifications
Power (HP)
Displacement: 5330 cc
Cylinders: V8 (60°)
Valve gear: 32 valves DOCH
Timing: VCT (Variable camshaft timing)
Fuel system: electronic injection (Multi-Point EFI)
Weight: 365 Kg
The Fiat 500 Abarth has certainly caught the attention of the tuning world in Europe. Making its world premiere at the '09 IAA in Frankfurt, the Hamann Largo is one of the most impressive tuning proposals for the Fiat 500 Abarth yet, putting to shame the official 180HP+ Ferrari-badged Abarth 695 special with its heavily modified 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that makes a jaw-dropping 265 horsepower at 5,630 rpm and 348Nm pr 257 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm. Pretty impressive if you consider that the base model makes a mere 135HP and 206Nm.Hamann has yet to disclose performance figures, but we reckon that 265 ponies in a car the size and weight of the Fiat 500 should a spectacle worth seeing - don't know about driving though...
A sport exhaust system that includes an end muffler with four pipes, a pre-muffler with a metal catalyser and a sport manifold along with a high-performance brake system with internally ventilated brake discs and 4-piston callipers up front and optional 257mm discs at the rear, as well as a sport suspension that lowers the car's centre of gravity by up to 60 mm complete the list of performance mods.
True to Hamann's nature, the Largo features an aggressively styled bodykit with new fender extensions that broaden the car body by 30mm at the front and 35mm at the back, beefy side skirts, front and rear aprons and a diffuser at the back.
The Largo rides on 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance sport tires measuring 215/35 ZR18 or optionally, 225/35 ZR18.
As for the interior, changes include but are not limited to, an aluminium pedal set, a door mat set and embroidered logos. Pricing and more details are to be announced at a later date.
Launched for the very first time at the Frankfurt motor show, the Abarth 695 'Tributo Ferrari' is a specially-prepped version of the Fiat 500. It comes with the Italian firm's 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine modified to produce a little over 180 ponies that are transferred to the front-wheels through a five-speed automated manual gearbox. Other special traits include the 17-inch alloy wheels in a 'Maranello' design, a more powerful Brembo brake system, suspension upgrades and of course, the Ferrari-like Scuderia Red paint finish. Hit the jump for our 'live' gallery or click here for the complete story.
*Updated Gallery with First Photos of the Interior 
Karl Schnorr Kraftfahrzeuge, the German tuning firm with the hard to pronounce name, has announced the launch of a sport package with both engine and chassis modifications for the Fiat 500 Abarth that is powered by a 135HP 1.4-liter turbo engibe. Customers can choose between two different engine upgrades. The first kit that costs €950, boosts power by 28HP and 45Nm for a total output of 163HP and peak torque of 251Nm (sport mode).
The second kit, which is priced at €5,050 and includes a remapped ECU, a sport exhaust system and a larger turbocharger, ads an extra 65HP pushing engine output to 200 horsepower - no torque figures were released for the phase two upgrade.
The tuning firm also developed a special coilover kit that drops the ride height by a few millimeters (€1,270). Visual upgrades include new racing stripes and 17-inch OZ alloy wheels finished in red (€1,090).
