Lucarelli-Monza Crafts Extreme Fiat 500 Abarth with RWD and Mid-Mounted 230HP Engine

There are tuners and there are tuners with some taking the easy way out going for a quick fix while others take up the challenge to create something truly unique. Italy’s Lucarelli-Monza belongs to the second category of tuners. The Monza-based tuning house has revealed details on its newest creation called the 500 Abarth Motore Centrale R230.

As its name implies, the heavily modified Italian hatchback gains a new layout with a mid-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive. Of course, such a radical change is not an easy task with the company having to re-engineer the entire vehicle.

Among other changes, the rear seats of the production model were dropped to create space for the engine while there’s also a new rear suspension set-up and a high-performance braking system with 335mm front- and 305mm rear- discs coupled with four-piston calipers.

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2012 Fiat 500C Debuts in New York, Priced from $19,500

Fiat’s newly introduced 500C may not be a convertible in the real sense of the word, but the Italian company that holds the fates of Chrysler hopes to capture the attention of sun-seeking buyers with its panoramic canvas-top mini, which made its US debut at this week’s 2011 New York Auto Show.

Scheduled to go on sale this May, the new 2012 500C will be offered in two trim levels, the base Pop that is priced at $19,500, and the better-equipped Lounge, priced at $23,500. According to Fiat, the 500C is the only four-seat cabrio in the U.S. market. However, Fiat’s definition of a ‘cabrio’ is loose -to say the least- given that the 500C comes with full frame doors and columns, simply adding a rollover canvas top in place of the metal roof.

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Steve Truglia Loops the Fiat 500 at AutoRAI [with Video]

At this week's AutoRAI show in the Netherlands, sponsor Shell partnered with stuntman Steve Truglia to put on a very Hot Wheels performance. Truglia drove a Fiat 500 through a 22-piece loop that stands 11 meters tall and made it look easy. See for yourself in the video after the jump.

According to the Dutch press release, the 500 was gutted and modified with a roll cage, new fuel tank, and an integrated limiter to ensure the right speed. Check out the stunt and interviews in the video below.

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Fiat Crafts Furniture Pieces Inspired by the Original 500

At this week’s 50th Furniture Fair in Milan, Italy, Fiat previewed the “Fiat 500 Design Collection”, an initiative by the firm’s marketing boss Lapo Elkann and furniture maker Meritalia. The collection is a tribute to the original Fiat 500 and includes a sofa, a table and a console, all inspired by the 1970's Fiat 500. Each of the three pieces sports a plate that says: “Lapo and Meritalia pay tribute to the Fiat 500”. Read more »

After Tsunami, American Automakers Looking for Home Turf Sales Boost

According to CNN’s Fortune and simple, cold-hearted business logic, now is the prime time for American manufacturers to take advantage of recent catastrophic events and pounce on their home market's consumers. A lack of Japanese parts (or entire vehicles), in conjunction with a strong yen and ever-improving American small cars, has given Ford, GM, and Chrysler a potential sales pick-me-up as we stroll into the summer months.

Two of the three factors which will help American manufacturers' sales stem directly from the tsunami in Japan a month ago: factory shutdowns have limited parts/vehicle availability, while the yen gained value as the Japanese are expected to repurchase some currency for disaster mitigation.

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Fiat Announces U.S.-Spec Version of 500 Cabrio

After releasing the three-door hatchback variant of the 500 in the U.S., Fiat announced today a new addition to the range of its 1950s style model, the 500C, where ‘C’ stands for Cabrio. However, most will quickly notice that the 500C isn’t really a full-fledged convertible model as the Italian company opted to revive the rollback canvas roof from the original Cinquecento (500). Read more »

Chrysler Group to Unveil New Production Model and a Race-Inspired Study at New York Auto Show

We’re used to the Chrysler Group unveiling new or heavily refreshed models lately, and it looks like the company will keep the product momentum going at next week’s New York International Auto Show. According to a brief statement from the Detroit automaker, the company is planning the premiere of an unnamed production model and what is being described as a “race-inspired project vehicle” at the Big Apple. Chrysler is being quite secretive about the debuts as the company did not give out any other details. Read more »

Abarth 500 Turned into a 230HP Mid-Engined RWD Track Toy

Italian aftermarket specialist Lucarelli-Monza has transformed the Abarth 500 into a mid-engined track beast named Motore Centrale R230. The car will be unveiled at the upcoming Top Marques Monaco show (April 14-17), alongside the Spada Codatronca.

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