The new 500 version has a very mean appearance, with huge wheel arches to house equally big wheels and low tires, wider air intakes, a rear air diffuser, double exhaust pipes, red caps for the external rear mirrors and dozens of Abarth badges all over the car. There is still some controversy on what will be the output of the engine, most probably the 1,4-litre four cylinder turbo of the Grande Punto Abarth (check the ghost sketch in which an intercooler shows off at the lower left side of the car, ahead of the wheel), but maybe in a more behaved version, with about 150 cv, instead of the 180 cv that it uses to push the bigger brother.
Spy photos also stated that there were going to be two Abarth versions of the 500, a simple one and the SS, which stands for Super Sport. This last one was likely to receive the 180 cv engine, but, according to these official pictures, it seems that there will be only one 500 Abarth. If this is confirmed, it would be no surprise if Fiats better surprise for the Geneva Motor Show (if you can call it a surprise any longer) refuses to make a shy appearance and presents even more horsepowers than we expect. It is just a matter of waiting, and official technical specs should not take longer than a couple days.
Related entries:
Fiat 500 & Grande Punto Abarth SS
Fiat 500 Abarth SS Latest Spy Photos
Fiat Grande Punto Abarth: In Detail
Fiat 500 Abarth SS