Retro chic for cheap car insurance
05/08/2008
Abarth to the rescueCheap car insurance and small cars for young drivers are a match made in heaven. If I had to give one piece of advice for those young motorists seeking out their first insurance policy, I would suggest that buying an Audi R8 would be a financial mistake. But small cars aren't cool, are they? Tell that to the plethora of small hot hatches on the market at the moment. The new version of the retro classic Fiat 500 is an absolute hit and the motoring press are hailing it as the saviour of Fiat (along with the Grande Punto, of course). FIAT! I hear you cry. Fiat can't be cool. Yes, I see your point. In fact my mum offered me her Fiat 126 recently as she no longer uses it, and I nearly choked on my cappuccino. Funnily enough the 126 was the 1972 replacement for the original Fiat 500 microcar of the late 50's. The 126 was boxy, where the 500 had been a little ball of fun akin to the Messerschmitt and Heinkel bubble car in styling. Yes, the Fiat 126 was a matchbox-on-wheels in my opinion. In fact its engine made noise not unlike that of a matchbox shaken quite half-heartedly. For me, it is one of the ugliest, tinniest small cars ever made. I remember being ferried to hospital with a rather painful abdominal problem in my late teens and every small protrusion in the road felt like we'd just gone over a dead whale. The 126 was superseded by the Cinquecento (Italian for 500), for a relatively short production span of 7 years, and swiftly followed by the Seicento. Both models were still fairly boxy, though perhaps with a little more design finesse than the 126. I remember delivering papers to a house that owned a bright red Cinquecento and thinking it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. But, back to cool, the new Fiat 500 was launched in 2007 and the newest model to hit the road is the Abarth. Taking its pedigree from the iconic tuning firm that turned ordinary Fiat's of the 50's and 60's into supercharged racing cars; this one has variously been described as the 500 in "a hoody, sporting a flick knife", and the 500's "fierce looking, chic-hot brother". It has quickly garnered a reputation as being street cred and "down wiv it, innit". One critic went as far as to say that it even makes the Mini Cooper look boring. The Abarth's exterior is just a little edgier than the other new 500s. The mean and moody air intakes on the hood and front bumper, the sporty fog lamps, wider wheel arches, side sills and lowered rid height give it a little more punch. The rear high-level spoiler and racing-car style bumper diffusers reduce drag and improve stability. Whilst the matchbox rattle of the 126 has been replaced by a twin exhaust PA system that amplifies a sportier tune. The cutting edge 16" alloys with the Abarth trademark scorpion badges are crucial in making this a small car that a bloke can drive. This is cooool. If you know your motoring, you'll want an Abarth. OK, so its 1.4 litre engine delivering a turbocharged 135bhp and top speed of 127mph bumps its insurance group up from its little sister, the 1.2litre Pop's group of 2, but it will still be along way from the Audi R8 mark. I say again, small cars and cheap car insurance can go hand in hand. In fact I think if I'd taken up my mum's offer of the Fiat 126, my young driver car insurance company would have given me money - for bravery in the face of driving embarrassment.
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