Magneti Marelli and Mopar Team Up to Create Fiat 500 Abarth Venom Concept

A few weeks ago, at the U.S. launch event for the 500 Abarth, Fiat showed off an Abarth concept called the Venom; while it was overshadowed by the production-bound car, it's worth taking a closer look now. The prototype Abarth is an exercise intended to demonstrate the kind of weight-saving and power-enhancing tweaks that are possible for Fiat's tiny turbocharged hellion. The Venom as a whole is not headed for production, but a number of its weight-reducing, power-boosting parts could make their way to future accessories lists. For those not in the know, Magneti Marelli is an established Italian supplier specializing in electronics. The company has been making performance parts for the Fiat 500 and 500 Abarth overseas for some time now, so Chrysler's newly global Mopar parts division tapped Marelli's Fiat know-how for the Venom concept. For starters, about 200 pounds of excess weight were stripped from the car, thanks to a new set of lightweight wheels and the extensive use of carbon fiber. The hood, front splitter and fascia elements, dashboard trim, and front seatbacks are rendered in the woven stuff. Next, Mopar and Marelli boosted output from the Abarth's turbocharged 1.4-liter four from 160 hp to 200 through ECU tweaks and a dual-mode exhaust system. While not specifically called out, the exhaust is most likely very similar to the "Record Monza" system Marelli produces for Abarth special editions like the 695 Tributo Ferrari and 695 Competizione. So the parts are cool, and for the most part, functional—but are they headed for production? At the Venom's reveal, Tim Kuniskis, head of the Fiat brand in the U.S., specified that Marelli is one of Mopar's suppliers. He added that he expects several higher-performance exhaust and suspension kits to be made available for the 500 Abarth here. A Mopar representative tells us the parts would be branded as Mopar pieces, but couldn't offer a specific timeline on their arrival to market. Neither the carbon-fiber bits nor the ECU recalibration has been confirmed, but the tweaked ECU wouldn't be a new type of upgrade for Mopar. The Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute concept, for example, previewed a "Stage" kit with additional ponies from an ECU reflash. We hope it makes the cut, because a 200-hp Fiat 500 Abarth sounds suspiciously like something we'd like to drive. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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