2014 Fiat 500C GQ Edition Coming to U.S., Is Like the Gucci Edition But for Men

A quarter of this 500C crew is gentlemanly. Fiat is bringing yet another special-edition 500 to its American dealerships—er, studios, as the Italian marque's marketing department refers to them—and this one's geared squarely at classy, upscale men. It's called the 500C GQ edition. If this sounds familiar, that's because Fiat previewed the 2014 GQ model (designed with input from the men's publication Gentlemen's Quarterly) with a European version at the Geneva auto show earlier this year. The upscale little Fiat was rolled out at the fittingly Italian-centric Pebble Beach Consorso Italiano, alongside the production 500 Cattiva. When the Euro-spec version debuted in Geneva, we poked fun at the apparent disconnect between the 500 GQ being geared towards those with the XY chromosome and, well, the Cinquecento's cutesy, un-manly appearance. We're prepared to eat those words, however, because on its way to our shores, the GQ edition lost its roof and gained an Abarth-grade powertrain. Overseas, the GQ edition is available with a selection of gas-fed engines ranging from a 69-hp four to an 85-hp (0.9-liter!) two-cylinder to a 100-hp four. Barring the novelty of the twin, yawn. Here, the 500C GQ gets the same 160-hp, turbocharged 1.4-liter four and five-speed manual that's fitted to the 500C Abarth. See? Much spicier. The Abarth's corresponding pumped-up body pieces—front and rear fascias, side skirts, dual exhaust outlets—also come along for the ride, and the GQ even gets a unique set of 16-inch gray wheels with red center caps and B-pillar–mounted GQ badges. The cabin has been given a tasteful and luxurious overhaul, you know, for when Fiat's target modern man isn't rowing through the gearbox and stirring up nearby ladies' skirts with the Abarth's almost excessively loud exhaust racket—take a listen here. The standard sport seats are wrapped in black leather accented by Alcantara inserts and contrasting silver stitching. A vinyl strip adorns each seat, and "GQ" lettering is embossed in both front seatbacks. Fiat also wraps the steering wheel, shift knob, and the gauge-cluster hood in leather. GQ edition–specific satin-chrome trim pieces and matte-finished flourishes—color-matched to the exterior—round out the cabin enhancements. Comparison Test: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth vs. 2012 Mini John Cooper Works Instrumented Test: 2013 Fiat 500C Abarth Instrumented Test: 2012 Fiat 500C Compared to Fiat's popular 500 and 500C Gucci edition models, the GQ edition is far manlier—and this in spite of its cabrio body style. Should any doubts linger as to who Fiat created this car for, just look at the press photos it provided. We're not sure all three leggy models pictured here could fit comfortably in a 500C, but that handsome, wealthy-looking fellow sure looks like he's willing to find out. And you can bet Fiat's marketing strategy won't deviate far from this basic tack. As for pricing, Fiat has yet to announce specifics, but figure on the GQ requiring a few more bucks than a nicely optioned 500C Abarth when it goes on sale early next year. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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