Fiat convertible 500 Abarth plans leaked

According to documents submitted to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Fiat is already planning a convertible version of the 500 Abarth, and a turbocharged non-Abarth version of the 500 called the 500T.

Good news for fans of high-performance small cars and convertibles everywhere, if it holds up.

And it looks like it will hold up.

The documents, sourced via Car and Driver, show a pretty clear chart of upcoming 2013 models, and the Abarth is clearly listed under the "2 Door Convertible" group, while the 500T Sport is added to the standard Pop, Sport, Lounge, Abarth, and Electric lineup.


Having wrung out the hardtop 500 Abarth at Spring Mountain in the US earlier this year, we know it delivers on many levels where the standard 500 doesn't. Whether the similarly-powerful, but non-Abarth 500 will show similar fun potential remains to be seen.

The convertible version of the Abarth is sure to win fans, however, as many of you commented that a soft top was the only thing holding you back.

Of course, it will likely be the retractable-cloth-roof (a la 500C) sort of convertible, rather than the whole-top-comes-off kind, but even so, it means more sun in the cabin with (hopefully) all of the benefits of the Abarth.

2012 Abarth 695 Tributo Maserati

A few years after Abarth brought the 695 Tributo Ferrari to the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, the Italian automaker is set to head to the 2012 Geneva Motor Show with another commemorative, limited edition model that pays homage to another Italian contemporary - the 695 Tributo Maserati.

According to Abarth, the 695 Tributo Maserati is the confluence of the things we love about Abarth and Maserati, particularly the combination of "the highest level of elegance combined with the comforts of a car, but with the handling that’s suitable for everyday driving. "

In terms of its design, the Abarth 695 Tributo Maserati comes with a "Pontevecchio Bordeaux" paint finish and matched with upholstery dressed in Poltrona Frau leather beige sand. True to its name as an elegant iteration of the popular Italian hatch, the 695 Tributo Maserati also comes with carbon inserts, as well as a matte finish and trim on the dashboard, a black tricolor leather steering wheel, door panels and rear panels that have been given a gray track treatment by UV-LUX, and a new set of 17" alloy wheels.

As far as powertrain is concerned, the Abarth 695 Tributo Maserati will be powered by a 1.4-liter Turbo T-Jet engine that produces 180 horsepower and mated to an electro-mechanical Abarth Competition transmission with steering wheel controls.