Currently reading: Maserati-inspired Fiat 500 to cost £32k

The Abarth 695 Maserati Edition has been priced at £32,000 and will reach UK showrooms by the end of the year

The Maserati-inspired special edition Fiat 500 has been priced at £32,000. The Abarth 695 Maserati Edition costs more than twice as much as a standard Abarth 500 and will reach UK showrooms by the end of the year.

The latest special 500 follows the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari, which carried a similar £30k-plus price tag. The Maserati version will be limited to 499 units.

Power comes from a turbocharged 1.4-litre T-Jet engine with 178bhp at 5500rpm and 184lb ft at 3000rpm. It is mated to a five-speed automated manual gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Exact performance figures haven’t been confirmed, but Abarth expects a sub-7.0sec 0-62mph and a top speed in excess of 140mph. A dual-mode exhaust system features and increases noise levels above 3000rpm.

The standard Abarth 500’s chassis has been overhauled to cope with the special edition’s prodigious power output. New Koni shock absorbers are fitted along with larger Brembo brakes. The car rides on new 17in Maserati-inspired alloys.

Each of the special edition models is finished in ‘Pontevecchio Bordeaux’ paint. The interior gets sand beige leather seats with special 695 logos.

Mark Tisshaw

mark-tisshaw-autocar
Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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n9ms21 23 May 2012

Special edition Abarth 500?

Isn't this a special edition of Abarth 500 and not a Maserati? Why are people comparing this to AM Cygnet? The Cygnet is sold under Aston Martin brand while this is a special edition of the Abarth 500 as a tribute to Maserati similar to Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari and carries the name Abarth 695 Edizione Maserati. 

Also, this has Abarth badges and not Maserati's unlike Cygnet.

TegTypeR 24 May 2012

n9ms21 wrote: Isn't this a

n9ms21 wrote:

Isn't this a special edition of Abarth 500 and not a Maserati? Why are people comparing this to AM Cygnet? The Cygnet is sold under Aston Martin brand while this is a special edition of the Abarth 500 as a tribute to Maserati similar to Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari and carries the name Abarth 695 Edizione Maserati. 

Also, this has Abarth badges and not Maserati's unlike Cygnet.

The only reason Aston had to re-design and re-badge the Cygnet was down to the fact it was purchased from another manufacturer.

The 500 is produced by the same group of companies therefore the need to bastardise the original product is less.

Interestingly judging by the comments on here it seems to have been quite well received, despite the price.  I must admit, it does look good but I couldn't justify the price tag, considering the completeness of the base product.

disco.stu 22 May 2012

Bellissimo

I love this little car, and the similar Tributo Ferrari they did previously. It highlights everything that is wrong with the Aston Martin Cygnet.  While AM execs try and explain with a straight face how the Cygnet maintains all of Aston Martin's traditional values, Fiat don't try and pretend this is actually a Maserati.  If rich folk really do want to buy into the whole yacht/tender analogy that Aston Martin were spinning, then this is a much better way to do it, whatever 'yacht' you drive on the weekends.

Symanski 22 May 2012

Might have made an effort.

At least Aston Martin put their own face on the Cygnet.   Many laughed at Aston for modifying a Toyota iQ, but this is an even lesser attempt just to bling up a 500.   Shame on Maserati!

The Cygnet, for those who failed to get the concept, was to be a pure city car.   That when you're sitting at the lights waiting you were in a nice place to be, rather than being able to tear away down the high street!