Fiat 500

It’s one of the most eagerly anticipated hot hatches of 2008 – but fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the new Abarth-badged 500 at this month’s Tokyo Motor Show will have to wait longer than they expected.

Despite reports that the new car would appear at the exhibition, Auto Express can reveal that the success of the standard 500 has forced Fiat to postpone its plans to unveil the tuned-up version.

According to our source, the car was set to debut at Tokyo, but was withdrawn by Abarth bosses at the last moment. At present, the huge demand for the 500 means there’s little extra factory capacity to meet the anticipated clamour for the new­comer – and as a result, the flagship won’t appear until March’s Geneva Motor Show.

With unique scorpion badging and spe­cial alloy wheels, the model builds on the famous racing Abarth 500s of the Sixties. Power comes from a highly tuned 1.4-litre turbocharged engine delivering 150bhp, although the performance arm is expected to develop an even more extreme 180bhp ‘esseesse’ version, too. This would be cap­able of revving to nearly 8,000rpm.

The four-cylinder units in both cars are loosely based on the 100bhp motor that will be available in the UK from the 500’s introduction in January. However, Fiat is promising that the spectacular engine will only be part of the package on offer in the sporty newcomer.

The Abarth is also set to get a racier development of the 500’s Panda-derived chassis, as well as a wider track and larger wheels. Our first drive of the standard Fiat in Issue 968 showed how rewarding the car is, and these changes will ensure the range-topper is even more thrilling.

While prices have still to be discussed, mid-spec versions of the 500 are likely to cost around £12,500, so the Abarth is set to weigh in at around £15,000. That will pitch it against larger and more practical hot hatches such as Vauxhall’s Corsa VXR and even the MINI Cooper S.