As a complete contrast to the chilled drive of my bus, here is what I drive the rest of the time: 165BHP, turbocharged insanity I have had a decade long mid-life crisis and been lucky enough to have a few boys toys in that time, TVR Chimaera 5.0, Porsche Boxster 3.2S, Honda S2000 and Golf R32, but this thing is the best fun of all of them and has massively reduced my annual motoring costs. Insurance is cheap, I am getting 37MPG average, tax is only £170 and it hits 60mph in a smidge over 7 secs. What is not to like about that! It is an awesome little car - in the best spirit of previous hot hatch icons like the 205GTI and Renault Clio 16v and the standard turbo is set up so that it snarls (literally) on gear changes, proper fierce
I am still getting over Millie Macintosh in wellies . The Abarth may have to go - just bought a 67 bug and thinking I need to take the plunge and get a double garage built to keep the camper and the bug dry. It is a great car though - in the best hot hatch tradition - but it isn't air-cooled so it is lacking something
A change of career has meant the Abarth has had to go - needed the funds for a van: So Arthur the beetle will be earning his keep as my daily driver - proper handsome
Arthur is painted in VW Sea Blue (L360). Turquoisey colour that looks particularly nice when the sun is shining - but then doesn't everything
Careful, you will be incurring the wrath of the Abarthisti - it is NOT a Fiat ;-) it is an Abarth. Abarth are the 'hot' division of Fiat that produce highly tuned derivatives, like AMG do for Mercedes, loosely based on the original, so the chassis is just about the only bit that is in common with the Fiat 500. I have to say that the handling, even with FWD was awesome and I came from a 4WD Golf R32 and before that a RWD Porsche Boxster S, so I have some good comparables. I had a few scary moments in the wet when I was convinced the car would let go but it just stuck to the road and got me out of trouble - I think latest electronic traction controls have cured most historical issues with FWD. I think my days of seeing 0-60 in well under 10 seconds (or even 20) are over now with the Beetle, my bus, a Transit and the wifes diesel shopping trolley. All I will have left are the memories
Ahh, the Abarth one is a debate that im pretty sure i should stay out of, as we definitely have to agree to disagree.. its my opinion that no modern car is as fun to drive as its older counterpart, (or even close to as good looking!). Yes, it might be faster, but i find they never feel faster.. im not a fan of any of the 'technology' in cars today though, although i am fully aware thats a personal preference thing, and im never going to knock someone for having a different opinion to me, its each to their own as with everything else. i just dont like them. thats why the ABS, TCS, power steering, air con, leccy windows etc has all been removed from my 180, and ive never loved driving it more! you get so much more feel for what the cars doing and what the road beneath you is doing then you do with all the electronics. it was like climbing out of a Mondeo and into a Mk1 Escort after removing all that crap! but thats just me, and if YOU enjoyed driving YOUR car, thats all that matters to me because thats the whole point isnt it? if you like your car, and driving it puts a smile on your face, then it cant be a bad car. because those are the only 2 parameters that make any car a good car in my eyes.. and thats also why noone can really say someone elses car is a bad car, because they just have different tastes, therefore making any kind of comparison pointless and irrelevant what i will say though, is what you have replaced your old car with is gorgeous and i love it!!
Agave green is a great colour and I am sure would look a treat on a bus. Sea Blue might look a bit heavy.
