500

2011 Geneva Motor Show: The Premium Hatchbacks

While they may just be catching on here in America, across the ocean premium hatchbacks like the Audi A3 and Mini Cooper represent the way things are done. They offer the luxury of a larger sedan or SUV, but in a smaller, more economical and more urban-friendly form. And at this year's Geneva Motor Show, there was no shortage of automakers unveiling their new visions for the segment.

Mini came back with an even smaller concept, Infiniti and Saab threw their proverbial hats in the ring, Fiat showcase two new variants of its popular 500 model and its sister company Lancia joined with a new entry of its own. Follow the jump to see what they had to offer.

Tags: 2011 geneva motor show, 500, fiat, fiat 500, fiat 500 by gucci, fiat 500 zagato coupé, fiat 500 zagato coupe, geneva, geneva 2011, geneva motor show, infiniti, infiniti etherea, jason castriota, mini, mini rocketman, mini rocketman concept, saab, saab phoenix, zagato

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Fiat 500 by Gucci

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

As if the Fiat 500 weren't stylish enough already, now Gucci's had their way with it to create the special edition you see here. The brainchild of Lapo Elkann – the rakish playboy brother of Fiat chairman John Elkann and grandson of his late predecessor Gianni Agnelli – the Fiat 500 by Gucci is a joint effort between Gucci's creative director Frida Giannini and Fiat's Centro Stile.

Tags: 500, fiat, fiat 500, fiat 500 by gucci, gucci, lapo elkann

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Abarth 500 Gulf Edition exclusive to Luxembourg

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Abarth 500 Gulf Edition exclusive to Luxembourg

Buyers in Luxembourg have a very exclusive new special edition on the market. Teaming up with Fiat, Gulf Oil is celebrating their tenth anniversary in the European principality with a special edition Abarth 500.

Only ten examples of the unique retro hatchback will be made, each sporting the same iconic Gulf livery that has adorned countless racing cars over the years – including the contemporary Aston Martin Le Mans Prototype. The blue and orange color scheme, complete with Gulf logos, features prominently both inside and out, and the Abarth 500 EsseEsse comes equipped with all the options for 25,000 euros (about $35,000).

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Tags: 500, abarth, abarth 500, abarth 500 esseesse, fiat, fiat 500, fiat 500 abarth, fiat 500 abarth esseesse, gulf, gulf oil, luxembourg

Fiat Rounds Out the Year of Art Cars at Exhibitalia

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Art

As the year draws to a close, we're inclined to unofficially name 2010 as the Year of the Art Car. Since we last changed our calendars, César's McLaren supercar went up for sale, Jeff Koons lent his brush to a BMW race car and an Aston Martin, Francoise Nielly painted the Citroën Survolt concept car, and Laurence Gartel did the same with a Tesla Roadster.

But the latter wasn't the only art car showcased at this year's Art Basel festival in Miami. At the four-day Exhibitalia event held there, Fiat led multiple artists to create works inspired by the Fiat 500. Some used parts of the car as their canvas, but one Christian Balzano transformed the entire vehicle into an art car. The last of the year? With mere weeks to go until 2011, we can only assume, but the new year will have a real task on its hands trying to top this one.

Gallery: Fiat 500 at Exhibitalia

Tags: 500, art basel, art basel 2010, art basel miami 2010, Art basel Miami Beach, Art Basel Miami Beach 2010, art car, exhibitalia, fiat

Abarth 500 Monza Limited Edition by Fenice Milano & Romeo Ferraris

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Abarth 500 Monza Limited Edition by Fenice Milano & Romeo Ferraris

Romeo Ferraris and Fenice Milano share a common passion for the Fiat 500. While both Italian tuning houses have taken on far more expensive machinery, they've also devoted considerable attention to the retro hatchback, and have chosen it as their way of paying tribute to one of Italy's most famous racing tracks.

The Abarth 500 Monza edition is limited to just ten individually numbered and personalized examples. Romeo Ferraris stepped in to give it nearly twice as much horsepower (260 vs 135 stock), upgraded brakes and wheels and a full aero kit. Fenice Milano has given it a custom paint job with red and blue stripes, Monza logos and a white leather interior, complete with custom tote bag. Take a closer look in the gallery below.

Gallery: Abarth 500 Monza by Fenice Milano & Romeo Ferraris

Tags: 500, abarth, abarth 500, fenice milano, fiat, fiat 500, fiat 500 abarth, monza, romeo ferraris

Blancpain 500 Fathoms Watch Hands-On

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

It was highly anticipated, as well as highly controversial. The 500 Fathoms was to be the much beefier version of the classic Fifty Fathoms model from Blancpain. But was it a good idea? I first wrote about the Blancpain 500 Fathoms watch here. The current iteration of the Fifty Fathoms was cherry. A beautiful watch, in a robust case, with a killer in-house movement. Rumors were that adjusted properly, the movement could be accurate to within about a second a day - a number that is very good for a mechanical watch. For whatever reason the 500 fathoms was borne. In a larger case at 48mm in size, the 500 Fathoms has a unique look with torpedo hands and a titanium case that is water resistant to 1000 meters (not exactly 500 fathoms). Since the watch was initially announced, the dial has changed a bit. Here you get to see exactly what the production version looks like. The dial is extremely retro diver with a twist. The almost sunburst pattern on the dial is a thematic modern interpretation of the atomic symbol that was on the original Fifty Fathoms watch. Large Arabic numerals on the dial are lume filled, together with the hands. As you can see, early worries about legibility problems haven't come to pass.

Gallery: Blancpain 500 Fathoms Watch

Tags: 500, blancpain, fathoms, hands-on, review, titanium, watch

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Fiat 500C by Diesel

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

The Fiat 500 has rapidly emerged as the must-have fashion accessory for style-conscious motorists in Europe and Asia. That bit has been helped along by the various special editions the Italian automaker has produced in conjunction with upscale denim powerhouse Diesel, and this is the latest.

Based on the convertible 500C – which features a unique retractable roof that slides between a solid frame – the latest Diesel edition had its unveiling on April 12 in Japan in advance of its sales debut next month in its home market, where the price tag will come to around the equivalent of $24,000. Three color options are available, including the dark indigo exterior paint you see above, with a denim-inspired interior to match.

Tags: 500, 500 c, diesel, diesel industry, diesel jeans, fiat, fiat 500, Fiat 500 by Diesel, fiat 500 diesel, fiat 500c, fiat 500c by diesel, fiat 500c diesel

Fiat 500C Pink Limited Edition Drops Its Top

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Everybody's got a different reason for their choice in automobile. For some it may be the hood ornament that acts as a status symbol. For others it could be something as simple as an iPod connector. And some see their vehicle as just another fashion accessory.

For that last category of buyer, Fiat UK released a special-edition 500 Pink a few months back. Now they're following up with a convertible version, called the 500C Pink. Based on the 500C 1.2 Pop trim level, the Pink edition doesn't cost an arm and a leg at £13,500 (about $20k), representing a £1,200 premium over a conventionally-colored model while carrying £1,870 worth of extra equipment. Which just goes to show that fashion accessories needn't be expensive. Good taste, on the other hand....

Tags: 500, 500 c, fiat, fiat 500, fiat 500 pink, fiat 500c, fiat 500c pink, fiat uk, pink

Fiat Launches Special Edition 500 Pink

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Looking for the perfect chariot for your next shopping excursion down to Chelsea? Look no further than the Fiat 500 Pink. Launched by Fiat UK, the 500 Pink is exactly that: pink. And though there's not much else to distinguish this special edition Cinquocente from any other, it comes with about £1,500 worth of optional extras – from the sunroof to the enviro-chic start-stop engine management – for only a £1,000 premium, which leaves an extra £500 left over for a matching pair of pumps. Barbie doll not included.

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Tags: 500, cinquocente, fiat, fiat 500, fiat 500 pink, Fiat500, Fiat500Pink, pink