Good, a thread with the Abarth in it. This car is probably 3rd on my list. BRZ first, John Cooper Works second, and Abarth third. But after reading the "vs Mini" thread, I scrathed the JCW out.

I think it's a good idea to test drive an Abarth. I hope the Fiat in my area has one to test drive already. That exhuast just burbles everytime you shift gears, me likey. Also, the 200hp is called Abarth Venom. They said most performance parts are going to be manufactured by Mopar (yup, that's Mopar...as in Dodge's "performance" line).

I test drove the Abarth recently, and I liked it a lot. I definitely prefer the look of it to the Mini, but not the BRZ. The seating position was high, and I didn't love the clutch (or the giant shift knob). It had great acceleration, and I liked the exhaust note.

The problem I have with the US Abarth is that it feels bigger (taller) than the European version. Also, the guy at the dealership was trying to sell it to me for $2.5K over MSRP. W/the options (17" wheels, leather), the price was almost 29K...more than a BRZ Limited.

It's definitely a fun little car, but I wouldn't choose it over the BRZ.

Same. They don't look like a sports car in the slightest. And FWD... No way I would want one.

Ichitaka said it feels a lot better while driving. And it'll likely break in.