IED's Abarth SCORP-ION Coupe Concept

If the rumors are true, Fiat's Abarth division may soon get its own version of the Alfa Romeo 4C mid-engined coupe, but for now, fans will have to make do with the SCORP-ION sports coupe study that was unwrapped at this week's Geneva Motor Show.
The SCORP-ION is a conceptual proposal for an environment-friendly sports car designed by the students of the Master of Arts in Transportation Design at the Istituto Europeo di Design of Turin (IED) and constructed in cooperation with Abarth. The strictly two-seater study measures 4.01 meters long and is powered by four electric motors, one on each wheel. Check out the video from the Geneva Show presentation after the break.


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VIDEO: IED's Abarth SCORP-ION Sports Coupe Concept at the Geneva Motor Show

If the rumors are true, Fiat's Abarth division may soon get its own version of the Alfa Romeo 4C mid-engined coupe, but for now, fans will have to make do with the SCORP-ION sports coupe study that was unwrapped at this week's Geneva Motor Show.

The SCORP-ION is a conceptual proposal for an environment-friendly sports car designed by the students of the Master of Arts in Transportation Design at the Istituto Europeo di Design of Turin (IED) and constructed in cooperation with Abarth. The strictly two-seater study measures 4.01 meters long and is powered by four electric motors, one on each wheel. Check out the video from the Geneva Show presentation after the break.

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Alfa Romeo 4C Concept

Alfa Romeo stunned visitors to the 2002 Geneva International Motor Show with the Brera concept. The gorgeous looks might have eventually made it into production, but excessive weight, so-so performance and below par chassis dynamics sadly meant the showroom Brera was ultimately rather disappointing.



Now, nine years later, the Italian manufacturer has once again provided a Geneva star in the shape of the Alfa Romeo 4C Concept. A compact two-seat, mid-engined, rear-wheel drive coupé measuring around 4 metres (13 feet) long, the 4C makes extensive use of carbon fibre and aluminium in its construction to limit weight to just 850 kg (1,870 lbs). To put that into perspective, a Lotus Elise tips the scales at 876 kg (1,931 lbs).

With more than 197 bhp (147 kW / 200 PS) on offer from its 1,750 cc four-cylinder turbocharged engine, a sub five second zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) time is promised, along with a top speed in excess of 155 mph (250 km/h). The 4C Concept is equipped with an Alfa TCT dual-clutch transmission, as well as the marque’s trademark ‘DNA’ control system.



The good news is that the 4C is destined to lose its ‘Concept’ suffix, as Alfa Romeo has stated that sales are set to begin in late 2012. What’s more, pricing is reckoned to be around £38,000 (€45,000 / US $62,000), plus it’ll also be available in the United States.



A production run of 15,000 to 20,000 units is rumoured, stretched across a five year period. The 4C is also expected to form the basis for a bespoke Abarth model.



All of which brings us back to the Brera incident: hopefully Alfa Romeo has leant from that experience, and the 4C Concept will survive the transition into series production relatively unscathed.

Abarth Scorp-Ion Sports Coupe Concept by IED Turin Students to Debut at Geneva Motor Show

Even though Fiat executives have been coy on a stand-alone sports car for the Abarth brand, the Italian firm went ahead and collaborated with the Istituto Europeo di Design of Turin (IED) for the creation of design study that will receive its grand premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in about a week's time.

The sports coupe is named Abarth Scorp-Ion and it was designed by seven IED students who worked under the supervision of designers Luca Borgogno from Pininfarina, and Luigi Giampaolo from Maserati.

The goal was to design a bespoke compact-sized sports car with lines that evoke the scorpion (the official symbol of Abarth) without any references to the Fiat brand, with which Abarth is often identified.

The result is a futuristic looking two-seater coupe that measures 4,010 mm in length, 1,905 mm in width, 1,192 mm in height, and rides on a 2,350 mm long wheelbase.

The Scorp-Ion is motivated by four electric motors, one on each wheel, but that's about all Abarth had to share with us for now. Further details are to be released at the Geneva Motor Show.

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Fiat Abarth 500 Gulf Limited Edition

This here is the actual, factual Fiat Abarth 500 Gulf Limited Edition special in the flesh, photographed at the Autopolis Fiat dealership in Luxembourg. We say this because yesterday, we reported on the limited run special and Fiat's photoshoped picture that made the internet rounds. While our friends from Auto55 and Autofans verified the story with the official press release, we were left wondering what the Italian mini with the classic racing-livery would look like in real life. 

Today, our pondering came to an end as the Marketing and Communications director of Autopolis Luxembourg dropped the first real life shots of the car in our mailbox. We believe Fiat should have released these photos instead of the 'chop from the beginning, but we'll give them props for keeping a close eye on the web-o-sphere and swiftly reacting to our post. 
 

As for the car itself, it was created by the Italian brand's official importer for Luxembourg, Autopolis, in association with Gulf Petroleum, to celebrate the latter's 10th anniversary in the country.
Only ten examples of the Fiat Abarth 500 Gulf Limited Edition will be built, each priced at €25,000 (not including VAT) a piece, which is about US$34,000. Aside from the iconic Gulf Racing livery, the special edition 500s also get the 'esseesse' performance kit that pushes the 1.4-liter turbo engine's output to 160-ponies, a Monza sport exhaust and Corse-Sabelt racing buckets with the seatbacks finished in Gulf-blue. 

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