Although the Abarth brand has not officially been launched in Ireland, we've been lucky enough to get our hands on several scorpion-badged models to try out. Despite the state of the country's economy, we reckon there's a place here for efficient, reasonably priced small performance cars. The 500C esseesse embodies the Abarth spirit completely.
The two-tone bodywork has had a few shots of adrenaline and the wheels look truly exotic. This car turned as many heads as any supercar we've driven. Inside, the specification of our test car included sumptuous leather seats and the automated manual 'Competizione' gearbox. Note that this is not a dual-clutch system, but a more traditional manual gearbox with the clutch automatically operated.
This transmission has not been heaped with praise since its introduction, and while it's not technically as impressive as the latest dual-clutch units it makes the 500C a blast to drive on a twisty road. Many will find the Abarth's suspension too uncompromising for everyday use, but it's a very competent car when you really push it hard. Hot hatch fans that have the wherewithal to keep a fun car in the garage: take note.
Unfortunately, most of us are not in such an enviable position and even car nuts have to do things like grocery shopping and bringing their nana for lunch. That's where cars like the Skoda Fabia RS come in. It promises hot hatch thrills with everyday usability. And it delivers for the most part.
Skoda's RS is quicker than the 500 in terms of straight-line performance - if only just when the Abarth is the hotter 'esseesse' version tested. That's thanks to the Skoda's formidable 180hp 'Twincharger' engine and the super-quick seven-speed DSG transmission. The latter is technically superior to the Abarth's gearbox, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say I reckon there's more fun to be had from the latter, as it takes a degree of skill to perfect.
Given how much bigger than the 500 the Fabia is, it's no surprise that the latter is far more practical, with much more interior and boot space. Saying that, the Abarth's interior has far more personality. Skoda could have jazzed up the cabin a little more to mark it out as the RS model.
So the Skoda walks it? No, not quite, despite everything I've said above. Alright, looked at from the point of view of a buyer that can afford just one car, then the Fabia RS is probably the most sensible option. However, serious driving enthusiasts will get a bigger bang from the Abarth in my opinion. It's a hoot of a car. Then it's just a case of choosing between the fixed roof Abarth 500 or the open-topped 500C.
Sadly, it's not as simple as that yet, as there are no official Abarth outlets in Ireland. Lobby Fiat Group Ireland now and you never know, maybe all that space they have in their fancy new premises on the Naas Road in Dublin will accommodate an Abarth showroom, say by 2014. Maybe some of us will actually have money to buy fun cars again by then...
Many thanks to Kylemore Karting for the photography location: www.kylemore-karting.com