I don't know what it is about the Fiat 500. I really don't. I've always had a bit of a soft spot for it and I don't know why. I recently went on a holiday and came back with a scale model kit of one, and I don't even know why.
Maybe thats not a bad thing though. It prompted me to look at the MFT incarnation of the vehicle.
For a car that sports less engine volume than the volume of the glass I drink my beer out of, I have to be honest, I was not expecting much.
In some ways, I was right too. The engine is really the down point of this car. I know the technology is comparatively ancient, and the power that has been squeezed out of the little engine is truly nothing less than phenomenal, however I was always left with the feeling of wanting more.
It feels a little breathless. It feels like it needs another 1500 RPM on the redline before valve bounce. It needs more torque so you don't have to downshift while sliding, a relatively regular occurrence in the little Fiat. It needs...a motorbike engine. But we cant do that here, so lets just move on.
The downshifting, while happening often, is painless enough thanks to the quick, precise action of the five speed gearbox. The ratios are spaced out really well for the car.
The chassis is really quite well set up. The car has no bump steer characteristics, nor does it get tram lined by the contours in the road. This was really surprising in such a light vehicle. Sliding the car was easy enough to initiate, and to hold, as long as the engine held out.
With sports or racing tyres, this could be quite a capable, good handling race car. Outfit it with street tyres and have some fun.
I think that was most of the appeal of the little Fiat in the first place though. It was always a fun little car. Now MFT have just made it a different (and better) type of fun.
Now what to do with that scale model...maybe some 500 RS stripes...