Fiat Punto - Italian Car common

 

Solidly built hatch looks good but its performing is just about average.Like the Linea, it looks great, Its built is good and it comes with superb ride and handling. But it doesn’t take the game as forward in the hatchback segment as the Linea has done  in the saloon class. Performing, gas efficiency and other things are not the very good and even the interior is disappointing. The Grande Punto makes up with the its price. With the basic 1.4 version starting at around 5000  (we haven’t driven the even cheaper 1.2) and the fully-loaded diesel not exceeding  6000, it may not be the cheapest hatch around but to take a line from partner Tata, the Grande Punto is a lot of car per car and pretty good value for money.

Production  1993–2010
Predecessor Fiat Uno
Successor   Fiat Grande Punto
Class          Supermini
Body style  3/5-door hatchback
                 3-door convertible (1994–99)
                 3-door van

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The Fiat Panda - Cute Italian car

 

The phrase “little cars, little profits” is the blunt retort credited to Edsel Ford when presented with the the primary proposals for the Fiesta. Within the even more Lilliputian world of sub-B cars like the Panda, or its new rivals Volkswagen’s Up or Kia’s Picanto, you need to get the production right or otherwise you can lose money on every car you sell.


Perhaps that explains why some early products in this sector were so lacklustre to drive and to possess. The first Panda in the 1980's was plain, but much like automotive Lego that Fiat produced it in three Italian factories; Mirafiori, Desio and Tremini, and one Sicilian, Imerese. In 23 years, Fiat sold 4.5 million Pandas and it achieved a sort of cult status, although the joke was that the last examples were 40 per cent larger than the firsts because the press tools were so worn.


Fiat was strangely ambivalent towards reusing that name for its 2003 replacement, which was built in Tychy, Poland. The Italian giant preferred Gingo, which Renault contested, reasoning it was too close to Twingo. So Panda stuck and the Nuova Panda won the 2004 Car of the Year title and sold just over two million in eight years. 

Assembly  Pomigliano d'Arco, Naples, Italy
Body style 5-door hatchback
                van
Platform    Fiat Mini platform
Engine       0.9L TwinAir I2 petrol
                1.2L Fire I4 petrol
                1.3L Multijet I4 diesel
Transmission 5-speed manual
                    6-speed manual
                    5-speed semi-auto

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The Ferrari Enzo - Italian car legend

You expect an Enzo to be fast; a "slow supercar" is really an oxymoron. You also expect an Enzo to be fiery; Ferrari actually admits that post-delivery mechanical malfunctions are an integral part of the development process. But most of all, you expect it to be pretty. Think of it this way: if the $650k Enzo wasn't pretty, everyone who saw one would consider its owner an idiot.

Benny Caiola Jr. is no idiot. Saying that, would you lend your Enzo to a stranger? Before you answer that question, think of this: the New York property developer owns two of them. And an F40, F40LM, F50, 333SP, 512BB, 575M, 456, 355, Dino, four 360s, a Lamborghini Diablo and Murcielago, Pagani Zonda, Porsche GT2 and Aston Martin Vanquish. So even if a visiting journalist somehow carved his place in automotive infamy, Benny wouldn't be taking the bus…



Anyway, as I approach Benny's Ferrari Enzo, I respect his taste. With the exception of its circular tail lights and the horse emblem in the rear mesh, the Enzo doesn't share any design cue with its predecessors. Yet it's Ferrari. The F1-style nose gets all the press, but it's the Enzo's blend of exquisite details and balanced proportions that creates its brand-specific charisma. To say the end result is aesthetically appealing is like saying Enrico Caruso could carry a tune.


Production 2002–2004
                 400 produced
Predecessor Ferrari F50
Successor    Ferrari F70
Class          Supercar
                  Racing car
Body style   2-seat Berlinetta
Layout        RMR layout
Engine        6.0 L Tipo F140B V12
Transmission 6-speed semi-automatic

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The Lamborghini Countach - Italian car beauty

The first issue making Countach so exotic was its look. The wedge-shape style combined with sharp edges and distinctive features like scissors doors, NACA ducts and sq. pop-up headlamps, not only caught eyes but additionally looked futuristic.

Whenever a Countach flashed pass a viewer, it'd immediately give a pair of impressions. The primary was that it was extremely low, lower than any other car in the world. In fact, standing at forty two inches in height, The Countach was the lowest car in history besides the Ford GT40 and Lotus Esprit. However, its aggressive lines created it subjectively appeared even lower than it was.The second impression was: it must be very powerful and electric fast. Race version of GT40, with 425 bhp 7-litre V8, actually out-powered the Countach, but its soft profile prevented one from believing its real speed. On the contrary, the original Countach had 50 hp less but looked like 40 mph faster. Therefore, when Lamborghini made a wild claimed of "in-excess of 200 mph top speed" in the Geneva show, most journalists believed it really could!

Production    1974–1990
                        (2,042 produced)
Assembly       Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy
Predecessor Lamborghini Miura
Successor    Lamborghini Diablo
Class             Sports Car
Body style     2-door coupé
Layout          Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine          4.0 L (3929 cc) V12
                       4.8 L (4754 cc) V12
                      5.2 L (5167 cc) V12
Transmission 5-speed manual

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The Fiat 500 - Retro modern flashback

If you think that you understand the Italians, think about the take of Roberto Giolito, the director of Fiat design. He compares the first 500 with the Michelin logo, in his words, The Fiat 500 is “a fat man made from tires.” He says this without a touch of irony and without the slightest thought that a fat man made from tires may not be the perfect design goal for any car. And it is not just about the old Fiat 500. He sees the identical thing in the new 500. We really don't know what he is talking about. The 500 is super retro-adorable inside. There is even an option that changes the black interior for white plastic. If you check this option you also get a white steering wheel. In the middle there is a digital display telling the engine temperature, fuel level, date, time, and exterior temperature. Wrapped around that is the tachymeter, and around that the speedometer. It is really awesome. So if you want a taste of awesome buy the Fiat 500.

Production  1957-1975

Assembly   Turin, Italy

Predecessor Fiat 500 "Topolino"

Successor    Fiat 126

Class           City car

Body style    2-door sedan

                      3-door estate

Layout          RR layout

Engine         479 cc I2

                     499 cc I2

                    594 cc I2

Transmission 4-speed manual

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The Ferrari GTO 250 - Sold for only $31,856,726

If there is a car that looks absolutely perfect in every way it's the Ferrari GTO 250 . The plunging valley between those humpy front wings, the little mouth pouting at the tip of its hood, the subtle flip-up on the boot. Don't care that the nose is a bit long and the tail too short and don't care that there are vents and slots everywhere to break up the flow and smoothness of the car's body. The GtTO still looks balanced in every aspect.

Two things instantly capture your attention inside. The gear-shifter lever, which stands like some mystical sword from the transmission tunnel so high that you can rest your elbow on it, with a polished aluminium knob the size of a tennis ball. From its centre, there are spokes polished enough to dazzle support a thin wooden rim and if you simply let go of this and keep the arms bent, your hand falls instantly to the gear knob. It's created in way that is so natural for the driver. Further down and to the left of the gate which guides the metal mast beneath your shifting hand, there's a enormous speedometer in a plastic-covered cardboard box. Only road legality demands its presence; the all-important rev counter with its wide plastic needle and bold but pale white numbers is dead ahead in the main instrument panel.



Production 1962–1964
                     (39 produced)
Successor Ferrari 288 GTO
Class          Sports car
Body           Berlinetta
Layout       FR layout
Engine        3.0 L V12
                   300 PS (220 kW; 300 hp)
Transmission 5-speed manual

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