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Italian conglomerate Fiat Group owns Ferrari. So it is no surprise that Fiat hitches an occasional ride on the Prancing Horse's main marketing machinery: Formula One.
For the inaugural SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, Fiat has managed a small coup - the launch of 16 'F1 edition' Fiat 500. They are retailing at $93,900 each, a princely sum for such a small car. Fiat agent TTS Eurocars justifies the price by installing what it says is $10,000 worth of accessories.
These include side skirts, front airdam, rear spoiler, 16-inch wheels, chequered flag stickers, chrome mouldings on front and rear bumpers, and chrome wing mirrors. Buyers will also get a 'certificate of authenticity', and an F1 commemorative coin set worth $282.
Besides the cosmetic enhancements, the car is essentially a Fiat 500 1.4, packing 100hp, a five-speed semi-automatic transmission and a sunroof.
Compared with the 1.2-litre 69hp version tested in April, the 1.4 is noticeably nippier but still nowhere close to what its chequered flag livery might suggest.
Driven in automatic mode, it is leisurely, even if the Sport button is activated. To best exploit the car's high-revving engine, drive it like a clutchless manual.
While a little wrist work will overcome the 500's lack of low-end verve, nothing much can be done about its hump-averse suspension. Nothing other than negotiating the slow-down devices at a snail's pace.
On well-paved tarmac such as an F1 circuit, the 500 will come across as nimble. It corners not too shoddily either. And its brakes are excellent.
The 500, however, does not win hearts by the way it drives. It does so by being adorable. Dressed up in sports-car finery, it is even more eye-catching.
Inside, the tiny car is identical to other 500s: funky. The compact cabin will accommodate four adults with ease and it is visually arresting. Its instrument gauges are housed in an eye-catching single dial which looks best when lit. Modern features abound, such as voice-control, Bluetooth pairing and an iPod interface.
It is great, except for notchy control stalks, a weak air-conditioning (in the test unit at least) and a faint but noticeable whir of the clutch-actuator at work.
Whether these minor glitches are forgivable depends on how big a motorsports aficionado you are, as well as how much you like being in the public eye. Indeed, the 'F1 edition' 500 turns nearly as many heads on the road as a Ferrari.
TTS Eurocars has arranged for the special 16 to take part in a pre-race parade around the F1 circuit today. Ferrari F1 drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa have also been invited to pen their signatures on the fascia of the cars at the Raffles Hotel this afternoon.
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CARS
