“It gets more looks than a Ferrari F430 and costs but a fraction of the price. The Fiat 500, may just be the coolest car on the planet right now”
Model driven: Sport Hatchback 3dr Manual six-speed 1.4 Litre petrol
Recommended Retail Price: $26,990
You all know Luigi right? He’s the cute little yellow car, which just happens to be a 1957 Fiat Nouva 500 in the 2006 hit movie, CARS.
If you’ve got the DVD in your home collection, you’ll also know that Luigi runs “Casa Della Tyres” and loves Ferrari more than Luca di Montezemolo.
Back in 1957, the “500” were marketed as the perfect car to deal with Italy’s congestion and tight parking spaces, common in their overcrowded cites. Powered by a tiny 479cc air-cooled (13 bhp), two-cylinder engine, it was also a world champion when it came to fuel consumption.
The new retro-style car is just as infectious but with way more cachet than the original model. Never before, have we at Car Advice, been so keen to get behind the wheel of a 1.4-litre naturally aspirated shoebox.
Most buyers won’t even need to test drive the 500, as that may push them back a place or two, in the dealers order book. This car is the automotive definition of cute, and that’s probably why you’ll put down $26,990 (recommended retail) for the “Sport” model.
