Fiat 500 Convertible
The Fiat 500C is so adorable that when you look at it all you want to do is pinch its cheeks. Looking upon the chunky lines of the front end (are thos dimples?) the little 500 literally cries out to be adored much like an overweight six month old who is always smiling.But now Fiat really has gone too far. They have taken the super-adorable 500C coupe and turned it into a cabriolet with a funky and clever new folding top concept. Well, the concept isn't exactly new but it hasn't been used for decades. On the 500C the folding top on covers the top of the passenger compartment and lowers in stages.You can lower the top only part way for a full moonroof feel or lower it all the way and still have all of your side windows (a move that keeps the 500C's tiny body from losing all of its rigidity). While keeping the sides of the car intact was in large part a safety measure, this odd-ball look somehow just fits the gregarious character of this Italian runabout.Fiat has big plans for the 500C in this country. In 12 months Fiat hopes to have the coupe and convertible on our roads with more powerful Abarth and a wagon version to follow. Eenie-meenie-minie-moeno matter which 500C you choose there is no way that this Mini Cooper fighter can fail in this country. It is just too cute. Be warned. Fiat 500-mania is coming.Likely engine options in this country will be a 1.4 liter 4 cylinder with 100 horsepower (wholly sufficient for a vehicle this light) and a 130 horsepower turbocharged motor. While most cabrio models will probably be sold with an automatic, Fiat makes some of the best manual transmissions out there in the small car universe. So try both when this car is finally released.To be honest, I can't wait to see the new "Chrysler/Fiat" and how they are going to relaunch this historic brand in this country. This is something I cannot say about the new "Barack Obama/GM" whose only hope is the Chevy Volta vehicle so technologically advanced that it has no hope of ever making the company any money. Such is not the case with the 500C.As the 500C is already a huge hit around the world pretty much all of its development cost has been covered. So now Fiat is free to expand the model line and roll out production in North America. So hurry up you guys. America is waiting for our very own experience with the cutest car ever made.
