Italian pocket rocket AND INFO PACK (Fiat Seicento Sporting 3dr)

Member Name: sporting1.1i

Product:	Fiat Seicento Sporting 3dr
Date:	21/11/05 (5100 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fuel enconomy, performance,handling,look s,sound system,reliablity

Disadvantages: small boot, rear space

Jesus christ what a car!!

I have owned my 2003 Seicento Sporting 1.1 mpi for 8 mths now and wow, what a pocket rocket.

I paid £3200 for mine in early 2005, with only 3,000 miles on the clock in metallic steel grey(rare colour, as most are yellow or red), a real bargain.

The fuel enconomy is brillant averaging about 300 miles to a tank(£28) considering how i blast around the London streets, surprising larger cars at the lights when they pull in the inside lane at the last second, believing they will get in front of you, but i love the feeling when i pull away to there astonishment.

I crave to have a challenge with similar sized engines , because i know this car wont lose, its like a herbie of seicentos!!.

I have also recently added a one off stainless steel twin pipe exhaust at either side of the car which sounds bloody good, i would compare the sound to a Aston Martin - yes a Aston Martin.

Before i purchased this car i was thinking - why have i bought a little 1.1 fiat, but no, i was pleasantly surprised by the performance, especially with shell optimax, and no passengers on board - this car was flying, 0-50mph in no time, then it begins to get out of its depth over 60mph.

The handling is assured, it will never rear end you in corners, especially with the pirelli tyres.

The sporty looking bumpers shows this car is no push over and the sound system is pretty good for a budget car.

Touch wood i have had no major problems with the car, travelling to Ireland and back and taking 4 trips to Manchester from London in a space of a few days.

I did hit 115mph(so said the speedo) on the M6, but i dont think it possibly could for a 1100cc, but saying that i not surprised if it did being the car it is - loads of character.

The downside is the space at the rear, the boot being minimal and rear leg room a envy.

Also the shocking prices Fiat charge for a service, £180+vat for a oil and filter change and a basic look at the brake,tyres,suspension and bushes- not good enough.

I would definetly recommend this car for younger drivers, like me, aiming to build their no claims bonuses as the insurance group is only 3.

Thank you Fiat for buiding such a wonderfully,cheap, but exciting baby beast!

beware those 2.0litre gas guzzlers!!!

INFO PACK

The Fiat Seicento Sporting came into this world back in 1998, after replacing the box shaped Cinquecento sporting.

Both engines produce a mouth watering 54bhp, however there are some changes in the gearbox for the seicentos sportings.

Only the Sporting models have a closer gear ratio than the standard s and sx models which means a quicker 0-60 time.
This also gives the owner more encouragement to race these beasts, even if it only takes about 1.5 secs quicker from 0-60 than the standard models.

Up until 2001, the seicentos were powered by SPI(single point injection)engines, and were later revised to be a more enconomical,smoother MPI(Multi point injection)engine.

The seicento sporting was given a facelift in 2001 with the addition of bigger more meaner looking front spoliers and back bumpers, along with having plain black side door mouldings instead of those flimsy multi coloured mouldings.

Sporting models have the following more compared to the standard model:

1. Alloys with lower profile pirelli tyres
2. Sports interior(seats,leather steering wheel/gear knob)
3. Bigger,sportier bumpers
4. Closer gear ratio
5. standard windows and central door locking
6. coloured coded bumpers and mirrors
7. standard sunroof

Fiat then decided to bless the seicento with a limited edition ' Michael Schumacher' version which was basically the same as the sporting, except for the following:

1.14" alloys
2.Aluminium handbrake cover/gear lever surround
3.rear boot spolier
4.red stiching around steering wheel and gear knob
5.side skirts
6.Aluminium foot pedals
7.michael schmacher logos on boot and sills

Both the standard models,sportings and ltd edition seicentos are all very enconomical avering around 45mpg.

Fiat stopped production of the seicento in late 2003 when the new fiat panda was launched.

The seicento is still being made today in some parts of the world.

Thanks for reading my review.

Summary: A real beast around London, crave to have a race every now and again!.

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