Abarth Cars => Abarth 500 => Topic started by: AlexK on November 29, 2008, 02:42:36 pm
Title: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: AlexK on November 29, 2008, 02:42:36 pm
In a bored moment when I should have been working, I found myself fiddling with the 500 Abarth configurator (http://www.abarth.it/configuratore/500.htm) on the Italian website.
There, the Esseesse kit comes out as €2,500.
I speculated months ago on FF that the price in the UK would be around £2,100 - 2,500, but not many people agreed with me.
What do you lot think?
Remember, the 500 Esseesse kit is much simpler than the GPA's - there's no replacement turbo, for starters, and no exhaust, either.
The full kit details are here (https://www.abarthforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,5.0.html).
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: John501 on November 29, 2008, 03:29:55 pm
I must admit, I hadn't realised there was a lot less to this kit, I knew that they didn't change the turbo. This is surely very good news if it gets passed on to the U.K. market. At the current exchange rate it would make the Kit about £2200 which I would suggest is really good value for money. The take up rate for the 500 Esse Esse kit would surely be closer to 50% than the reported italian take up of G.P. Esse Esse which is closer to 20%. Let me know what you think? If the Esse Esse kit was between £2200 - £2500 for the 500, would you fit one?
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: James on November 29, 2008, 06:10:47 pm
Almost certainly, if the difference between standard and SS was a vast as between the standard and SS GPA
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: Reteb on November 29, 2008, 06:57:07 pm
Count me in please, John
So when do you think we can order a 500 with esseesse kit?
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: Shep76S on November 30, 2008, 02:38:13 am
Too dear for what is basically a fifty quid air filter and a 500 quid remap. The other bits are just for the max power bragging brigade.........that's a no here then!
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: Reteb on November 30, 2008, 09:54:35 am
The upgraded pads and discs are a worthwhile part of the kit, aren't they?
And the problem with a do-it-yourself approach is that although it may be cheaper, you've voided the warranty.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: John501 on November 30, 2008, 10:28:07 am
Reteb, this is just speculation, but I can see the validity in the point that Alex has made. I would love the kit to be that sort of money because it would make the uptake rate quite high and keep Chunkey Monkey very busy. Suprisingly though, we have a 50% take up rate on G.P.!!
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: Reteb on November 30, 2008, 12:18:27 pm
So any idea when the order book will open for the 500 esseesse kit?
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: AlexK on November 30, 2008, 12:18:44 pm
Too dear for what is basically a fifty quid air filter and a 500 quid remap. The other bits are just for the max power bragging brigade.........that's a no here then!
If the kit isn't for you, that's fair enough, and I can respect that. But it's not fair to say it's just a filter and a re-map. Besides the filter and map, the kit also contains four brake discs, eight brake pads, four springs, four wheels, four tyres, four tyre pressure sensors, some badges and a key cover.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: magicmole on November 30, 2008, 12:28:58 pm
And a wooden crate.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: AlexK on November 30, 2008, 12:39:39 pm
...and a bunch of labour.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: Reteb on November 30, 2008, 03:49:03 pm
And as it's near Christmas can we have a partridge in a pear tree, please?
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: iain500 on November 30, 2008, 05:03:06 pm
It's a pity they don't offer different levels of the kit. I wouldn't especially want the wheels and tyres for instance which will probably account for a third of the price or more as I intend to order the 17" 5 hole style two tone alloys.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: Chumley on November 30, 2008, 05:06:21 pm
I was going to go for it anyway but if it is really cheaper than the AGP, then definitely yes.
So we don't get the groovy car covers shown in some of the other threads then? ;D
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: magicmole on November 30, 2008, 07:14:30 pm
The AGP kit doesn't get the tyre pressure sensors
Could be because they realise AGP owners know how and why to use a tyre pressure gauge regularly ;D (Exits left, takes cover behind sofa)
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: AlexK on November 30, 2008, 09:18:55 pm
It's probably because the 500 gets the electronic torque control.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: John501 on December 01, 2008, 10:26:24 am
Chumley, you can buy a car cover if you want one, but they are £400 and not waterproof.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: AndyW on December 01, 2008, 12:47:50 pm
I would certainly get the kit if it were in the price range you are talking about. For me, the cost of the kit for the GP would put me off, no matter how good it is, and I love this kind of stuff. If it were in the £2500 range it would be a no brainer and a much easier cost to bare, I'd certainly have it with my 500.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: tony401195 on December 01, 2008, 07:31:30 pm
A question if anyone can answer, Can you get the kit as a factory fit and therefore no labour cost and if it is a dealer fit do you get to keep the parts that are swapped ie; wheels and tyres, discs, pads, air filter and so on?
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: John501 on December 01, 2008, 07:36:29 pm
There is definately no factory fit Esse Esse option. The bits that are taken off your car are yours to keep, at the end of the day you bought the car so you own the bits.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: tony401195 on December 01, 2008, 07:46:21 pm
This should help some people who are thinking of the esseesse kit but dont like the wheels. put the original wheels back on! And i am sure if you talk to the dealer nicely, they would not fit a certain part of the kit if you dont want it but you get to keep that part or sell on to a fiat 500 owner.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: John501 on December 01, 2008, 07:57:52 pm
It should be the same as G.P.A. in that respect. If we fit the kit, we have to fit every bit apart from the cosmetics (badges and stickers). If you change the wheels, you are considered as modifing the vehicle and you must inform the insurance company. As far as selling the bits to a 500 owner, Abarth have made most things different so that they will not fit a Fiat. That is especailly true with the wheels as the hub sizes are different.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: euroboy on December 01, 2008, 08:17:48 pm
The confirmed price for the SS kit here in Holland is 6,100 EUR!!
I almost choked when the dealer told me the price -- that means that mine will be tuned aftermarket, with the same or better results as the SS kit, for probably 1/2 the price!
Incidentally mine arrived at the dealer last week, going to go and see it on Wednesday, so ill be sure to post up some pics :)
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: John501 on December 01, 2008, 08:19:39 pm
Is that price for the 500 or G.P. esse esse kit?
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: JKDesign80 on December 01, 2008, 08:38:16 pm
The confirmed price for the SS kit here in Holland is 6,100 EUR!!
I almost choked when the dealer told me the price -- that means that mine will be tuned aftermarket, with the same or better results as the SS kit, for probably 1/2 the price!
Incidentally mine arrived at the dealer last week, going to go and see it on Wednesday, so ill be sure to post up some pics :)
Why dont you drive to an Italian dealer and save yourself €3,600? Surely enough for a good weekend break in Milan.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: Portti on December 03, 2008, 06:13:44 pm
The confirmed price for the SS kit here in Holland is 6,100 EUR!! ...
Why dont you drive to an Italian dealer and save yourself €3,600? Surely enough for a good weekend break in Milan.
Or perhaps easier still to drive across the border to Germany to a local Abarth dealer. The price for the esseesse kit in Germany is supposed to be the same as in Italy ie. 2,500 eur + installation according to the latest rumours.
If the Dutch price is going to be 6,100 eur then the price is outrageous in there.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: euroboy on December 03, 2008, 07:38:25 pm
The confirmed price for the SS kit here in Holland is 6,100 EUR!! ...
Why dont you drive to an Italian dealer and save yourself €3,600? Surely enough for a good weekend break in Milan.
Or perhaps easier still to drive across the border to Germany to a local Abarth dealer. The price for the esseesse kit in Germany is supposed to be the same as in Italy ie. 2,500 eur + installation according to the latest rumours.
If the Dutch price is going to be 6,100 eur then the price is outrageous in there.
Its because of the Dutch tax system, you will probably find that the net price is the same as elsewhere.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: Portti on December 03, 2008, 08:12:25 pm
... Its because of the Dutch tax system, you will probably find that the net price is the same as elsewhere.
I know the feeling. We have very high registration taxes on cars here in Finland. When I imported my '03 147 GTA to Finland in 2006 I had to pay 8,000 euros registration taxes. When I import a 500 Abarth to Finland I will have to pay several thousand euros to get it registered in here.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: Portti on December 15, 2008, 07:07:07 pm
The price of the esseesse kit in Germany seems to be confirmed since the official 500A price list has been updated and it now includes the price for the kit.
The price in Germany is 2,500 eur excluding installation.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: richbrowne on December 16, 2008, 12:29:31 am
I guess a slight concern with the esse esse kit is the need for more frequent oil changes. Is it that the esse esse kit puts so much additional strain on the engine to the extent that it requires more frequent oil changes?
Why would the oil break down more with the esse esse kit installed? Maybe purely because it gets more of a pounding? If this is the case then maybe a superior oil will negate the extra frequency of changes? My 911 993 only requires an oil change annually, or every 12,000 miles, and the engine is air cooled, which realistically means the oil does a lot of the cooling. I would think my 911's oil would be under more stress than the 500 esse esse Abarth?
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: tony401195 on December 19, 2008, 09:15:50 am
I was told by Abarth UK yesterday that when the price for the kit is confirmed in the UK it includes fitting
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: olopboy on December 19, 2008, 09:22:38 am
The GP version does so would expect the 500 to be the same. There's far less to fit as well (no major engine mods) so it should be significantly cheaper than the GP kit.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: Missing in Action on December 19, 2008, 09:35:59 am
The GP version does so would expect the 500 to be the same. There's far less to fit as well (no major engine mods) so it should be significantly cheaper than the GP kit.
really??? i was lead to beleive it was the same engine as the AGP? or am i being blonde?#
John
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: AlexK on December 19, 2008, 10:31:41 am
The 500 has the same engine, John, but in a lower state of tune (135 as standard). The 500 esseesse kit doesn't include a replacement turbo, for starters, and no exhaust. Take a look at the tech spec (https://www.abarthforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,5.0.html) thread.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: Missing in Action on December 19, 2008, 11:59:25 am
ahhh ok thx very much alex :)
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: magicmole on December 19, 2008, 12:01:19 pm
Out of interest, why doesn't the 500A have a 6-speed box? Won't it fit?
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: olopboy on December 19, 2008, 12:07:05 pm
It was stated that the engineers thought it worked better with a 5 than the 6. There's a 6 mounted on the normal 500, the 5 for the Abarth is a heavily modified version of the 147 box with close ratios, interestingly the 120bhp Mito has a 5 box and the 155 a 6. So it seems the engineers just prefer the 5 speed for the 1.4tjet at lower BHP for a more sporty feel. The 120 in the Punto has 6 speed though which is a little odd.
Edit: just checked and the Assetto Corsa has a 6 speed box so it will fit.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: John501 on December 19, 2008, 08:24:01 pm
When we were at the factory they told us it only had 5 because with the turbo the 6 speed wouldn't fit. Chunkey do you remember that?
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: olopboy on December 19, 2008, 09:21:29 pm
Hmm must be a lot they strip out for the AC if they can fit the 6 speed and a bigger turbo. I know the Renaultsport Twingo has a 5 speed because they couldn't fit a 6 in.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: chunkymonkey on December 19, 2008, 09:35:07 pm
When we were at the factory they told us it only had 5 because with the turbo the 6 speed wouldn't fit. Chunkey do you remember that?
no sorry. ive slept since then though. :)
im not sure why having a turbo would make a difference to what 'box it had though, as i wouldve thought it would be the space transversely rather than longitudinally that would make a difference as to a 5 or 6 speed?
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: Chinchillabug on December 19, 2008, 10:21:31 pm
Really pleased that it doesn't have the 6 speed box as it's the only thing that spoils my 1.4 500, the turning circle is similar to that of a super tanker! Despite having driven it for almost a year now it still catches me out and makes me look a complete idiot sometimes for not being able to park such a small car in a multi storey car park. I drive a Leon as a company car and never have any problems.
Oh and hi I'm Paul a newbie on here, another of John's customers :wave:
Great looking site :thumb: I think I'll like it here.
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: Missing in Action on December 19, 2008, 10:29:37 pm
...the turning circle is similar to that of a super tanker! Despite having driven it for almost a year now it still catches me out and makes me look a complete idiot sometimes for not being able to park such a small car in a multi storey car park. I drive a Leon as a company car and never have any problems.
i found exactly the same driving the girlfriends mums old vectra and same for here new zafira... was a lot easier to park than my mjet and abarth lol
Title: Re: 500 Abarth Esseesse kit price speculation
Post by: John501 on December 20, 2008, 10:43:29 am