There is a really good review in Auto italia this month issue 156.
Interesting comments on the seats and why they are the way they are (design) stuff that I didnt know about.
They seem to be mpressed, though less impressed with the add-on cost for the esseesse kit, I got the impression they didnt think it worth the money. Anyway it is worth a look.

A new one in this months Evo, old vs new, A500 ss Vs 205 GTI. Not surprisingly despite the 500 being quicker the 205 is rated the much better car. In fact the 500 generally gets bashed throughout the review and looks like they lost it mid corner as well 

Another thumbs down from Evo.

Very short (small column) review of the esseesse 500 in this months issue of Car. They complain that the stiffer springs ruin the ride on UK roads and suggest that the price of the kit takes the car to MINI Cooper S territory where it can't compete. They suggest sticking with the standard car and asking Abarth to bury the SS kit in the crate it comes in which seems a tad harsh.

Can't compete. What a joke. I'm not dissing the Mini but would anyone who bought an A500SS buy one? From the feedback from our happy band I would say the competition is more akin to a Cockster or an Elise.

Dropping this sort of meaningless analysis is one of the reasons behind the success of Clarkeson et al. However, I suppose these 'journalists' have to earn a living.

They know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

PS I've driven a 205 1.9 GTI and the experience left me feeling slightly ambivalent - Sorry.

i think everyone else agrees

Quote from: Hozepipe on May 05, 2009, 08:30:14 pm

Can't compete. What a joke. I'm not dissing the Mini but would anyone who bought an A500SS buy one? From the feedback from our happy band I would say the competition is more akin to a Cockster or an Elise.......

The MINI really is in a quality bracket above the 500 and it shows when you drive one so purchase price really is the ace up the Abarth's sleeve which is what Car were effectively saying I believe.

So they're telling us that the BMW Mini is better built and more expensive....didn't we already know that? Are they expecting Fiat to suddenly start building Rolls Royce finished cars? Didn't they take into consideration that not all of us want to cut hair and sell houses and be as common as ford focus drivers? The Abarth is worth more in terms of exclusivity imo. The days of people pointing, waving, smiling at the Mini are over, but are only just beginning for the A500!

Quote from: Hozepipe on May 05, 2009, 08:30:14 pm

Can't compete. What a joke. I'm not dissing the Mini but would anyone who bought an A500SS buy one? From the feedback from our happy band I would say the competition is more akin to a Cockster or an Elise.......

A tad optimistic there I think   An A500SS couldn't hope to keep pace with either of those cars  To be fair the MINI Cooper S has a better sorted chassis and more power than the A500SS - hardly surprising considering the difference in development budgets between the two cars. The MINI was a ground up new model by BMW developed at huge cost whilst the 500 is basically a reskinned Panda designed to encroach into the MINI's sales territory. I'd still take the Abarth as it does have more character and is cheaper by far when equipped to comparable levels. The MINI really is in a quality bracket above the 500 and it shows when you drive one so purchase price really is the ace up the Abarth's sleeve which is what Car were effectively saying I believe.

I'm not referring to pace/quality of engineering, etc, etc.... I'm referring to desirability. You wouldn't catch me driving a bloody Mini.

If I'd have wanted the perfect driving experience, I'd have traded up to a GT3.

Thinking about this 'comparisson' issue again, it raises an interesting point. Why is it that despite being similar in many respects; ralley derived, mass market/peoples car origins etc, the Mini Cooper (S) and the Abarth 500 (SS) largely appeal to a completely different demographic?

From what I've picked up from this site and from the dealers, the A500 is being bought by customers with experience/love of drivers cars, on the whole early middle aged and almost exclusively male - where are you girls?

Personal experience would suggest that Mini Cooper (S)'s are largely purchased by young women or metrosexuals.

Very perplexing....especially the male/female thing. I would have expected such a 'cute' car to have a significant proportion of female owners. Has anybody seen or heard of a female A500 (SS) owner?

There was a car at SG Petch waiting for a female owner to collect.
That's the first one I've heard of.
My wife loves driving mine and would probably have one too if we didn't need a practical car we could shove loads of stuff in (Berlingo).

Doesn't David Yu's car actually belong to his wife too! That could be two.