Managed  to get in some rolling footage of my 180 Competizione to compare with my 160 I took a year ago. Bear in mind the 180 has just crossed 400 miles and the 160 was circa 4k miles at the time of recording.

There are clear differences,  but both sound absolutely amazing.  The 180 having that unique whine via the Garrett turbo at low rpm and the 160 having the burbles. Both however pop and bang. Both cars run on V-Power.

Apologies for the shaky cam footage.

180 Comp:


160 Comp:

Going by that... the 180 SS monza sounds much more raspy and natural tbh. I may be slightly biased but much prefer the sound of that and will agree that it does indeed pop. Had a few of them now, seems to like doing it under hard acceleration, changing gear quickly at between 2.5-3k revs and keeping the revs up as you change.

How many miles has yours done now Brian? I THINK I might have had a small pop the other day but not 100% sure!

Thanks

Just hit 500 coming into work this morning and funnily enough got another pop or more a bang, quite a bit louder than the last few, was perfect timing as I was trying to show off with a Ferrari FF behind me coming into my office this morning!

Seems to be getting more frequent coming from 2nd to 3rd gear at 3k revs, quick gear change, hold the revs and release the clutch quickly, it's becoming an addiction for me to try making it pop but my consumption is taking quite a hit compared to the Punto Evo!

Usually 37-39mpg on that going to and from work, sitting at 34 mpg currently and it seems to drop further with every drive

*Runs off to car to make it back fire* hahah I'm guessing you have driven it hard from day 1? I've taken mine fairly easy so far so It might be that I need to open the taps a bit more. I've got 800 miles on the clock at the moment but they have been careful 800 miles.

Just can't beat that turbo whine... love it..
Sports cat??

No I think the revs rising slightly is a normal euro emissions thing the ECU does. But yes the exhaust is louder on the biting point.

The 160 backfired quite a bit more often than the 180, and usually on demand, so far the 180 is less predictable, but it will still do it as I demonstrated.

I did it once briefly on my 160, wasn't my cup of tea. The flap optimises back pressure as well I'm sure at low rpm, wiring it open will mean a slight drop in torque low down. Considering how well the 180 pulls from as little as 1500rpm, I bet you would notice. My 160 didn't feel right at all.

Here's a quote actually.......

Abarth and Magneti Marelli engineers have developed a range of exhaust systems designated “Record Monza”. “Record Monza” exhausts are variable back-pressure systems capable of improving the performance and the sound of the engine and making it more characteristically “Abarth”.

Last tank was about 28.2 but that was mostly around town with only a handful of longer trips on dual carriageways (which I'll come to back to).  Absolutely love the noise.  I too noticed the change regarding clutch/biting point but may have only had 1/2 pops so far during 250mi. Trying to be good, making sure engine is right up to temp and avoiding going over 4k too much..for now.  The pops/bangs were one of my favourite aspects of my Esseesse so hopefully soon I'll find the sweet point again.

Dual carriageways: the only opportunity I've had to get it up to speed but I've hit a snag.  There is a whistle/howling noise coming from passenger side.  Tried the recirc button as suggested here and by the dealer but it hasn't helped.   As a result I've had to keep the revs lower to listen to it, spoiling my fun . It was a little quieter today but still there, so it's booked in for investigation.

Dual carriageways: the only opportunity I've had to get it up to speed but I've hit a snag.  There is a whistle/howling noise coming from passenger side.  Tried the recirc button as suggested here and by the dealer but it hasn't helped.   As a result I've had to keep the revs lower to listen to it, spoiling my fun . It was a little quieter today but still there, so it's booked in for investigation.

I have the same thing....... ha ha. It's like a very high pitch whine? I put it down to wind noise although my 160 never did that. It's there but not enough to annoy me, I'm not sure if the rubber seal is different on the bottom of the windows, looks like a big gap on both sides I don't remember being there, will tape that up and see if it gets rid of it.