BARGAIN BIN BRILLIANT? Is The Forgotten FIAT Coupe 20v Turbo Worth Buying?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- Today I'm looking at a 1990s icon - the FIAT Coupe, here in 20v Turbo form. For a long time these have languished in the classifieds, available at cut rate prices. But now, they're slowly starting to appreciate - but are they genuinely good, or just a failed experiment?
#FIAT #Coupe #20VTurbo
Want to see your car on the channel? Email me on talk@jayemm.com
************************************************************************
Looking to buy a new or used car? HOLMESDALE FINANCE can help!
My channel partner Holmesdale Finance specialises in finance solution for new and used prestige, sports and performance cars - including MODERN CLASSIC policies and many more. You might be surprised at what they can do, so speak to them to find out more. Their website is www.holmesdalef...
***********************************************************************
Want More JayEmm? Become a channel member for access to exclusive content!
/ @jayemmoncars
Inline 5 has to be one of the best sounding engine layouts out there
Yep, only when you get to a V8 is it surpassed. 6 cylinders still sound good, but not as good as a 5 imo.
If you don't love the noise an I5 or a V10 makes, you're not friend of mine.
well besides a v10 or v12 of course
I bought a VW Bora VR5 for the sound alone.
I own my 20VT (100% original, no mods) for some time already and I have exactly the same thoughts: surprisingly practical, quite comfortable, adorable, great sound (especially when you open the window and listen to the turbo and the blow-off). Quite easy on juice as well if you do not push too hard. I have done 1000km trips in this thing and that was not bad at all. You would be surprised how good this little Fiat is as a daily driver, especially if you don't want to drive some mainstream cars. Not to mention that not too many of them will be able to catch you ;)
I absolutely love how they look, especially the distinct yellow coloured ones, fond memories from Gran Turismo 2 as well
Fiat X1/9 looks better
The yellow ones were awesome
Welp. Looks are really subjective. I think this is one of the ugliest cars ever built.
@@tolga1cool I thought the same first time I saw it and I was laughing at people saying it’s beautiful
Frog marrying crocodile... Making love and the child is FIAT COUPE
It's amazing how little this car has aged
I had one 2 years ago utterly fantastic, the 5 cylinder snarl sounds like a baby V10, one of the best cars I’ve owned, regret selling it
Chris Bangle is a cool designer who was ahead of his time...
he was a hit or miss really, sometimes even on a same car
didn't he design wonky BMWs? None of which got made??
What ever became of him?
@@nakoma5 Started his own design firm.
@@ArmadaAsesino I looked it up, can't find any current information on his design firm or his modern ventures.
Gorgeous looking car, I'd have one in a heartbeat. Loved these from when they first came out. They looked incredible then and I think they still do.
Yes that's a perfectly fair review. Owned 3 of these back in the day - all Sprint Blue 20vt - and loved them. Ok I was younger, poorer and less experienced and I'm sure today it would feel a little compromised but as it was my first properly fast car it felt like a rocket even before I chipped it. Lots of maintenance needed but they are inherently reliable and well built. One of the most special interiors I think - that colour coded strip looks terrific in blue or yellow. If I had a 10 car garage there would be one tucked away in the corner.
They could sell these today and they would still look modern.
Utterly gorgeous, a mini Ferrari for very little money
😂😂😂😂 your name says it all
Should we be worried or have you got a very warped sense of humour 🤔
@@markwalton8644no. I think the front looks very much like a 90s Ferrari. The rear however isn’t for me at all.
It was a fantastic car back in the day, and it still look special today!
The car design was ahead of its time. Especially the Plus version with the 6 Speed, better Brakes and Recaro seats was a blast.
This car is a proper GT not a Track car. It embarrassed quite a lot of cars on the Autobahn. The looks of Porsche owners when you showed up next to them at 250kmh in a frigging Fiat were priceless. Even tough they were driving totally relaxed, and I was sweating from death fear!
If you dynoed it it would show up easily 20 hp more then it claimed to have, and the 5 cylinder sound is unique. The engine holds up to quite a good amount of boost. 280hp with stock internals is no problem.
The one thing I never understood is that there was never a decent aftermarket suspension like Bilstein b14, or kw v3 for this car.
I had mine one an Eibach/Koni suspension with camber bolts in the front and strut bars, this was already alot more nimble, but it's still far away from a corner carver.
Still today I'm struggling to choose a wheelset that looks good on this car. I had Borbet "A" wheels with polished rim beds on mine. The 16" look so small, bit it actually rides better.
Quite a lot drove it with Porsche rims.
I think this and the Fiat Dino are the best Fiats ever made!
Yes. Cool car. Chris Bangle stuff is gonna be desirable in the not too distant future, I reckon.
@Modern Classic Collectables I think his designs are quite brave and distinctive, they define the nineties and early 00's car design pretty well.
When you said one of this week's cars was a 5 cylinder sports car, I somehow just knew it was one of these. And to answer your question.. these are seriously cool.
Best 1000 pounds I've ever spent, will never sell mine , nice wee review , handling is just fine if you know how to drive them
Handling is not fine if that's not your style, dude. :)
I have been playing the dangerous game that is looking at cars on eBay the last few days, these fiats actually... now this pops up, it’s a sign, must buy a 20v coupe...
@Spanish John already done that one, nice car but broke a lot and did'nt have much character, newer Audi as a daily makes sense, as a classic or toy they just dont have that X factor for me
It's a thing of beauty love it always wanted one
Finally, my dream car. Looks mad is a bit shit but I adore it. A truely memorable car especially in blue.
Yeah blue with white wheels is perfect, have a look at this one, converted to 4x4 :P qparQ7B-c4s
@@hrgiyzueghe I see the appeal of white wheels but I would just be boring and go for standard aftermarket alloys. If I had one I would also do all the usual stuff new exhaust suspension upgrades. I'm pretty boring
I still have one in blue with LE kit on. It’s off the road though
@@liceface I respect that
Lol
Best Fiat ever made!
130 coupe from the 70s
10:26 - "those little skinny front tyres" .... 205 section if I remember rightly and that's not skinny on a FWD car..... drive a Ford Puma on 195 section tyres and see how you don't need wide tyres to generate good front end grip....... it's all about the chassis balance. I remember someone once saying in a car magazine about a car that it was "Over Tyred", meaning that as many modern cars these days are, the tyres offer more grip than the chassis can cope with.... look at an entry level Caterham, original lotus elise or low formula race cars - they make more use of the grip offered up by their narrower tyres...... same thing how you can ruin a cars handling by putting wider wheels and tyres on it.
I'm yay on these, in the right colour though. Not massive on the Silver.
I had a go in one that unfortunately was fitted with 17" alloys . It drove terrible. I'd like to try one on 15" s with decent rubber.
Its a Fiat Tipo !
Nice to see the Crow Rd near Glasgow getting featured here. Amazing scenery and bends.
Good book as well...👍🏻
I know what you mean about the same train of thoughts as the Alfa GTV in looks but I like the two of them. You instantly know what your looking at. Lovely looking cars
Were they related underpinning wise or not at all? Cant remember. Im sure this won what car coupe of the year in 96.
Yeah..looks like a GTV crossed with a Mitsubishi FTO
I had a green one and people commented that the bonnet looked like those kids wellies with the frog eyes on top! I had great fun in mine right up until I blew the turbo on an enthusiastic drive.
I got it fixed (not too expensive really) and enjoyed the sound from the engine for a bit longer. It definitely felt special beyond it's price tag.
Daily Driver is a sprint blue 99 20vt (number 9 coupe ) and my track car is a Coupe 16VT I love both of them as they are both completely different
I took a test drive at the Harlow FIAT dealer in 1995 and still waiting for them to call me back with the numbers.
You should definitely review the v6 Alfa GT to compare, last ever Bertone-designed Alfa so might be a future classic
The 147 GTA and 156 GTA reviews are pretty close, the GT is essentially a mix of the two cars. With a few of the usual 937 platform mods (LSD, suspension, roll bars) I doubt there would be that much new to review. That said, the GT is my favourite of the 3.
I think the 156 Sportwagon was also Bertone - but probably earlier design than the GT.
@@DoctorDARKSIDE 156 was Walter de Silva
@@mattbettany1174 oops, got confused with the facelift version which is by Giugiaro instead.
@@DoctorDARKSIDE I forgot about the facelift 😁
Amazing cars, I’ve owned 3 of these in the past myself, one in broom yellow, one in speed red, one in ink black. The ‘Bugatti blue’ that you mentioned is called Sprint Blue and is very eye-catching. Not keen on this example as looks a bit boring in Steel Grey, I don’t like the de-badging on the front of this example as well. They look incredible in broom yellow or speed red and Vinci grey, beautiful head turning cars and sound amazing, stunning interior also. Go through a tunnel and floor it, wow!
The Fiat Coupe has always been a good looking car. Certainly much prettier than the Audi TT. I'd love to try one someday, along with all the other cars on my list. 😁
These are very marmite cars, I love them , but if your not sure then you probably don't
Probably one the best cars fiat made I think 🤷🏻♂️
Fiat actually made quite a few wonderful cars, it's a really understated brand. A few examples: the 130, 131, 124, 500, 508, 1500, the Dino, etc...
I remember my folks going to buy one of these new but they backed out because the insurance was insane, like so insane they got an RS Turbo instead and that worked out cheaper to tax, insure and run!
They look great, inside and out, and I think they have that "Ford Puma Factor" in that they're a late 90's car that still holds up style wise today.
@colin bkk Escort. Obviously not from the same dealer.
@colin bkk we were always a Ford family when I was growing up, my old man worked in their bodyshops for about 25 of the 30-odd years he was a panel beater, they'd had countless XR2s and 3s and I think the Fiat Coupe was just such a radical departure in style that they were immediately struck by it, it wasn't until the question of insurance and running costs came up that they backed off it.
Weirdly they went from potentially buying a bright yellow Fiat, to actually buying a Mercury Grey S2, bit of a difference! Its one in a long list of my dad's "why did I sell that?" cars
I believe that (for the most part) if a car’s styling divides opinion, then that’s always a good thing. If they had sold in the US I’d have bought one, mostly for the styling inside and out, and for that glorious noise.
In the USA you have the Korean version of the Fiat coupe: the Tiburon 😊
My wife had one for 50,000 miles - very reliable, excellent car. Great interior, lots of go (ours was a non-turbo, but still went well) and styling you can't ignore. Buy one that is unmodified as in future they will be the ones worth keeping. Definitely a car that is under valued. Great review.
These remain one of my favourite cars and I'm keen to do my own feature on the channel. My thoughts are that these will rise in value .. I see them as under appreciated. If you can overlook some of the niggles they remain one of the best looking coupes ever made in my opinion. Especially in some of the more funky colours! They may be a little niche still but people are catching onto them at last. Great video as usual! I'm still after a collaboration by the way haha
I had a purple one, it was awesome. It’s beautiful front and sides, so so rear.
Had one of these a good few years back, absolutely loved it, but she did spend a lot of time in the garage getting fixed.
No doubt about the Fiat Coupe being cool. A very daring piece of design, a superb interior, good performance. One of the the very few 90's cars which qualifies as a proper classic. Fabulous.
I own a 20vt coupe, what an amazing car it is, beautiful and unique looking both inside and out with insane performance, there is something about them!
I wasn't so keen on these until I drove my mates and then went and bought one. Got to say the noise is awesome
I owned a Tipo16v and I always fancied one of these .
A Sedicivalvole . I bought the sticker for my 1.4 DGT when I was a kid 😂
Love it I would have one ahead of the Alfa gtv.
luv this car!
Yes James, very cool cars! Personally I love the styling, and think if anything it's got better with age. Some of the members club cars are running really silly numbers as they're easy to tune.
Been driving a 20VT for the past 20+ yrs. Not as a daily obviously, maybe 2-3k miles per year.
In summary: brilliant car. It shares the garage with some more expensive Italian exotics, but it fares well against them. Design ages well, engine sounds marvelous and delivers strong mid range urge. Does 270kmh on the autobahn (probably 250 in reality) but I don’t do that too often anymore.
Car has been 100% reliable. Never broke down, never had any unscheduled things to be done on the car. Maintenance is mandatory. This is an ageing turbocharged Italian car, so it needs a mature driver and specialist. Warm up and cool down are mandatory as well. Taking it 2km to the supermarket is a no go.
If you want one - get one. They are spectacular. But beware: as said in this video, they are either dogs or cherished.
Too many have been killed by boy racers chiptuning them.
You'd better get yourself a brave pill then James because you'll be driving mine when it's 'done'. It's a 'Sprint' Blue and will have either 425 or 500bhp 😁
Graham literally made the chip (Gtec1 and later the 2) for the 20v Turbo back in the day!! We all had them 👍🏻
Was wondering if it was that Graham, Graham L on FCCUK wasnt it ?
@@J4cko999 it is. He put a post up confirming 👍🏻
I had a Marea 20v 5cyl non turbo, I loved, LOVED, loved that engine
Fantastic car. Restored mine, engine full overhaul with new crank, forged wossner parts, new bearings etc.. full re-paint, bilstein shocks, eiback pro kit springs, gtec and catback straight pipe, k&n cold air intake, upgraded radiator and cooling pioes...It took 2 years and now it is a dream came true. But it looks perfect only with the j7 rims. (Mine is a 20v Turbo Plus which was equipped with the big brembo calipers and the j7 rims with the splitted sprockets and it has 6 spd gearbox.) It is really a beast, it pulls the speedo over its top mark which is not 260 in the Plus models just saying..... I will never sell it, this was my dream car since its debut and now it is in my garage. Also worth to mention, it is 21 years old now but it has no rust issues at all. The previous owner was really crude to the engine (it was burned toasted fried and cooked :) and that’s the case when you buy a classic turbo petrol car)) but the car was always washed well and stored in a dry place. I will never use it in rainy weather or in wintertime at all. (Ok, it is not so difficult while I live outside the UK :D) So it worth every penny but only if you take it serious. Buy it, overhaul the engine correctly, inspect the suspension and upgrade at least the rear shocks to b6 bilstein to make it more balanced (it has all the mass in the front). Warm up well before hard accelerations and let it cool down while idleing -if you pushed hard- at least 15 minutes. Use only the factory 10w60 selenia racing oil and good quality filters and replace them in every 5k or per year. Use only 100 octane fuel. That’s it. Maybe it seems too much but this is how you should handle ANY petrol turbo car.. happy Coupe-ing and a much happier 2021...
Chris Bangle classic design, yet his best gift was BMW e85 / 86. Nice Fiat coupe 💥
Hypothetically, this was faster than a Ferrari 355.... The Fiat couldnt get the power down....
I had 2 of these back in the 90's. Regretted selling the first one after I bought my first house, having bought a cheaper Peugeot 306 GTI-6, which I hated! So much so, I bought another one 8 months later, at great financial loss of course!
Sprint blue was the only colour to have IMHO and was only available on the 20v Turbo model... flawed, but brilliant fun!
It is a beauty and very distinctive. My friend had one new, back in the day, and I remember a story he told me in its development. The mgmt said if there was a squeek or rattle in the prototype car, they would all be sacked. It was taken very seriously, for a Fiat. I loved being chauffeured and that 5 cylinder growl is still with me.
I do like how these look and will always remember as a kid someone had a red one in Nottingham and had decided to put Ferrari badges on it.
I remember driving the bosses one of those when it first came out I was in the rain, and the brakes being very scary as I came to my first roundabout, and I was use to an MR2 trying to kill me as my daily. Still was a very cool car!
I had a 20v turbo Plus for 4 years. It had a Fiat fitted warranty new engine on 10k in a car with 50k ish at 10 years old. Chipped to 280 hp it was very fast but a mare to drive. Took the chip out to discover that people who design cars know what they are doing. Let’s be reasonable, 220 hp is enough for any sane person through front wheel drive. In this standard configuration it was completely forgiving in normal driving and fun when pushed. As the video suggests, if you set it up and keep it balanced it’s a surprisingly good car at speeds in most situations through corners. If your speed exceeds your your talent it’ll bite you in the ass and it serves you right.
I loved it and would have another in a heartbeat. Well built, lovely to drive and be in. The 5 cylinder engine is a lovely thing. I might even go for the non turbo, as whilst the turbo is fun fun fun for a shunt in the back, I wonder if the progressive power on offer in the normally aspirated version might be more rewarding to drive .
Now we’re talking, best car I’ve had.
I have a Bmw Z4M Coupe now and its neither as fun or fast. Less reliable too!
Assuming you're 'Per' off the forum, then I came across your old thread when yours was lost in the fire. Still leaves me cold reading that 😥
@@Trappygit Thank you. Yeah still chills to remember. Just a few months before that I filmed a lot of a Eurotrip I did in it, incl Spaitalia, The Ring and Paris Motorshow. Will put it up soon! Just 6years too late..!
@@pereldh5741 I was looking up your posts on the GTV braces. I have a set ready to be prepped and fitted :-)
Put them up. Yours always looked sharp 👍🏻
@@Trappygit thanx! Thats great! Must say I did feel a SLIGHT imorovement in front stiffness (ooops sorry) but not maybe to the extent the OMP lower brace did
Had a 20V Turbo from new. Brilliant engine, acceptable handling, great interior, giant boot, seats need more support. Traded it in for a TVR Griffith 500.
Traded for a TVR. you are a glutton for punishment Hats off to you
@@stephenirving1737 Owned it for 3 years and 40k miles. It only let me down once, when the fusebox got water contaminated.
James I worked at the Fiat dealers when these were new and they were certainly considered as something special then. Some magazines even rated it better than the GTV. The 20v engine was also put in the Bravo HGT which was rapid in a straight line and could eat front tyres if you were not careful.
Having owned both i would say magazines were wrong. The problem was the Fiat was better than expected and the Alfa was worse than hoped for but in reality the multilink on the rear of the GTV does make a vast difference. Once the Q2 diff is slotted into the GTV 3.0 it is game over. Despite the awful chassis the 5 pot is a truly great engine and theres a unique, quirky and fun character to the Coupe 20VT that always appeals
Sold mine 6 years ago and still regret it. Was sprayed Cadburys purple with giant exhaust, loved it.
Love the daring styling, some people want to disappear into the background, this not so much. Breath of fresh, bold air. Can't speak to the dynamics as we never got them in the States.
You can import a 1995 one under the 25 year rule I think
Remember this from the Top Gear Police Car Challenge 🤣🤣
Which version did they use? Was it the 20v?
@@Honda_Man_Sam I honestly don’t remember
@@Honda_Man_Sam 20vT. Scotts green example. RIP 😥
Had a little smile about the styling comment . I’ve had my Coupe 15 months and am unsure about its styling at times ! Certainly gets noticed though.
It's was hand built in the Maranello factory, creeks were not the cars greatest weakness..
The 20v turbo was a, and is still today a stunning engine.. Tuned and maintained well, it'll do 280bhp and achieve 200k miles plus easily on standard internals..
Stroke it to 2.4, you can get it into the 500bhp. So for the size of the engine, it's power to weight is even today brisk.. Lancia sure knew the basics to producing strong engines..
I had a properly tuned big turbo 20vt and it was the fastest car I’ve ever had once rolling and I’ve had GT Four’s, 996’s, E46 M3’s, and an Evo 6. 40-100 mph in a tuned one is very impressive.
Nay for the looks, Yay for its unusual engine and the general idea of being something different, off most people's radars and cool in its own way.
James I think the blue you were referring to is Sprint Blue. My brother had a 20v Turbo. Shame you didn’t drive a standard one. They are tyre-sensitive as well- proper grippy tyres (standard were Pirelli P Zeros) have the car a more trustworthy balance, that would banish understeer if on less grippy rubber. In standard turbo-guise, the engine was very torquey, with little to no turbo lag, and a great 5 cylinder sound. Loved my brother’s car. Wish he’d kept it
When I was young these really didn’t register with me but today I love the looks!
What other car out there looks like this?
Real Bargin the 2001 Toyota MRS
Mitsubishi FTO is a lot alike.
As a long term owner, I would highly recommend them. Sadly rust is beginning to take its toll, so fewer a fewer about, increasing their rarity. As Jay says they sound great, have interesting looks, go well, and are perhaps only really let down by the brakes not being up to modern standards. The Fiat Coupe UK car club is a must for any new owners, with lots of advice. access to spares etc. Capable too of 150k plus mileage.
it's a "Yay"! this isn't forgotten. It's a modern classic as much as the Barchetta. yes they are a bit plasticky , but you get a lot of "bang for the buck"
As a Coupe 20vt owner for 17 years now , in regards the handling I've found that entering the corner at speed : set car up upon corner entry with brakes , enter corner , mid way through corner apply gas smoothly and let the viscodrive pull you out the other side , then much gas and fly down the straight.
Great scenery, where is it? I like how it looks but at the same time don't think it looks good or beautiful or handsome. Wouldn't park it, look back and think ooh yes, but I 'like' it.
It's shot near Glasgow on a famous mountain pass called the Crow Rd.
@@weedaviec Aaaah that's why I recognised it, I've driven it. I didn't think for a second he would be up in Scotland during lockdown so it didn't even cross my mind.
Just sold an Alfa ,.2.0 jts backline nice looking car but slow as fuck .I might have a look at getting one of these .always liked them but don't know much about them .
Definitely the shittest shirt so far. Thought I was watching an episode of Rosie & Jim!
I always wanted one, the first fast car I experienced as a boy.
Mine was sat in the back of my mate’s dad’s Integra Type R!
I can’t think of a car with an inline-five that ISN’T cool.
the Lancia Thesis (diesel) comes to mind...
Sangyong musso lol
@@Drifty325i what the fuck is that
@@Drifty325i ROFL
FIAT had should named the car "Dino" instead of Coupe. Perhaps the intake manifold or something like that could have come directly from Ferrari, so that they could attach a small Ferrari emblem to the engine - "FIAT by Ferrari" like in the Lancia Thema 8.32... The car would be a desired classic now!!!
Had one, mapped by Fc performance, all done up with dual friction fc motorsports clutch etc. Was an amazing car, and surprisingly very reliable, has never let me down.
My uncle had the 20v non-turbo. Green over tan. It was beautiful. We were coming back from the motor show in Birmingham in 98, and we were doing 70mph (🙄) in 3rd and it sounded so good. A handful of years later my manager bought a 20v turbo. When he first put his foot down with me in the car, I remember panicking and reaching out for something to grab out of shear fear! 😂😂 I wasn’t a huge fan of the turbo versions. Felt the NA ones were a lot more “sensible”.
the BEST looking attainable(20k ish) new car back in the 90s.. yellow is the colour, then the bugatti blue Jay mentions, has to be the 5 cylinder 20v Turbo too, what a sound!
Its called sprint blue. Its not quite Bugatti blue. Thats a somewhat lighter shadeI believe….
Wasn't a fan of the looks of these until I googled a picture of a blue one. I'd definitely have one in that colour.
Classy interior in surprisingly good nick. I quite like the looks, the weak point being the froggy mouth which, however, isn’t any worse than the front end of a Maserati 3200GT. Lovely 5 cylinder noise (growl? blare? What is it?) . Just needs a more interesting colour to be a very nice little weekend motor.
The naturally aspirated 2.0i 20V sounds even nicer.
I once drove a tasty giallo ginestra (Ferrari Yellow) with full leather interior, quite a cool vehicle.
Regarding the handling... it's a run of the mill Fiat Bravo.
Not made for a 2.0 20V fire breather turbo monster, but everything up to 150-160hp it can be quite fun.
My sister had one of these in “Highland Green” made a noise like the original Audi Quattro, but you’re right about the handling. But is it a cool car - you Betcha 👍🏻
Yes ! Cool looking like a scaled down supercar, it ages well, like a Ferrari Dino. The Fiat Coupe of around year 2000 is the car I've requested you to review whenever you polled us. I remember seeing these on the road, but never in USA.
Absolutely love Jay's review on this car, must say it's the best of his vlogs, and understandably so for he grew up with three of these ! Absolutely love the look of the Fiat Coupé, definitely tops the look of an Alfa gtv by miles !
These cars are amazing. I have one and have owned one for the past 20 year's 😍🥰
Gran Turismo 2 demo... say no more
I remember in around 2001 one of the guys I worked with had one of these and I lusted after it. But my dad worked for Caffyns/Rover at the time and I ended up with the Rover Coupe 220 Turbo..... both epic cars of their time and great fun to be it. Ah to be 21 again.
I've owned 2 of these cars.
I have a family now so I have a SUV now, but I would love to get another.
They're great (not brilliant) car. Loads of character and nostalgia
Miss my 98 burgundy 20v turbo. Sounded like a spit fire.
you need to burn that shirt before attempting to make any aesthetic judgements lol 😉
Gets the thumbs up from me !
I loved n worked hard to get this car.
In ps2 gran Turismo.
I love the design, one of Chris Bangle’s better moments
Cool car, but I'm biased as I have two, one being a Plus model.
My dad used to have the 16V Turbo and it was actually one of the first cars I drove on a longer trip after getting my license. I remember distinctively how enjoyable it was to change down to 3rd to get the turbo spooling up and overtake slower traffic on a single carriageway. It wasn't particularly fast when taking off from standstill but when you had the revs up it picked up really nicely.
Had 2 coupés. A 16v blue standard and a silver 20v Turbo with LE body kit with K&N filter and dump valve. Fantastic cars, the blue 16v I had, I had a tyre blow out and smashed into a railing at 70mph. Walked away without a scratch and thought, solid car let's get the faster version. Sold the 20v Turbo for very cheap which I now regret. One slight negative thing I would say is the steering, it's not very responsive and the turning circle is like turning a boat. After I sold the 20v Coupe I got a MR2 Roadster and the difference in handling was incredible, the MR2 was far superior. Still miss that raw power and sleekness of the Coupé though. Definitely a classic car and still the fastest production car Fiat has ever made
Must of been yours then? The steering is on point ina sorted coupe, tho mines on coilovers.
Turning circle of titanic tho.
I like the outside. The only part that I am not keen on is the steering wheel. Big (drive) wheels mean poor ride and showing off to me, looks over substance. The outside of this has clean lines and is distinctive, a little macho but the curves balance that. It works for me.
4:15 - that BLUE was before it's time in the mid 90's when you consider the ASTRA VXR / Focus RS in similar shades some 20 years on.
One of the best looking cars ever. Every colour looked great on the 20v turbo. Kind of the spiritual successor to the Alfa SZ from a looks perspective.