I thought when the 20VT was launched it was the fastest Fiat ever, is that still the case or have they done anything quicker since?

Not to my knowledge, even the recent Abarths aren't as 'fast', atleast on paper.

I think the Coupe was billed as 'The world most powerful front wheel drive production car"....I may be incorrect there though....

I think you are correct in that it was the worlds faster for quiet a while, however I do not recall Fiat advertising it themselves, more that it was just a well know fact.

I believe it is still the fastest production model Fiat.

Its defo still the fastest Fiat. And worryingly (for the new metal) still must be in the top 3 fastest front drivers out there. Check out how poor the figures are for the new Focus RS (given the outright bhp) to see how efficient the 20VT's powertrain is at generating forward motion, with 'only' 220 bhp.

There was a thread I read a while back (I think on a Scooby forum), the guy couldn't work out why the new Ford Focus wasn't that much quicker than the coop.

and neither can I looking at the spec from torquestats

301BHP, 2.5 litre, 5 cylinder in-line with 208 BHP/ton.

Although torque stats is quoting a 12.6 secs 0-100, previous figures i've seen around were 14.3

The ST weighs more than the coupe by at least another 150kg on top of the coupe.

well the RS (not the ST!) is 1467Kg compared to 1310Kg .. but still, BHP/ton is significantly better than the coupe, 208 vs 171

Straught line though I know what I would rather be for our roads!

Fiat Coupe, ... no need to say anything Jim, we all know that the Ford Focus doesn't make the quoted power (I'd still have one though )

yes, just saw that it was talking about the RS not ST. Could it be the gearing and aggressive boost on a coupe that helps out that.

Bear with me here.

The price of a new Coupe was about 25k ish (yes you could get them cheaper than that if you went abroad but officially the price was £25k)

The price for a new Ford Focus RS is about 25k - 27k.

though drop in the £2k mountune engine tuning option on an RS and it is quicker than a standard Coupe (yes I know that 2k spent on a coupe will end up beating the RS, but i am talking about a new car) so you end up with a car of comparable priced car (considering inflation) thats quicker.

maybe things have moved on..

Except for the fact the RS has no style whatsoever, designed for Essex wideboys in my opinion. Total and utter chav car!!!

Davie

Especially in lime green.
White looks o.k though...

I never said I would buy one

FIAT NOT FORD,

Duh.

The new RS does not actually make the power they say, in the latest evo mag its mentioned that all the RS's they have had on rollers, and they tested a few only actually made 260-275 bhp at the wheels.

That's all I'd expect a 300bhp car to make at the wheels?

The coop is fast for it's bhp mainly because of aerodynamics. Compared to any hot hatch, it has a lower CD and MUCH lower frontal area.

The RS is slower than you'd expect because it generates a lot of downforce that drastically reduces bhp/tonne at speed and gives it a poor co-efficient of drag (0.38). The frontal area will also be a lot more than the coop's.

Lots of fast cars designed to generate downforce suffer at high speeds due to aerodynamic drag. Nobles and Exiges are good examples. This is why modified slower cars tend to perform very well against purpose built sports cars with similar power.

The coop has all the key ingredients for a straight line monster!

Fastest Fiat ever was probably the F86K built by Fiat in the 1950s.

Maximum speed (At Sea Level): 692 mph (1113 km/h)

Welformed could take it

I believe he may of around MK last winter.

And the fastest (speed) Fiat on wheels will most probably still be the Fiat Mefistofele. I would die to hear the groan of that beast! Does anybody know where it's currently caged?

It would seem not:

This source says that it is a museum, but annoyingly, not which one.

Depends how you define "Fiat". In some sense, the fastest Fiat would be the FXX...

Nigels is

Yes but pete since then it has been fit with a larger engine and the chassis was lengthened. 150 mph 'on top' of an open seater from 1923. Amazing.

With a top speed of 15mph the Fiat3000 from 1921 must be the slowest ever?




Actually, the Fiat 2000 was slower - 6mph with a 240HP (6HP per ton) 6 cylinder engine

Bizarrely, Begbies coupe has averaged the slowest over the last few years but is ALSO one of the fastest (on paper atleast)

Fast. Iconic. Aesthetic. Timeless.

FIAT.

Focus RS: Chavvy jellymould springs to mind, theres something strangely likeable about them though

I have a very nice model of that car at home

Sell it to me.