I believe the coupe has reached the age where trying to modernise it,s looks with skirts, LED's, HID's,wide wheels etc just makes it look...well.....CHAVVY !!
A LOSING BATTLE.

Whereas a nice clean original coupe represents it's place in time.
It's like an E type, 308 or DB5...DATED-yes..FLAWED-yes...BEAUTIFUL-definately.

I'd agree with that. Bought mine with the intention of putting a kit on it, bigger wheels, etc...but looking at it on the drive now I just can't do it!

Fiat got it pretty damn right in the first place, so I'm not going to argue with them and change a thing.

opinions are like.....im not going to say it, my one is....

even fiat made some changes over the life time of the car, purists could argue that the LE looks chavy?

if some one wants to stick a mad kit on there car, let them, its them that has to live with it

True Sam, i drive a CHAVVY le, but it makes me happy, and certainly turns heads.

What does it matter what other people think, it you that see it every day and drives it.

But i will agree all coupes BEAUTIFUL.

I have to say that seeing Sandytim's VERY standard car on Sunday was a revelation - very clean and looked superb.

However, my preference is for very subtle exterior mods (Zender bodykit, 17" wheels), but all hiding much-improved performance and handling

I'm not really into lots of styling changes, but I can see what some people are and I appreciate what they've done.

Its the classic example of people extending their personalities into their cars - it would be SOOOOO boring if we were all of the same opinions on style and taste

Although standard coupes do look nice, i disagree that a kit makes it look chavvy, i have got zender skirts, zender rear lip, and piu front bumper, standard wheels, and the amount of people that stare at my car, owners of nice cars thereselves, would not mean it is chavvy. I dont think the LE is chavvy either, that was designed perfectly i think.

Thanks Nigel.
I realy do like all coupes and yours reflects the effort/time you've invested.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the original coupes looks have passed through the BAD dated look to the CLASSIC dated look.
In the same way as the Mk 1 Golf (like your sons) has already done.
And I think this appreciation will only increase.

I just wish I'd been brave enough to have chosen sprint blue back in 1996 !!

I saw an early basic non-turbo not so long ago, and even had to comment in Spotting that it didn't look anything special, and frankly a bit old hat.

I like "mild" body kitting e.g. LE on the Coupes better. Mine is in this camp. The early one's with the square wheels may be pure, but (IMHO) the block wheels & black sills have not aged well. Time will no doubt prove me wrong i.e. a Capri 2.8i looks much better now than a Tickford Capri did back in the day.

Sandytim is my new god; I'm not talking to Mona any more!

I remember seeing the body mods on the LE when it was released, and I hated it.

But each to their own. I always preferred Q-cars...

I'm just warming up;
As for LE mods being original design
Chris Bangle designed the coupe...the LE mods were added after he left for BMW
SO
Just because your mate pins a badge on your BOSS suit... does that make him a designer called HUGO ?

I'm just standard stirring

sandytim =

For years I've been crying in the wilderness and now my prayers have been answered

i must say i agree

Well Alan the time has come to dry you eyes and say the following AT THE TOP OF YOUR VOICE;

I love my black sills

Standard 20VT alloys look great

16v N/A wheels actually look really cool

I love my ride height

DON'T HOLD BACK. LET IT OUT. YOU ARE NOT ALONE ALAN

i have no idea why, but that made me chuckle !!

Stick with us dan together we can defeat force of unnecessary plastic !


Seriously though even if you own and love a coupe with a body kit-do you agree that the original design has passed from BAD dated to Classic Dated - Thats my point

i still like the original 16v's

something about them...

cool eh

but who could love these wheels



I bet even their mum doesn't like them

I'm not one for speaking my mind!

But you are very wrong, each to their own of course, but if you feel that way, you might have bought the wrong car!

I agree, most cars, the coop being a prime example shouldn't be messed with too much, however, there are kits out there for the coop that were and extension of Fiats design (ie the LE kit) and look superb on it. But dated? No, not one bit, it still looks bang up to date, the only give away that it is an older car in my mind is the interior.

I like originality as much as Alan, i really do! I prefer the coop with no aftermarket bits and bobs to be honest, but, the LE kit is Fiat sourced (designed, blah blah blaf) and suits the coop superbly. MOST other kits look awful and detract from the original design. There are a few exceptions, but it's not my place to say which.

G

Without the 16v there would be NO 20v.

And what an impact for Fiat at the launch.

Classic

I agree that the original look still looks good and appreciate the thoughts of people like Alan, sandytim and others

I personally also love the Zender kit and a few other mods on my Coupe, but that's my car and I've always liked my cars to look different and/or kitted up, but don't knock those who like to keep them standard and original.

Well done to all who have kept away from the mods and left their car as standard.

As for LE's, well the only one I like is the black LE, but other than that, I'm afraid they don't do much for me.

Here is my 'Fiat Coupe Chavometer' which lets you work out how chavvy a Coupe is:

Level 1
The 'AlanW' standard

Level 2
Standard 2.0

Level 3
Tastefully modded example 1
Tastefully modded example 2
(essentially in level 3 you can insert any of the examples shown on the AutoDS website)

Level 4
''You just need to get rid of the.... [insert relevant undesirable style mod here]''

Level 5
Its not a Ferrari

Level 6
Chav standard

Level 7
Chav standard 2.0

Level 8
Even a Chav has got enough taste to not like this

I would put mine in the tastefully modified class

Hey, that looks like my 'Level 1' in the back of that picture - where was it?

This is turning into some kind of self-help thing. Anyone got a bean bag I can sit on? A pot of Herbal tea?

My name is Mansilla, and I am a Level-1-aholic. AlanW is my leader.

There, I said it!

Mine must be a level 1.01 - colour coded sills is the only mod I've got and I think it improves the look of the car tremendously....

The thing about the standard coupe is those bloody black sills!! Aaaarrrrggghhh It's not good and the flat 16v wheels are also

IMO - colour coding the sills is a must. Skirts are better as they make the car look a little lower and sit nicer. Just my opinion.

Fiat coupe + le lips + le skirts =

my 2p worth - the plus was the pinnacle of the coupé design....

the plus LE was the pinnacle of the coupé design....

The Coupé is so different I think it escapes aging. However I still think the standard front bumper is fugly, several of the aftermarkets look better IMO.