The normal route when a tuner lays his hands on a car is to add more power by modifying the engine and reducing weight to improve the power-to-weight ratio. Motore Centrale did both and more, much more, by converting the lowly Fiat 500, which is a 135 horsepower front-wheel drive car into a mid-engined 230 horsepower pocket rocket.
Installing a bigger turbo and intercooler with some revised engine internals produced this 95 hp gain, which is controlled by an electronic limited-slip differential. Other modifications include 4-pot brake calipers, Bilstein adjustable suspension, 17-inch tires and a 50 kg weight reduction. But the most radical transformation has been to transfer the engine from the front to the middle of the car and making it a rear drive vehicle. An entire subframe has been designed to accommodate the engine, as well as a new wishbone suspension for the rear. A clue to the car’s nature is the additional ducting on the rear fenders.
All these mods produce performance that is unheard of in small cars like these. 0-60 mph is now 4.7 seconds from the original 7 plus seconds and top speed is now 245 km/h. For the true nutheads, Motore Centrale is also producing a track version that further lightens the car and boosts horsepower to 280.
See source article here.
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