2009 Fiat 500 Abarth Essesse, Paris Auto Show Preview

Surrendering to the endless bombardment of pre-Paris reveals, for the next few days leading up to the 2008 Paris Auto Show, RideLust will be exclusively covering all the leaks and teaser shots of the major impending Paris reveals. To kick things off, we’re starting with the 2009 Fiat 500 Abarth Essesse, Fiat’s sporty revision of the compact Fiat 500 Abarth that launched earlier this year.

Full gallery after the jump

Getting the full street racing treatment, the Fiat Abarth Essesse is trimmed with a full aerodynamic body kit, complete with a hefty rear spoiler, Brembo brakes, and 17″ Alloy wheels. Under the hood the Fiat Abarth Essesse is expected to feature a 4-cylinder engine 1.4L turbo charged engine, producing a respectable 160-hp. According to Fiat, they already have 200 workshops toiling away to put the kits on the market, and hope to give the Mini Cooper S a run for it’s fierce little compact money.

[Photo Cred:WorldCarFans.com]

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Mexico’s Mastretta MXT Sports Car

The Mastretta MXT which has been developed by industrial design firm Tecnoidea, is a sporty two-seater coupé with an outside line inspired by rally race cars. It is twelve feet long, and five feet wide and less than four feet high.

This car, which is the mid-engine vehicle, has the advantage of putting 56% of its weight on the rear axle and just 44% in the front, thus achieving optimal levels of acceleration and braking. The gasoline engine is a 4-cylinder in-line, 240 bhp that has 16 valves and a turbocharger. The engine is coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission.

With only a fraction short of 2000lb in weight the engine can easily push the MXT up to a maximum speed of 149 mph, this coupé is the first high-performance sports designed and manufactured in Mexico.

The Mastretta MXT, which was presented at the Motor Show in London, has been designed taking into account existing legislation in the European Union for limited production vehicles, as this model is not intended to be manufactured on a large scale.

The MXT has a package of compact aerodynamic shapes, with a light chassis weight and reduced obstructions to the flow of air, which distributes airflow in a strategic way to aid with cutting through the air to increase speed and reduce fuel consumption.

The structure is made up of specially designed aluminium extrusions a first for this project. And utilizes some of the lightweight elements found in aluminum foil, which is combined with plastics to produce a lightweight but strong composite for the flooring panels.

The interior features an ergonomic and sporty design, has a cabin that is low but wide, with a high dashboard set-up and low nose, giving it a modern and surprisingly spacious interior

The MXT enjoys an advanced electronic management, which includes an instrument panel with the options of either RoadMode or RaceMode. In addition, this coupé has a stereo MP3 player, enveloping seating, air conditioning and heating, and a Hella lighting system.

The company intends to produce this sporting two-seater with a limit of just 80 cars in the first year, starting in January 2009.

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Super-coupe Mercedes-Benz test mule Spied in California?

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Tesla Roadster survives delay and will still reach buyers this year

Tesla Motors has announced that despite a last minute vendor change that created a delay in the production of the Tesla Roadster they still expect to release their first production cars this year.

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