The Fiat 500 can be a hoot to drive. That much more so the Abarth performance version. But if you’ve ever felt that the Cinquecento had more to offer, there are tuners that can help. Like Pogea Racing.
The German aftermarket tuner has just announced its latest take on the Italian retro hatch. Called the Ares, it packs quite a punch. 404 horsepower, to be exact, which is a heck of a lot in such a small vehicle.
To get there, Pogea fitted the 1.4-liter turbo four with new pistons, turbocharger, connecting rods, exhaust valves, crankshaft, camshaft, oil cooler… the works.
To handle the extra muscle, Pogea also fitted a new clutch, flywheel, and transmission oil cooler, as well as 322-millimeter perforated disc brakes packed into 18-inch alloys, shot with Michelin Pilot Sport rubber and fitted to a KW Clubsport suspension.
All of that is packed into a wide body with carbon-fiber panels to make it look more like a competition touring car than a hairdresser’s fashion accessory.
The list of upgrades goes on and on, but the sum total is a 0-62 time quoted at 4.7 seconds and a top speed of verified at 179 mph. It’d be even quicker if only it had more traction from the front driven wheels. All those upgrades will cost you, though: Pogea quotes a list price starting at €58,950 (including the donor vehicle), which would be more than enough to get you into a Porsche 718 Cayman in Germany.
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