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Fiat 500 TwinAir

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Mr Tidy
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Fiat 500 TwinAir

Post by Mr Tidy » Sun May 23, 2021 8:51 pm

So after 6 years with her 06 plate R50 Mini Cooper my sister's one has almost reached the end of the road!

It seems she likes a retro theme because she wants a Fiat 500, and it has to be a TwinAir so it sounds like a Fiat 500 should. The fact that our late Mum's first car was a Fiat 600 may be having an influence here!

So does anyone have any experience of 500s or TwinAirs (I think they were fitted to Pandas and Mitos as well) who could offer any tips on possible issues or things to look for?

Many thanks. :thumbsup:
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Fiat 500 TwinAir

Post by Smartbear » Sun May 23, 2021 8:55 pm

As a turbo engine it should have remapping possibilities :)
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Mr Tidy
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Fiat 500 TwinAir

Post by Mr Tidy » Sun May 23, 2021 9:09 pm

Smartbear wrote: Sun May 23, 2021 8:55 pm As a turbo engine it should have remapping possibilities
Probably, but that would be completely wasted on her!
Coupes because stunning!
Current - Silver Grey MC, Imola Red heated Nappa & carbon trim. Aeros, H & R Coil-overs, 224s, OE Strut brace, Nav, cup-holders, DSP Hi-Fi, pdc, cruise, MFSW, no CDV! E90 330i daily
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Fiat 500 TwinAir

Post by Ole gits rule » Sun May 23, 2021 9:18 pm

I think from memory somewhere there was a report that they are not that economical - maybe an Abarth is the way to go
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Fiat 500 TwinAir

Post by Boyo » Mon May 24, 2021 10:26 am

Might be worth looking up Honest John from the Daily Telegraph as he has raved about Twin Airs on several occasions
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Fiat 500 TwinAir

Post by tiglon » Mon May 24, 2021 10:47 am

Had a Fiat 500 Twin Air as a hire car over Christmas a few years ago, lots of fun to drive and feel a lot faster than they are.

With those Twin Air engines you can get great economy if you try really hard, but if you do that you're not experiencing the character that it has and you might as well buy a small diesel.
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Fiat 500 TwinAir

Post by M1k3yC » Mon May 24, 2021 11:24 am

I've driven a 695 Rivale (same power as a 595 Comp). That was great fun, but probably not comparable to what you're looking at. If you're buying one that's a few years old, I'm pretty sure it's a very old design now so it may feel like it's behind some of its competitors that are of a similar age. High Peak Autos did a short video on the 500 during lockdown and he does talk about the engines briefly. It's a while since I watched it, but I think he also talks about common issues.
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Fiat 500 TwinAir

Post by earthdweller » Sat May 29, 2021 12:50 pm

Had a 500 lounge 1.2 as a runabout for 4 years

It wasn’t quick .. but as a small 2+2 town car it was great

Nothing broke .. it was cheap as chips to service

It was quite entertaining to drive it “Italian style”

We bought it over the twin air as the difference in performance wasn’t much .... did I mention it was slow ?

But it was £20 tax and did 50+ mpg however you thrashed it

The twin air by all accounts can get pretty thirsty if you Thrash it
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Fiat 500 TwinAir

Post by Mr Tidy » Sat May 29, 2021 7:44 pm

Thanks for the tips.

I'd definitely want an Abarth but now she has retired she doesn't often go further than Tescos, and she never thrashes her cars!

She really wants the Twinair because it sounds like the original 50s/60s Nuova 500, and she likes the idea of free Road Tax! She needs a parking permit for street parking where she lives, and their costs is also emissions based, so another small win. :lol:
Coupes because stunning!
Current - Silver Grey MC, Imola Red heated Nappa & carbon trim. Aeros, H & R Coil-overs, 224s, OE Strut brace, Nav, cup-holders, DSP Hi-Fi, pdc, cruise, MFSW, no CDV! E90 330i daily
Gone - Montego Blue
Gone - Ruby Black

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