Abarth to go it alone on mid-engine roadster?
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/convertibles/" rel="tag">Convertible</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/" rel="tag">Performance</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/euro/" rel="tag">Europe</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/lotus/" rel="tag">Lotus</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/fiat/" rel="tag">Fiat</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/rumormill/" rel="tag">Rumormill</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/misc/" rel="tag">MISC</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/abarth-ss-concept-by-ied/#335809"><img width="630" vspace="4" hspace="0" height="366" border="1" align="top" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/06/abarthssconceptbyied1-630op.jpg" alt="Abarth SS Concept" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><sma ll>Abarth SS Concept by IED - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
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<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/23/fiats-abarth-brand-to-create-its-own-sports-car/">Reports</a> of <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/abarth">Abarth</a> getting its own sports car have been surfacing pretty much since <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/fiat">Fiat</a> relaunched the brand. They seem to have intensified recently, with reports alternately suggesting that the Scorpion marque could partner with either <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/29/next-generation-lotus-elise-to-underpin-abarth-sports-car/">Lotus</a> or <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/12/report-ktm-x-bow-will-underpin-mid-engine-abarth/">KTM</a> on the development of a mid-engine roadster. The latest scuttlebutt, however, indicates that Abarth could go it alone on the new model.<br />
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The issue with KTM is reportedly that its carbon-fiber X-Bow, upon which the Abarth roadster could be based, is too expensive for the low price point Fiat seeks. The hesitance to work with Lotus, however, may be more personal. Lotus CEO Danny Bahar defected there from <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ferrari">Ferrari</a>, and took a number of personnel from both Maranello and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/maserati">Maserati</a> with him. <br />
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As a result, Abarth could build a <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/elise">Lotus Elise</a> rival from the ground up, powered by the latest-generation MultiAir engine mated to the company's new dual-clutch gearbox. Such a move would, however, seem at odds with Sergio Marchionne's push to integrate products and platforms across Fiat and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/chrysler">Chrysler</a> brands. But if a mid-engine <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/dodge">Dodge</a> roadster came out of it as well, you wouldn't find us complaining.<br />
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<div class="postgallery"><p><s trong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/abarth-ss-concept-by-ied">Abarth SS Concept by IED</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/abarth-ss-concept-by-ied/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/08/abarth_ss_concept_by_ied_ 1_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/abarth-ss-concept-by-ied/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/08/abarth_ss_concept_by_ied_ 2_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/abarth-ss-concept-by-ied/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/08/abarth_ss_concept_by_ied_ 3_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: <a href="http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=22691 ">PistonHeads</a>]<p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/31/abarth-to-go-it-alone-on-mid-engine-roadster-without-lotus-or-kt/">Abarth to go it alone on mid-engine roadster?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 19:02:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/31/abarth-to-go-it-alone-on-mid-engine-roadster-without-lotus-or-kt/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19691235/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/31/abarth-to-go-it-alone-on-mid-engine-roadster-without-lotus-or-kt/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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