An American SS Kit?

An American SS Kit?

If you know anything about the European Abarth, you’ve probably heard of the Esseesse (SS) kit. It is essentially a stage one upgrade kit, with a combination of suspension, brake, wheel, and engine upgrades. The main difference between this and an aftermarket tuner kit, is that the SS comes straight from Abarth (and in fact has to be installed by an approved Abarth technician).

Ever since the Abarth has been announced for the US, people have been asking and hoping for the SS kit to be available stateside. Well, the latest rumor, supposedly from a Fiat engineer, seems to confirm that it will be an option. All we have, is word that a “tuner option” will boost power by 40 HP, from 160 to 200. That jump seems like a lot, so take it as a rumor for now, but anything that bumps the power higher than 160 will be a welcome addition. The power boost from the SS kit in Europe is much less than that, but it is also a slightly different engine tune to start with.

The European Abarth starts with 135 hp and via an ECU tune and new intake, horsepower is boosted to 160. This is an increase of 25 HP or roughly 18%. The rumored “tuner option” for the US would be a boost of 40 HP, or roughly 25%.

While the increased horsepower is very exciting, it remains to be seen what the option even includes, such as the suspension and brake upgrades seen in the SS kit, and how much it will cost. Converting from pounds, it would be $4,000 for the original SS kit, but I imagine with the increased power this one could easily be pushing $5,000.

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  • Kelly Livingston

    The more I hear about the Abarth the more I want it, and yet the more expensive it becomes…

  • MrHenry20

    Love these little italian rockets.  <3

    Guys, you surely need to hear that roooaarrrring sound that small block engine could make. You'll get the creeps!!!!

    Good to hear that this old motorsport-myth is going over the big lake. Want to have one like yours in Europe.

    Cheers

  • http://twitter.com/OCModHomes OC Mod Homes

    I’m pretty sure what we’re getting is already an SS. The wheels in the photos for our Abarth are the same wheels in the SS kit in Europe (but painted a different color). 

  • MrHenry20

    @ OC Mod Homes:

    Sure, because you guys in the US will receive the 500 Abarth coming standard with the esseesse-wheels (which we in Europe need to pay extra, together with the esseesse-Kit)! The 2 kinds of wheels which with the Abarth is being delivered in Europe won’t be available in the US I suppose.

    But, nevertheless, if you’ll be able to buy the Kit (what I’m supposing so), it’ll contain less parts than the one in Europe. Think it’ll come with suspension, modified brake discs and the Software as well. I guess the power will raise up to 180 HP, because the Turbo doesn’t deliver more power.

    What Turbo will it have in the States?! (EU Standard) IHI RHF 3 or the bigger Garret GT1446 (which is mounted in the 695 TF)?

    Cheers

  • viol8r

    Earlier on this year, as a Chrysler employee, I read that Chrysler Canada had confirmed the ‘Quatro foglie’ (cloverleaf) motor from the Alfa Romeo with 170 HP and no EsseEsse kit to be made available.  It seems things have changed… 

  • tandemnut

    In 2 days we’ll know but I’m thinking anything over 160hp will be gravy!

  • lorenzo

    this company blog sucks because it says 170hp on some pages and 160hp on other pages – you would think a company blog like this wouldnt mess around with all these numbers and just give us straight answers

  • lorenzo

    wassit gonna be?!  160 + 25?!  170 + 40?!
    gee whiz, the anticipation is killing me with all these “rumors”

  • MrHenry20

    First fact to know about all of our power presumptions is, with which kind of turbocharger the 500 will come up on your streets. If it’s launched with the IHI RHF 3 from the european models the maximum output is limited to 160-170 HP due to its rate of through flow. And no esseesse-Kit can enlarge this significantly unless the car will be fitted with a bigger charger, then improvements up to 200 HP are possible with manufacturer warranty.

    So, yeah, some more 25-35 HP with the esseesse-Kit might be possible and sound acceptable. ;-)

  • JP

    The Euro spec 500 Abarth’s pump out 133 HP in base trim and 160 HP in Esseesse (SS) form.  Based on those numbers, It appears what we will be receiving state side as our base trim model may in fact be the Euro SS… but we’ll find out tomorrow at the Los Angeles auto show. 

    Whatever the jump in power for our state side “tuner option”, 200 HP is on the low end of what is capable with a 500.  German tuner Hamann was able to squeeze the following out of the “small but wicked” one; Stage 1, HS1 @160 HP; HSII @180HP; HSIII @210HP; HS Race @240HP; and an insane HS CINQUECENTO 575 kit 271HP with a number of mods to create and handle the power.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_5ZT24BZWGTLUQUOPY5G2DN64FQ Kenny

    it was supposed to be 170, or that was the rumor anyway.  The Mito, which uses the same engine as I understand it, is tuned for 170 already, so it should be a plug-and play!  While that’s is mildly disappointing, for me the biggest disappointment is the 5 speed rather then the much better and more robust 6-speed, which would have been a GREAT option.  IT’S NOT TOO LATE FIAT!!!!  Bring us that #$%&* 6-speed tranny!  They are probably trying to keep the cost down, but DANG, I REALLY wanted the #$%&* 6 speed.  Did I mention how much I wanted the 6 speed?

    • Mike

      As I understand it, the reason for no 6 speed is that the US spec crash structure includes a front reinforcement that goes where the extra size of the 6 speed box would go. At least that’s the “official” explanation.

  • Jeff

    I’ve been racing Minis for 30 years and I am very excited to get my hands on a 500 Abarth.
    Waiting for the availability here in Oregon will be tough.  I need to get to work and the grocery store in a true min-rocket and maybe pester my auto-cross club a little ??

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_EM4HHU6PQXTMG4QMFMBW7FYEGY Vic

    I hope this will happen, the Abarth is right on top of my list for next car, the option of a factory installed (and hence hopefully keps the warrenty intact) tuner kit would be a big bonus. Even if the boost in hP is only close to the Euro spec, thats almost 20hp and would but the US Essesse at near 180hp, more than enough to make the “topolino” or little mouse, as the original 500 was known as, into a US version what Clarkson on Top Gear called a “small pet mouse - that can be used for killing burglers”

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_5ZT24BZWGTLUQUOPY5G2DN64FQ Kenny

    The 
    Essesse kit in Europe boosts the HP from 135 to 160, but the US version sounds like it is at 160 HP out of the box.  So, essentially we are getting the 
    Essesse version. Who knows what the future will bring, but for now there are saying that there will be no performance package higher than that.  I would guess it’s also unlikely that the US market is big enough to warrant a redesign of the front end to accommodate the 6sp — it’s meets regs everywhere else but the US, and they, evidently, have a ‘fix’ for it for the US, but not a redesign that would allow the 6-sp install.

    • Mike

      So the question is: what would be involved in modifying the crossmember to make the 6 speed fit? Guess I’ll have to wait till I have the car to see what would be involved, at least assuming I can get someone in Italy to measure the box. Bet it’s not that hard. Wonder what one would cost?

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_5ZT24BZWGTLUQUOPY5G2DN64FQ Kenny

        you mean other than yanking all the extra stuff off?  Afaik, It’s kind of a patch – over and beyond what the Euro version has.  This is akin to an engineering screw-up, except they might have been working to a bit different [Euro] standard.  I’m a structural engineer, though aircraft rather than automotive, but I’m guessing it’s pretty much the same.  So, to re-engineer it right, might take some effort (read money), or you could take off the reinforcement and live on the [Euro] edge.  Since the American market is pretty small, I doubt they will go to the expense of fixing it ‘right’, but just leave the patch on there to satisfy the US regulations.  So, in the end, there is VERY little chance we will get the 6-sp.  I don’t care SO much, but I’d like to have the 6th gear as an overdrive since the Abarth is geared a little lower than the standard 500.

        Also, and I could be wrong, I think the 5-sp is pretty much tapped out at 160 HP, so without the 6-sp, there isn’t much chance of getting any more ponies out of it either (though it can be tuned to do so).

  • ANDYABARTH

    C’MON FIAT BRING ON THE US ESSEESSE KIT!!! 200 HP??? YEAH!!!! I WILL BE FIRST IN LINE. CAN’T WAIT TO BLOW AWAY THE JCW!!!!

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_5ZT24BZWGTLUQUOPY5G2DN64FQ Kenny

      Andy, your mom won’t let you get one anyway!  The Essesse kit, in fact brings the HP to 
      160. The US is 
      essentially getting the essesse version out of the box for no extra money.  There won’t be another version for the US (I suspect) unless sales shows that it’s a money-maker.  Personally, I think they should have gone with the Mito tuning at 170, since all the engineering has already been done, but it may be that in this configuration they couldn’t meet US
      ‘s  emission standards.  I believe the Essesse wheels will be available at additional cost (optional 17 inch alloys).  There are some tuner versions that make bigger HP than 170-180 but they are really big bucks.