New car - not a Porsche

[poprock]

Well, it’s taken me a few years but I finally have a car I’m proud of again. It’s not a Porsche, but I think this one is going to do me very well until that time comes.

It’s a Fiat Coupé 20v Turbo. Or, according to the official naming, a ‘Coupé Fiat’ … but that way round sounds weird.

I’m very pleasantly surprised by the performance. Similar horsepower to a late-model 944 Turbo going through the front wheels is, erm, quite lively! I’ve fitted a custom ECU (designed by a pal) which transformed the power delivery. As standard, they run 0.7 bar of boost, but only in third, fourth and fifth gear. Mine now gives 1.2 bar in all five gears … it’s an absolute rocket off the line but you do need to beware of wheelspin and torque steer.

[FarQue]

Good lad! This replaces the MX6?

[poprock]

Sort of. There was (briefly) an Alfa Romeo inbetween … We didn’t get along very well.

[Patch234]

Good choice. Over the past 10 years I have owned around 12 of these. Mainly the Plus and LE versions. My last one was one of only 5 in the country (a factory colour called Crono Grey). There was one point where I had 4 - at the same time!

Just thrown out a load of spares in January as my new toy will be the 944 Turbo.

Good luck with it, they are a truly under-estimated car

Here's some pics of some of them...









And I bet it is Graham who gave you his GTEC1 chip Better bet is to see a guy called Leighton in Bristol, he will custom map it superbly for you, to around 260-70 bhp on the standard set up (including the standard Turbo)

[poprock]

Some nice examples there!

I know I’m in the minority here, but I quite like the clean shape of mine without the limited edition models’ skirts and trim. I’ll probably change my mind eventually …

And yep, I’ve known Graham for many, many, years. I was round at his garage the day after getting my Coupé home!

I fitted a leather interior over the weekend. I’m looking at HID kits next because the headlights are shocking. I think that’s probably as far as I’ll go with modding it for now, although I fancy doing something to stiffen it up a little – maybe thicker rear ARB and a strut brace up front. That can wait though, at least a little while.

[Greggers]

I've always had a bit of a hard-on for these, especially the Turbo ... I remember the first media ads in the papers back 95/96 with a low wide angle shot of the front of a yellow one ... Cool !