General Faster Fiat? - What's your experience?

[rtwolfe]

Love this car. I have a USA Fiat 500 1.4 Pop Cabrio with manual transmission. Have been having a debate with USA Fiat owners and thought I'd check with the UK experts.

Initial Fiat 500 reviews by some US car magazines and blogs said the Fiat 500 is slow!? ...I had been driving the Fiat for a couple weeks and was shocked to see this in reviews...

Full disclosure. My first car was a 1965 MGB british racing green. Loved that car, even tho' I had to use emery paper to smooth pits from the points, put 3-1 oil in those damn dashpots and keep a wrench handy to bang on the electric fuel pump. But the MGB just felt fast and wonderful on the curves. I learned with the MG to rev high and not be afraid to get close to the redline. I get that same feeling with the Fiat 500 but without the emery paper, oil and wrench - at least so far

To me, the 500 was plenty fast but I've been trying to get the more out of it, short of an ECU change, turbo-ing, CAI or new exhaust, etc. Here's what I've found makes a difference. Am interested if I am missing something or if you experienced Fiat guys (or Ladys) think I am taking the wrong approach to get maximum acceleration.

1. Manual Transmission
2. Sport button on
3. Shift at high RPMs
4. High Flow Drop In air filter
5. Mobile 1 motor oil
6. Highest Octane Premium Gas you can find - BP Premium gas (93 octane - highest in town)

Manual Transmission - The only way to drive, if you want speed and acceleration.

Sport Button - We all know it helps by tightening the throttle response, etc.

Shifting at High RPM. 4000 to 6000. Lousy MPG but lots of fun.

High Flow Drop In Air Filter - I got mine from 500 Madness. Not sure if there is a UK version of this. Fits in standard airbox and is foam, thin and lets in lots of air. USA post said, "Boy does the filter replacement make a big difference on acceleration. It was like I had the Sport Button pushed!" Well... it feels even better when you DO have the Sport Button pushed! It also makes the engine roar, when you get above 4500 RPMs.

Mobile 1 motor oil - I read this post by US guy and had to try it.

"Hello guys, I thought I should chime in on the oil change experience. I decided to be less frugal and showed up at the dealership with 4 quarts of Mobil 1 (fully synthetic oil), I felt a huge change in the car after the service. The engine is smoother and more lively- the revs are clear and clean toned. Gave the wife the car the next day and she called me to ask me...."What did you do with the car!" Jokes aside, the difference was almost night and day."

I understand the Multivalve engine uses high pressure oil to adjust the valves, and there's some speculation that Mobile 1 helps the engine run more precisely. One thing I also noticed, if you have Mobile 1 and the drop in air filter, you can rev closer to the red line and not have the drive-by-wire cut back on the throttle. Prior to adding Mobile 1 and the filter, I could rev quickly up to about 6000 and the Fiat would intervene. Now I get close to 6500.

Premium gas - some say it's urban myth to say there is a difference. But, I had used cheaper 91 octane premium from a local chain and saw a big difference when I filled the tank with BP 93 octane premium gas.

So, good ideas? Problems with doing it this way (other than spending more on gas)? Anything else you guys use to boost your Fiats?

Thanks in advance.

 

[dave]

isnt your speed limit over there only 55mph anyway, or is that just in the films we see?

91 and 93 octane gas no wonder its cheap over there thats 2 stroke motor bike fuel. in the uk the cheap stuff is 95 octane and premium is 99 octane

 

[ahmett]

Welcome to the Forum it is good to have the opinions of someone across the pond! Do not be afraid to rev it, the rev limiter is 7250 rpm! Even in Auto mode (i have an auto) it changes at 6500 + at full throttle. I always go to 6500 when i want to get somewhere fast, it loves to be thrashed!
About the oil you are right, the stingy dealers i have used have replaced the oil with 5w-40 where shell alone has 5w-30 and correct me if i am wrong mobil 1 has 0w-30!
The fuel yeah stateside you guys have low class fuel so use the best available since its so cheap there anyway!
Good luck with thrashing the car dont be scared to downshift into the red line whilst using the brakes when throwing it into the bends!

 

[306maxi]

isnt your speed limit over there only 55mph anyway, or is that just in the films we see?

91 and 93 octane gas no wonder its cheap over there thats 2 stroke motor bike fuel. in the uk the cheap stuff is 95 octane and premium is 99 octane

They use the MON octane rating system rather than RON Point for point MON is a higher rating than RON

 

[RobinPJ]

I'm really no expert on this topic at all, so these are very much open questions from me rather than answers, but my thoughts are:

1. Manual Transmission - for us in the UK there is little difference as our auto box is a robotised manual rather than a power sapping slushmatic. But I guess you can time the changes slightly better with a manual manual. And the change may be faster?

2. Sport button on - this is more about perception than actually making the car faster I believe (apart from in the Twin Air?).

3. Shift at high RPMs - agreed (but don't tell the economisers).

4. High Flow Drop In air filter - I can imagine this could make some difference. Would love to know scientifically how much, if done in isolation.

5. Mobile 1 motor oil - I am rather sceptical that changing the oil could really make a perceptible difference, let alone one as big as you describe.

6. Highest Octane Premium Gas you can find - BP Premium gas (93 octane - highest in town) - I have occasionally used the higher octane stuff (usually by mistake) and found that whilst I could persuade myself the car was faster, I suspect it was faster in the same way that my car is faster just after I have washed and polished it.

But I'd love to hear the views of some of the Forum's better qualified voices ... Rob, JR?

 

[306maxi]

I'm really no expert on this topic at all, so these are very much open questions from me rather than answers, but my thoughts are:

1. Manual Transmission - for us in the UK there is little difference as our auto box is a robotised manual rather than a power sapping slushmatic. But I guess you can time the changes slightly better with a manual manual. And the change may be faster?

2. Sport button on - this is more about perception than actually making the car faster I believe (apart from in the Twin Air?).

3. Shift at high RPMs - agreed (but don't tell the economisers).

4. High Flow Drop In air filter - I can imagine this could make some difference. Would love to know scientifically how much, if done in isolation.

5. Mobile 1 motor oil - I am rather sceptical that changing the oil could really make a perceptible difference, let alone one as big as you describe.

6. Highest Octane Premium Gas you can find - BP Premium gas (93 octane - highest in town) - I have occasionally used the higher octane stuff (usually by mistake) and found that whilst I could persuade myself the car was faster, I suspect it was faster in the same way that my car is faster just after I have washed and polished it.

But I'd love to hear the views of some of the Forum's better qualified voices ... Rob, JR?

Pretty much spot on IMHO.

 

[RobW]

sport mode adjust the electronic throttle response map to open wider sooner

 

[ahmett]

I'm really no expert on this topic at all, so these are very much open questions from me rather than answers, but my thoughts are:

1. Manual Transmission - for us in the UK there is little difference as our auto box is a robotised manual rather than a power sapping slushmatic. But I guess you can time the changes slightly better with a manual manual. And the change may be faster?

Hi Robin, as a duallogic driver i do sometimes miss the manuals TOTAL control as the duallogic sometimes changes gears a bit too slow for my liking. It isnt bad to be honest and definately not as slow as the Smart of course, but I feel a DSG dual clutch system would be far better than the single clutch robotised manual duallogic. Also i have not tried to do a launch control start on my Fiat 500 with the duallogic box [i mean this by pressing the brake flooring the gas until almost rev limit and then letting go of the brake. with the manual you simply dump the clutch at high revs and get some nice wheelspin on takeoff with ESP off. I havent tried it with the duallogic because i am scared of ruining the clutch and the box = )] This move alone would save a good second on the 0-60 mph time.


BTW if any duallogic user has tried a launch control start i would love to hear their experience of it!

 

[RobinPJ]

Hi Robin, as a duallogic driver i do sometimes miss the manuals TOTAL control as the duallogic sometimes changes gears a bit too slow for my liking. It isnt bad to be honest and definately not as slow as the Smart of course, but I feel a DSG dual clutch system would be far better than the single clutch robotised manual duallogic. Also i have not tried to do a launch control start on my Fiat 500 with the duallogic box [i mean this by pressing the brake flooring the gas until almost rev limit and then letting go of the brake. with the manual you simply dump the clutch at high revs and get some nice wheelspin on takeoff with ESP off. I havent tried it with the duallogic because i am scared of ruining the clutch and the box = )] This move alone would save a good second on the 0-60 mph time.


BTW if any duallogic user has tried a launch control start i would love to hear their experience of it!

I have a dualogic too. I would not choose to but my wife only has a licence that allows her to drive an auto. It is much nicer than a torque converter apart from not having any "creep" and rolling back, which is obviously not very important but is something I am used to from other autos. I have not driven a proper DSG box so cannot make a comparison with that.

Edit: never tried "launch control" as, frankly, if I want to go fast I take my BMW 330D.