Ever since driving the Abarth 500 esseesse last year I have always wondered what its bigger brother the Punto would be like. Well I finally got a chance to sample the performance of one when I dropped by Tremauto last month in Italy.
Moreno took me out for a ride in a customer's car he had just finished mapping…
…and I was quite impressed by the gains obtained through the very basic modifications. On top of the ECU map Moreno threw on a high performance BMC panel filter…
…along with a freer flowing exhaust system that Ragazzon makes for Tremauto. Power from the 1.4L 16 valve turbocharged four rises 22 hp to 175 HP and torque up 73 lb/ft to 243 lb/ft, turning the Grande Punto into a much more fun little hatchback.
Of course being Italy all modifications have to be done on the sly so this kind of basic ECU map with a few simple bolt-ons is one of the safest ways to gain more performance without getting your car impounded.
The interior is all stock and there isn't much else that needs to be done as the Abarth treatment brightens up the dashboard and adds a pair of very comfortable supportive seats, even if they sit a tad too high.
I can't help but be sad for enthusiasts in Italy that are forced to feel like criminals because they want to improve their car's performance. And respect to Moreno for doing such a good job of satisfying his customers by extracting power from their stock engines with almost "invisible" improvements!
-Dino Dalle Carbonare
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
Hi Dino! And thanks for the story ..! It's nice to know that sometimes you come to visit us..! You're right: it's sad to know that
here in Italy you are considered a criminal when you modify your car...
I have an MX-5, and I want to upgrade it, but this is not possible
just because otherwise the car is sequestered! In the hope that
this may change someday, we continue to dream and to "meets the eyes" looking at the services you propose ... Thank you again for site and sorry for my (bad) English..! And greetings from Treviso!
Nicola
Boring car.
I would be cool to enlighten readers on a car that they may not be familiar with. I never heard of it so a short bio would be nice.
Wow, really suprising that of all countries Italy has such strict tuning regulations. Half the supercars come from there, so why would someone with a normal car not to be allowed to improve the performance of his car (obviously within the safe limits of the chassis/handling/brakes).
I think it would be better off with smaller wheels (not something I've said that often!)
never knew that Italy was so strict with mods.. i think a decent job has been done.. all things considered!
guys in the US(and in Canada) should be more open for the car culture in Europe i think...just becouse u never ever see a car like this it doesn't mean it's s**t
but never mind i had to say that..
The Grande Punto Abarth is a really great car, I regularly drive my father's one. Even stock it's really powerfull compared to the specs announced. You always have sufficient power at corner exit, and it follows easily 200hp-range sports cars like Clio RS, Mini Cooper Works or Impreza GT. I was impressed that my brother's Impreza couldn't pass the Abarth on straights.
My dad projects to get the Essesse chassis-kit, anti-roll bars from Punto Evo (they are slightly bigger) and raise a few additional horses (probably with a G-Tech kit).
Some shots of the car :
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/167207_1582260402458_1414159094_31305387_5712358_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/166679_1582260842469_1414159094_31305388_4060532_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/24699_1295812841448_1414159094_30704838_486132_n.jpg
to: michelm -- and things can get even worst than you can imagine!! cause italian car culture it's so poor that everyone thinks that every tuned car it's only a stupid aestetic modified crap that came from fast and furious! for italian people exists only 2 type of cars: supercars and citycars. all the others, in between, type of cars are only: " auto tamarre " like the stupid people use to say here... you can translate it like: useless car built without taste or style... or something like that... and the most frustrating thing it's that if you try to explain that in the rest of the world exists many way to modify your car (and not only add some neons and big soobwoofers in the trunk) everybody treat you like a retarded!!! Dino it's doing really a great job with is photos and his articles, he's bringing car culture from the world even here in italy, and I know how hard is this job... so thanks Dino!!! you are our last hope!! keep strong
a nome di tutti gli italiani che sono costretti a leggere speedhunters per riprendere fiato, in questa situazione tremenda GRAZIE !!! 
Looks fun! Although, why is it that modding a car is punishable by law, yet stock cars of such high caliber are legal? i.e. Lamborghini, Ferrari, etc.
The wheels look like our brazillian Punto T-Jet with 1.4 16v and 149hp. This is the T-Jet.
I love the Fiat cars. They are different by nature
Wait Italy is perfect, the supercars, the fashions, the food, and the women;).... BUT you can't mod your car there!?! That is messed up, but i still want to visit there again, once you go to Italy, you always want to get back!
FIAT=Fix it Again, Tony!
LOL...nice right up on a car we don't get here.
Nice car and great to be able to read about car culture in different countries outer than Japan, US and UK, more of that please!
I have an MX-5, and I want to upgrade it, but this is not possible