Friday, October 20, 2006

Fiat Panda 100HP

Did you know that pandas are technically carnivores? That's right, those cute, cuddly teddy bears are perfectly capable of tearing a rare fillet steak to pieces without a second thought.

Fiat Panda 100HP And this new offering from Fiat looks like it would happily start gnawing at the leg of a cow - even if it was still attached to the rest of the beast.

It's called the Panda 100HP, and there are no prizes for guessing why. The 1.4-litre engine develops 100bhp at 6,000rpm. It'll hit 60mph in 9.5 seconds before topping out at 115mph.

If that performance doesn't sound electrifying, bear (sorry, sorry) in mind that the Panda has a kerb weight of just 1015kg, so it should be as agile as a tree-swinging gibbon.

Fiat has given the sporty Panda a real, erm, chavvification. A chrome tailpipe comes as standard, and the wider wheelarches and new sideskirts lend the Panda an aggressive air.

With ventilated disc brakes at the front, and modified springs and dampers, the enhancements aren't just cosmetic.

Our favourite addition is the button that flips the car into 'Sport' mode, where the steering offers less power assistance for improved feedback, and the throttle pedal becomes more sensitive. 'Sport' sounds like slightly wishful thinking, but it should all be good fun.

The Panda 100HP will be getting its teeth into the competition this December.

© Source: original article on topgear

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