English
Italian
Captain America
Words by Alessandro Marrone
Photos by The Looking Glass
Ok, I admit that. This time I have not done my homework. Usually, before testing a car, I carefully read its data sheet and take as much information as possible, so as to use best my time with the car in question and thus be able to devote fully to analyze what it gives to me, its potential, in short, the whole series of subjective inputs that you can feel when driving. For this reason, during our tests, we drive several kilometers and we test the cars in all situations, no matter what their nature, because a good car must be able to defend itself in all circumstances. When I collected the Cinquone USA by Romeo Ferraris, I have been rather confusing by last year’s double tests on track (see ACM #26), and I assumed that it was a version with 190 hp (perhaps I had also read that somewhere!); moreover, Mario Ferraris (mastermind behind the Cinquone project) entrusts me his creature saying, “Hey, this is not fast like the others!”. Words to be taken carefully, since knowing the type of person he is and knowing that he would put sideways even a double-decker bus, the Cinquone USA would be performing, just like the models tested 365 days before.
That said, we take the Cinquone with stars and stripes, ready for a week full of commitments and of kilometers at the wheel and so, we head back to the HQ. Not even time to go into detail that among a gathering with friends and the Cars and Coffee Monaco on February 21st, it is now time to put this 500 Abarth on steroids under pressure, and left the Café de Paris, for trashing some hairpins up the Route de La Turbie with our dear friend Raul Marchisio (RM Autosport, Monaco) and other friends, all equipped with latest-generation supercars, including a 991 GT3 RS, a Cayman GT4, 2 SLR McLaren, etc. The alleged 190hp of the Cinquone, I knew that well, would be only a few, especially on fast sections, and so I had to compensate with the extreme rigidity of the chassis and the excellent brakes that Mario & Co. have fitted under this little beast, wanted and created for the American market. The small size of it comes in my favor, letting this flashy 500 biting corners like a bloody predator, without ever losing the pace of those ahead of me. Ok, another gap of 30hp less would not make so much difference, but knowing it, my self-esteem earned points like there is no tomorrow. After this day spent with friends and in the best possible way for ending an event, it was again time to get back behind the wheel and give our personal touch at the Sanremo Music Festival, ended just a couple of days before. Joined by the photographer and crew, we headed towards the “city of flowers”, with the aim to drive some of the best Sanremo Rally Stages, the Festival we really like! On a late February sunny Tuesday I’ve the chance to go into deeper intimacy with this Cinquone and ask it everything it would have been able to give me.
But a test drive is not all fun and driving, trust me. We arrive in Sanremo in the early morning and I immediately look for a car wash to brush the eccentric body, with a livery that would even go crazy Captain America in person, brushed paint also for the alloy wheels and a wide body hugging the ground, which forces you to do the slalom between potholes, in order to avoid damaging the wheels, suspension and not being tossed from side to side in the cockpit. We enter the harbor, we drive into a city clogged like never before, and only after I nearly decided to keep the fenders filthy, we find a small car wash, where I devote myself to remove the dirtiness accumulated in the corners above Monaco, just a few days before. Finally no more waiting and so we walk the road that lead us to the stages of the Rally Sanremo, famous for a succession of corners and narrow strips of asphalt that wind in the Ligurian hinterland, up toward Apricale, Bajardo, Vignai and then Badalucco. The interior in Smurf blue leather with honeycomb stitching is one of the things that struck me most, with that very pattern that is also reflected in the roof panel, but in Alcantara instead of soft leather: a strong contrast if compared to the very rough and extremely muscular character of the wide body kit. This Cinquone, as mentioned before has a 1.4cc Turbocharged engine, which thanks to the remapping of the ECU delivers 160hp and 230Nm of torque (the only one not knowing it was me, Ed.) Even the exhaust system is new and with two large central tailpipes that give a true supercar voice to this little pest, always able to turn heads, halfway between the stunned and the “what-the-hell-is-this?”. Sitting at the wheel, you will always want to pull the gears until the rev limiter and, except for the fact that if you floor the gas in first gear you only loose time spinning, the car manages well to ground the power without understeer or pitching. On the motorway the impression is to travel faster than you really are, but it is an effect that you feel every time in such a small, rigid and noisy car. A part from the track, where I would have definitely preferred to have the horses of the following step, the winding mountain roads proved to be the ideal playground. “Sport” mode engaged of course, the steering wheel becomes heavier and the gas pedal gives a completely different feedback. Traction control switched off and let’s go spanking it the right way, on some of rally’s best roads. There is no traffic and the road ahead is nice and clean, and slippery enough to play with a little ‘of pendulum. Forget all preconceptions on rollovers of the 500, because here is a continuous game approaching its limits and the ultimate speed while cornering, with a chassis that never breaks down, a perfect center of gravity and a couple of people tossed from side to side, in the cockpit. The seats, beautiful to see and touch, are not comfortable at all: I am a very difficult person to find the ideal driving position, but the inwards curved headrest bothered me and forced me to a not outstanding posture, often tiring and boring. They’re not shaped like the other versions, we could almost define ‘em XL size, and then in the more abrupt direction changes, they slip your bottom. Apart from this, and the fake carbon fiber panel on the dashboard, the Cinquone knows to entertain like few other cars and continuously transmits all useful feedback to improve your braking points. The wonderful steering wheel is one of the best episodes and allows a perfect grip, while the shift lever is precise and always at hand. Photos stop and while Jay (The Looking Glass) dedicates himself to details and the interior, I have lunch with the rest of the band, always surprised by how this crazy livery is able to capture the attention of passersby. Time to restart the engine and the road becomes more hostile, forcing me to slow down the pace, often to avoid potholes, often for the lack of visibility, not to mention the close encounter with some cows grazing on the edge of the carriageway. Excellent opportunity to cool the brakes and let rest the small but generous engine and enjoy a more relaxed drive, immersed in the nature. Window down and radio off to hear every facet of the exhaust, but always with the steering wheel tight in my hands, because just a few meters we find a series of tunnels, ideal moment for blasting some revs and unleash the voice of the Cinquone across the Sanremo valleys. In this very moment, leaving for a moment from the inputs of a sports drive, you realize that despite the short wheelbase and the suspension stiffness, you do not necessarily need to drive it nervously, but it can suit well any type of road on which you are and the different needs you ask it. This kind of partnership between car/driver is the one that clearly separates it from the standard original car and plays a poker of aces in its favor, when people ask you the price of this Romeo Ferraris. Just over 7 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph does not do it justice, since the impression is that it uses less time; when you engage second gear and can use all the torque available, the nose of the little Cinquone almost tends to take off and weight on board plays an important role, giving you better or worse performance, also in terms of top speed.
Regardless of the exact number of horses, this USA edition wants and asks to be kept at high revs, taking advantage of everything you can until the arrival of the rev limiter. Lose speed and you have to downshift. The double intercooler facilitates the cooling of the small engine, stowed up front, the habitability remains that of any 500, but the interior cares make every trip, even the shortest movement, a moment in which to celebrate the loving care for details that only an atelier as Romeo Ferraris is able to offer. 360° customization available on your future Cinquone aside, the USA model is less extreme than the Corsa version, but equally fun, and costing around € 63,000, is in a challenging market segment filled by sports cars with remarkable performance. But we have to say that the exclusivity and fun that any Cinquone can offer, are at your fingertips with virtually identical costs to those of a standard 500 Abarth (and so, much more civilized operating costs compared to those sports cars you have thought a couple of lines before). It is still a 4-cylinder 1.4. The concept of luxury toy is still here, this is not a first car, although it may safely be able to accompany you to work, to the grocery store, on vacation and even on track, never make you missing some particular feature. But we prefer to see it as the weekend car, or the ride to use with the knife between the teeth, because let’s face it, when you give life to the engine, you absolutely do not intend to cruise at 2000 rpm, in convoy with the boring and grey sedans of your office colleagues. It is to pay attention to potholes and speed cameras, and traveling with your right hand ready to shift down and your feet moving slyly in an orgy of heel-toe, again calling into question the peak torque that is both fun and allows you to defend yourself well, even while you’re tailgating a 360 Spider, on the hills. My verdict has been already given, randomly and unknowingly, after those hours of driving over Monaco. There wasn’t a single moment in which I wanted to sit behind the wheel of another car, and this is a point that makes the Cinquone strong and winning. Even with only 160hp.
ROMEO FERRARIS CINQUONE USA (2014-)
Layout – Front-engined, front wheel drive
Engine- 4 cylinder 1368cc – turbo
Transmission – 5-speed manual gearbox
Power- 160 hp @ 5750 rpm
230 Nm @ 3000 rpm
Weight- 1110 kg
Acceleration – 7,4 sec.
Top Speed – 210 kph
Price – from 62.920 €
Related tags to article
