FEATURE – 1998 Fiat 20V Turbo Coupe
Words: Mike Ryan
Photos: Hot Wheels Imports
If you knew what this car was without having to read the title of this article, congratulations! You’re one of very few in this country with extensive knowledge of European performance cars from the 1990s. Or maybe you just played a very popular video game back then…
One of Fiat’s underrated cars, the Coupe (yes, that was its name) combined distinctive looks with outstanding handling and impressive performance. The first all-new sporty Fiat since the X1/9 from 1972, the Coupe was unveiled in 1993, and released in European markets from 1994. RHD production commenced in 1995, primarily for the UK, although a few did go to other RHD markets, like South Africa, Japan and New Zealand. The Coupe was never sold new in Australia, though. In fact, Fiat had no official presence in Australia throughout the Coupe’s lifespan.
Farewell, then Return
Fiat’s history in Australia dates back to the dawn of the 20th Century, with a small, but not insignificant slice of the local car market throughout the 1920s and ’30s.
After World War II, it took some time for Fiat to re-establish itself in Australia, but a local assembly operation was established and lasted until 1961, after which time all Fiats were fully imported.
Fiat sales in Australia peaked at 6,471 units in 1970, but by the end of the ‘70s, annual sales had fallen by almost 75 per cent. A last-ditch effort with the Regata sedan and wagon in 1985 made no difference, with Fiat withdrawing entirely from our new car market in 1989.
Ateco Automotive brought Fiat back to Australia in 2002, but Fiat passenger cars wouldn’t be offered until 2006 with the Punto hatchback, followed by the larger Ritmo hatch and neo retro 500 in 2008.
The gap in Fiat’s presence in the Australian market lines up with the Coupe’s production timeline – from 1993 to 2000 - and also means that any example here will have either been privately imported or sourced via specialty car brokers.
Four, then Five
From its launch in 1993, the Fiat Coupe was powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, mounted transversely and driving the front wheels. This was connected to a five-speed manual transmission, with no automatic offered. Peak outputs from this double overhead cam, 16-valve four that had been developed for the Lancia Delta Integrale were 105kW (142hp) at 6,000rpm and 183Nm (135lb/ft) at 4,500rpm. A turbocharged version of the same engine upped performance to 140kW (195hp) and 290Nm (218lb/ft), increased top speed from 209km/h to 225km/h, and dropped 0-100km/h acceleration from around 9.5 seconds to 6.8.
The Coupe was built on the same FWD platform as Fiat’s successful Tipo and would also be used to underpin Alfa Romeo’s GTV of the same period. Even with a V6 option, the Alfa was actually a little slower than the Coupe, although it did offer a more sophisticated multi-link rear suspension against the Fiat’s trailing arms. Thanks to this fully independent suspension, outstanding handling would be a hallmark of both models.
In 1996, the Coupe was facelifted and new engines introduced. These five-cylinder units were of the same 2.0-litre capacity, but with improved efficiency (the fours were thirsty) and better performance. The NA engine produced 108kW (145hp), and the turbo peaked at 164kW (220hp). Top speed and acceleration increased, too.
As the actual capacity was unchanged, the use of ‘16V’ or ‘20V’ identification was used to define four-cylinder Coupes against the five-cylinder version, referring to the 16 valves in the former and 20 valves in the latter.
The next evolution of the Fiat Coupe came in 1998, when a six-speed manual was introduced, limited to the normally-aspirated cars. Adding variable valve timing to the 2.0lt engine increased power to 115kW (154hp), with fractional increases in top speed and acceleration. This wasn't initially available on the 20V Turbo Coupe, though.
A 'Limited Edition' variant of the NA 20V Coupe was launched in ’98, adding a strut brace, push button starting, Recaro front seats, a bodykit and some cosmetic changes. Similar changes were applied to the boosted car, which was sold as the 'Limited Edition 20V Turbo' in some markets, and 'Turbo Plus' in others.
In 2000, the final year of Coupe production, a six-speed was made available for the regular 20V Turbo, with some cosmetic changes across the board. Coupe production come to an end in December of 2000, after 72,762 examples had been built.
Bangle Style
For all its handling and performance prowess, what really defines the Fiat Coupe is the styling. Despite the ‘Pininfarina’ badging inside and out, the famous Italian carrozzeria didn’t design the car’s exterior. The styling was actually produced in-house at Fiat’s Centro Stile design studio by Chris Bangle, who would gain greater attention for the many controversial designs he created at BMW.
Bangle’s design was distinctive, with a narrow, inverted smile of a grille, headlights under ‘double bubble’ plastic covers, distinctive slashes over the front and rear wheels (the former to allow for a clamshell bonnet), and a bluff rear end with tunnelled circular tail lights.
Door handles in the B pillar ensured a clean profile, with reasonable headroom, despite steeply raked front and rear glass. Boot space was decent, too.
A racing-style fuel filler cap sat atop the offside rear quarter panel, with blackout sills on the early cars, regardless of paint choice. Normally-aspirated Coupes got 15-inch alloys, increased to 16-inch for the Turbo Coupe. Styling of these wheels changed with the facelift in 1996, and again with the engine upgrade in 1998.
While Fiat Centro Stile styled the Coupe exterior, Pininfarina actually built it, and also designed the interior, which was characterised by a body-coloured band running through the upper dash and doors.
Then, as now, the Coupe caused controversy and is a love-it or hate-it car. One of those who love it is Hisham Haddad of Hot Wheels Imports, who fell in love with the Fiat Coupe at a young age.
Young Love, Long Quest
Back in 1999, Gran Turismo 2 was released. The follow-up to the successful Gran Turismo racing game for the Sony PlayStation, GT2 was an even bigger hit, with more than 9 million units sold. One of the cars in that game was the Fiat Coupe, and it was a car that captivated Hisham.
“It was the little round tail lights and wedge-shaped profile that really stood out to me as not another ‘vanilla’ car,” he recalled. “I found the Fiat Coupe very striking. The car that I have now is the same colour as the one I drove in the game!”
That colour, Sprint Blue, was one of eight that gamers could choose from for the 20V Turbo Coupe in GT2. The in-game description talked up the 20V Turbo Coupe’s performance in car magazine comparison tests, it’s “unmissable body lines” and taut handling.
For Hisham, translating that virtual attraction to something tangible more than two decades later proved a tough task because, as previously mentioned, the Coupe was never sold here when new.
“I looked for one domestically over a number of years but never found any for sale. Eventually, I took a risk and imported one.”
With an RHD version sought for practicality, that meant a good Coupe was most likely to be located in the UK. Even then, finding a suitable car was challenging, as few dealers carried them and Hisham didn’t want the potential pitfalls of buying privately overseas. Close to a year was spent searching before the car featured – a 1998 20V Turbo Coupe - was spotted. Hisham wasn’t willing to miss out on this one, so essentially bought the car sight unseen in late 2023.
Ready for the Road - Eventually
As it arrived in Australia, the 20V Turbo Coupe looked good, but needed work to get it road-legal. This included refurbishing a rusty front subframe, and replacing a bunch of rubbers, bushes and other perishables.
“On an ordinary car, these things would have been very simple and quick to do,” Hisham explained. “But it took around another year to source the required parts, and then find someone to instal them.”
That included contacting Fiat suppliers in the UK for instructions on how to install certain parts.
“Working on these cars is not for the faint-hearted” Hisham laughed, adding that someone familiar with Fiats or Alfa Romeos would find the Coupe easier to work on.
Inspection of the engine showed it was in good condition, with no faults found in the gearbox or limited-slip diff that’s exclusive to the Turbo Coupes, either.
Paint was in good condition, although the black lower sills could have done with a respray. The stylish four-spoke alloys also presented well, with no kerb rash, while the plastic headlight covers, which can get cloudy with age, were crystal clear.
Documentation and service records provided with the car showed that it was first registered in June, 1998, with four owners in the UK before going to the dealership Hisham purchased it from. Annual maintenance by a Fiat specialist was recorded up until 2018, but absent thereafter. However, the overall condition of the car suggests it had spent subsequent years in storage, rather than on the road without maintenance. The condition of the brakes – 284mm front and 240mm rear discs with Brembo calipers – reflect this, too.
Virtually Factory Inside
Inside the Coupe, wear was evident in the driver’s area, but most elements were in very good condition. This included the sporty leather seats, door trims, dash, carpets and headlining, plus a set of ‘20V Coupe’ branded floor mats.
“I was surprised, for the age of the car, the interior was amazing,” Hisham recalled.
Pleasingly, the interior was almost entirely stock, too, with the only modification being a Sony stereo head unit in place of the factory Clarion system. The power windows, gauges and switchgear all worked, as did the heater and air con.
Reflecting the fact that the Coupe was usually a solo drive, the rear seats showed little sign of use and were essentially like new.
The Japanese Experience
Hisham’s appetite for the Fiat Coupe wasn’t satisfied with the car featured here, so he recently bought another, this one being a 1999-model Limited Edition 20V Turbo. With the six-speed manual, strut brace and body-coloured sideskirts that defined the LE, this car also features the factory bodykit and front spoiler extension.
Upgraded Brembo brakes with cross-drilled discs, push-button starting, bold red seats and red badging are part of the spec, too.
Finished in Grigio Steel metallic, the 1999 Limited Edition 20V Turbo was sourced from Japan, which Hisham said was a much smoother experience than importing from the UK.
A Rare Car - On the Market
Since he got this Fiat on the road, Hisham said driving it has been an interesting experience.
“I’ve never come across anyone who knew what it was,” he explained. “They may recognise that it’s European – the dead giveaway is the Fiat badge! – but they’ve never known the model name.”
Road tests of the Coupe when new praised its handling and performance – with some going so far as to refer to it as a ‘mini Ferrari’. Hisham says that assessment still holds true today: “It’s an enjoyable sports car and was the fastest front-wheel drive car of its time. When the turbo kicks in at around 3500rpm, it’s a lot of fun.”
Despite his personal attraction to this 1998 Fiat 20V Turbo Coupe, Hisham is looking to sell it (see breakout), along with the 1999 car he got in Japan. With these cars being so rare in Australia, Hisham points out that buying the car featured would save the next owner all the import and rego hassles that he went through.
Past and current owners of sporting Fiats, like the X1/9 and 124 coupe, would be the obvious customer for this car, but Hisham believes fans of Alfa Romeos, particularly the 156 GTA, would do well to give the 20V Turbo Coupe a closer look, as the Fiat offers a similar driving experience.
“Above everything else, I think the most interesting thing is the design,” Hisham added. “It looks a lot better in the metal than it did in the game!”
An exceptionally rare car in Australia, this 1998 Fiat 20V Turbo Coupe is believed to be one of only around 20 in the country across all variants - 16V, 16V Turbo, 20V and 20V Turbo. What’s presented here is an unusual opportunity to turn your Gran Turismo fantasies into reality.
Thanks to Motor Book World for research material provided for this article
Motor Book World, VIC. Ph: (03) 9830 2644. www.motorbookworld.com.au
FOR SALE
Imported from the UK a little over two years ago, this rare Fiat 20V Turbo Coupe is in very good condition overall and has been used sparingly. Presentation is outstanding inside, with an aftermarket sound system the only difference from factory spec.
Fast and agile, this car would suit fans of Italian performance looking for something different and eye-catching. The asking price is $29,888 ono.
For more details, click HERE.
