Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Rinspeed's Abarth-based E2 concept

Rinspeed E2

Usually one concept is enough to put Rinspeed on the map here at its home-turf Geneva Motor Show, but this year the quirky Swiss coachbuilder doubled down with a modified Fiat 500 that hugs the road and the planet at the same time. Joining the innovative iChange on its show stand, the Rinspeed E2 starts with the hot Abarth version instead of the standard Cinquecento, tuned it to squeeze out both extra power and extra economy thanks to a dual-mode engine management system. Painted the same shade of metallic orange as the iChange concepet, the E2 may not be quite as attention-grabbing, but extra power without the penalty is a trend we could get used to all too easily.