Faults:

Clutch started to slip, but appears to have cured itself.

Front brakes started to squeak on braking, but have now stopped.

Slight oil leak, but a new rocker cover gasket should solve that.

General Comments:

I have always wanted one of these, and last year I changed my job and needed another car for work. I only had a few grand to play with, but wanted something with a fair bit of performance, and something that was just a bit different.

When I started searching for the Fiat, I couldn't believe how cheap these cars were. This nearly put me off buying one, because I assumed they were cheap because they were so rubbish, so I did some more research. To my surprise, and relief, I was pleasantly surprised to see how good these cars really are. The owners just love them to bits. So I took the plunge and bought mine last year.

I am so pleased with the car. I don't need to add any more comments than the other owners have on this website. All I can say is that I am so pleased that so few people realise how good these cars are, because if they did, they would cost as much as a Porsche 911 of similar age ie. 10 grand plus! So I would recommend you buy one now, because the word is spreading, and it's a future classic that I'm sure one day will be worth a few quid!

Faults:

Clutch imploded and jammed to flywheel.

Bonnet Release Cable: Huge job to replace - my mechanic was not a happy bunny when it came to fit this - the design of this is pretty poor.

CV joint

Downpipes cracked.

General Comments:

The 5 cylinder engine makes the most stunning roar under load.

The interior is a work of art - a real treat to sit in and is matched by the stunning coachwork.

I bought the 20v NON-Turbo because having owned a LOT of Italian machinery over the years, I know that the more highly tuned they are, the more likely are they to break - and the more costly are they are to fix.

The 20v is a gem of an engine - the roar under load is a sound you need to hear - positively thrilling, but the chassis wasn't up to the same levels of finesse as the engine. The combination of FWD and a long chassis mean that on twisty b-roads the Coupe felt skittish and over extended. In comparison sweeping A-roads were a joy to experience.

The Coupe can best be summed up as a Italian GT car which shuns the norm - it's a future classic which cant be matched for its striking looks.

Buy one with your eyes wide open though - it will not be cheap to run - although the chance to be truly different is worth the extra attention it demands.

Faults:

Has the usual ticking from a cracked manifold. Was like this when I bought the car, and I will get around to fixing it soon.

Accelerator cable snapped.

Some slack in the steering straight ahead position. Possibly inner track rods.

Needed front suspension overhaul at 73,000 miles, wishbones drop links, strut top mounts.

Screeching front brakes.

General Comments:

I bought this car in February as a replacement for my Alfa Romeo 156 2 litre TS, which had been 100% reliable in my ownership.

I bought the car knowing that the cambelt needed changing, this was budgeted for in my purchase price as cost me £600 at a specialist with all the other belts and tensioners changed.

I have since added a GTEC 1 tuning chip, stainless exhaust, boost gauge and manual boost controller. The car has been rolling roaded at 260bhp and goes like a rocket, and the 5 cylinder engine sounds very nice.

Fuel consumption works out at around 28mpg, in general driving, but will rise to around 35mpg on a run or drop to around 18mpg when thrashed, which is very good considering the performance.

0-60 has been measured at 5.8 seconds, 0-100 in 13.5 seconds and top speed (on a private road) at 162 mph.

The car is not the cheapest to maintain however, and insurance is expensive but there are few cars around that offer such performance for so little outlay. All the latest hot hatches including ST Focuses, Astra VXR's cannot touch it in a straight line, although they probably corner better due to the Coupe's aging suspension design.

I would recommend one as long as you buy a good one, and don't expect it to be cheap to run, but for thrills for your cash, these cars are hard to beat.