► Lazzarini 550 Italia Prototipo Unico
► A one-off Fiat 500 with Ferrari V8
► They want to build one – for $550,000!
Italian tuning specialist Lazzarini knows a thing or two about far-fetched conversions. And now it’s revived a plan to turn the normally cutesy Fiat 500 into a supercar-baiting hyper-hatch, courtesy of a the screaming 4.5-litre V8 borrowed from a Ferrari 458 Italia supercar.
Yes, they’ve taken the high-revving Maranello lump and slung it amidships behind the Cinquecento driver’s shoulder. The Lazzarini 550 Italia Prototipo Unico is one mad, mad concept car…
Sounds cool. Can I buy one?
Possibly, yes. The Italians claim they will build one – ‘and only one’ – for a discerning, and wealthy enthusiast brave enough to commission this hair-brained project.
Price? A cool $550,000. That’s around £375,000 in British quid. For a Fiat 500!
How on earth do they fit a Ferrari V8 in there?
Think of this as a silhouette racer. The drivetrain bears remarkably little relationship to a humble 500 shopping trolley that enjoys such sales success in cities around Europe.
To fit the running gear of a 458 Italia in, some serious butchering is required. The rear track is 350mm wider at the rear, and a fulsome 250mm at the front.
And to make sure the transmission and engine sit within the correct confines, the Fiat’s wheelbase is stretched by 350mm.
‘The rear seating and all the rear package have been removed, allowing the positioning of the Ferrari F136FB V8,’ explains Lazzarini. ‘The rear block, including suspension, differential, gearbox and transmission are also transplanted from the Maranello car.’
Yikes. See it in action in Lazzarini’s video below.