Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo
The Fiat Coupe was one of the most daring production car designs of the 1990s. Penned by a young Chris Bangle — who would later reshape BMW's design language controversially — the Coupe featured razor-sharp creases, exposed round headlights set into the fenders, and an overall form that looked like nothing else on the road. The range-topping 20V Turbo used a five-cylinder engine derived from the Fiat/Lancia family of five-pot units, turbocharged to produce 220 horsepower. The engine's distinctive five-cylinder throb and enthusiastic turbo delivery made for an engaging powertrain, though the front-wheel-drive chassis could struggle to deploy all that power cleanly — torque steer was a well-known characteristic. The interior matched the exterior's boldness, with a driver-focused cockpit featuring unusual switch gear and a wraparound dashboard. A Viscous limited-slip differential helped tame the torque steer on later models, and in the hands of a competent driver, the Fiat Coupe could be remarkably quick on a twisting road. Today, the Coupe is finally being recognized as one of the great 1990s performance cars — a flawed genius that offered supercar drama at family car prices.
Rust is a major concern, particularly in sills, rear arches, and around the windscreen. The five-cylinder turbo engine is characterful but needs careful maintenance — cambelt failure is catastrophic. Turbo and wastegate issues on higher-mileage examples. Check for torque steer damage to steering components. Good examples are becoming scarce.
Total Coupe production was approximately 72,000 across all variants. The five-cylinder engine was shared with the Lancia Delta and Kappa. Chris Bangle's design was considered radical when launched but is now widely praised. Production ended in 2000 without a direct successor.