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Alain Prost roadtests Mini Cooper S & Punto Abarth. Says Abarth is better...

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  • 28-06-2008 1:34pm
    #1
    pburns
    Registered Users Posts: 2,423 ✭✭✭


    Anyone speak Italian?

    Saw this being discussed on another forum.

    Alain Prost recently did a test for an Italian car mag comparing the Punto Abarth SS to the Mini Cooper S JCW.

    http://www.quattroruote.it/primo_contatto/articolo.cfm?codice=140346

    Apparantly he preffered the Fiat in every way - better steering, handling, performance. He said the Mini's back end was unpredicatable and the engine lacked low-down grunt (...o and he didn't like the MINI's driving position).

    Now I know this is open to claims of bias being an italian publication and all but couldn't the same accusation be levelled at the MINI and British journos? Prost was one of the best test & development drivers in the history of F1 so his opinion carries some weight. On top of that he has a notoriosly bad relationship with the FIAT/Ferrari group...


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    #2
    cashmni1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 629 ✭✭✭cashmni1


    sounds about right about the 2 cars imo....


  • Options
    #3
    irish.rugby.fan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 192 ✭✭irish.rugby.fan


    Punto is made by Fiat, therefore will always break and will look hideous.


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    #4
    peasant
    Registered Users Posts: 17,819 ✭✭✭✭peasant


    irish.rugby.fan wrote: »
    Punto is made by Fiat, therefore will always break and will look hideous.


    nothing like a well informed, fact based opinion :D


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    #5
    Henry Ford III
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 17,712 Mod ✭✭✭✭Henry Ford III


    pburns wrote: »
    ....Alain Prost recently did a test for an Italian car mag comparing the Punto Abarth SS to the Mini Cooper S JCW.

    ...

    The penny drops :D


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    #6
    pburns
    Registered Users Posts: 2,423 ✭✭✭pburns


    Well I haven't driven either car but would have suspected the MINI was superior (judging by press i've read etc.)

    Can't help feeling that there could be a kind of 'Emperor's new clothes' situation around certain 'iconic' cars amongst the British press. Someone like Prost coming from a completely different culture, language would not be part of that 'clique' and may make judgements without any baggage or predispositions.

    And let's face it - this is ALAIN ****ing PROST!!!! The best car developer in 80s F1 and a 4 times World Champion!

    I'd LOVE to see car mags making use of well known racing drivers for opinions on high-end cars. A couple of years ago CAR got Brundle to test a brace of cars for their 'performance car of the Year' thing I think and he had some great comments, many of which went against perseived wisdom...

    I know it was an Italian mag but Prost is French and AFAIK has a fracturious relationship to this day with Scuderia Ferrari and it's associated companies. He was fired in the early '90s for calling his F1 car 'a truck'.

    So essentially dismissing his opinions as a FIAT-favouring lacky shows ye up as the stereotypical southside BMW fanboys ye really are;):p:)!


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    #7
    JHMEG
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,686 ✭✭✭JHMEG


    Google does a reasonable job of translating it.


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