FIAT Brand and Hoonigan Team Up for Next Great Driver Search

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Jul 24, 2018, 09:00 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., July 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hoonigans wanted!

FIAT Brand North America and Hoonigan team up for a second-straight year to find the next great racer.

After the success of crowning the next great female racer last summer, the FIAT brand and Hoonigan are teaming up for a second straight year to support auto racing and to find the next great driver/Hoonigan personality with this year's competition
Contestants will be put through a number of driving challenges in FIAT models: the Fiat 500 Abarth, Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, and (in the ultimate challenge) a Fiat 124 Abarth Rally Car - FIAT's factory-built race car
Finalists will be selected by celebrity drivers and team captains, including Rhys Millen
Winner will be announced in September
Follow the competition as it rolls out on FIAT and Hoonigan social channels
Included with the purchase of every 2018 Fiat 500 Abarth and 124 Spider Abarth is the opportunity for new owners to attend a segment-exclusive Abarth Driving Experience at no additional charge

FIAT Brand North America and Hoonigan, a motorsport-lifestyle brand, are teaming up for a second straight year to find the next Hoonigan great driver.

Beginning this week, drivers who feel their skills are worthy may submit their video entries via HoonigansWanted.com, illustrating why they should be chosen to be a part of the challenge series.

"Building on last year's success, FIAT will once again team up with Hoonigan in search of the next great driver," said Steve Beahm, Head of Passenger Car Brands – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA – North America. "The Abarth name is synonymous with a strong racing heritage and finalists will have a unique opportunity to showcase their skills in our Italian-designed, fun-to-drive Fiat 500 and 124 Spider Abarth models."

From all submissions, 10 contestants will be chosen to battle for the chance to join the Hoonigan team. In response to the tremendous and passionate enthusiasm received from last year's search for the next great female racer, this year's competition is expanded to include both female and male contestants.

Top finalists will be selected and divided by each of the celebrity drivers and Team Captains, including Rhys Millen, who has won countless racing championships, as well as Hill Climb records, and wins in multiple disciplines, including off road, drifting, rally and rally cross.

Over five episodes, the teams will be put through a number of challenges in a Fiat 500 Abarth, Fiat 124 Spider Abarth and Fiat 124 Abarth Rally Car models, testing their skill behind the wheel, team work, pit duty, stunt driving and time-attack trials, to name a few.

This year's grand prize winner will receive a custom Fiat 124 Spider Abarth track-ready car (custom modified by the Hoonigan team). Viewers will be able to watch the vehicle build in its entirety via Hoonigan's You Tube channel on their show Garage Garage.

Last year, driver Sara Price from Canyon Lake, California, was chosen the winner from more than 150 all-female entries as the next great female racer. She went on to compete with the Fiat 124 Spider Abarth Rally factory-built racecar in the Mt. Washington Hillclimb, the nation's oldest hillclimb event.

Stay tuned to Hoonigan and FIAT social and digital channels to watch as the competition unfolds and find out which contestant will ultimately represent FIAT and be the next Hoonigan great driver.

Fiat 500 Abarth
The Fiat 500 Abarth offers legendary Italian and track-capable performance for up to four passengers. The car includes the track-tested, turbocharged and twin-intercooled 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine, which provides 160 horsepower and 170 lb.-ft. of torque when mated to a proven five-speed manual transmission and 157 horsepower and 183 lb.-ft. of torque mated with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Fiat 124 Spider Abarth
The Fiat 124 Spider revives the storied nameplate, bringing its classic Italian styling and performance to a new generation. Paying homage to the original 124 Spider a half-century after its introduction, the Fiat 124 Spider delivers the ultimate Italian roadster experience with driving excitement, technology and safety combined with iconic design. Applying the Abarth formula, the Fiat 124 Spider Abarth is designed and built for thrills and performance. Key features include rear-wheel drive, a sophisticated suspension and a four-cylinder turbocharged MultiAir 1.4-liter engine providing 164 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque, and is available with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters.

Abarth Driving Experience for new owners
Since not everyone can become the next Hoonigan great driver, new Abarth owners can get the next best thing. Included with the purchase of every 2018 Fiat 500 Abarth and 124 Spider Abarth is the opportunity for new owners to attend a segment-exclusive driving experience at no additional charge. The Abarth Driving Experience is an entire day of full-throttle training, guided by professional instructors from the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, offering owners and fans of the "small but wicked" Abarth models an opportunity to develop their racing and driving skills. For more information, including availability to the general public, and to register or to verify whether a particular vehicle qualifies, please visit www.abarthexperience.com.

About Hoonigan Media Machine
Hoonigan Media Machine is focused on content creation and is fully equipped to handle production on a wide range of video projects in the automotive community. Led by Hoonigan Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder Brian Scotto, the production team ideate and produce highly sharable, award-winning content from photos to short viral clips to long-form video for both top athletes and personalities and influential brands. For more information on Hoonigan Media Machine, please visit www.hoonigan.com and remember to Hoon Responsibly.

What does Hoonigan mean?

It's a portmanteau (Look it up, yo!): the combination of "hooligan" and "hoon," the Australian term for screwing about in cars.
A person who operates a motor vehicle in an aggressive and unorthodox manner, consisting of, but not limited to, drifting, burnouts, donuts, as well as acts of automotive aeronautics. One who Hoons.

About FIAT Brand
The FIAT brand stands for discovery through passionate self-expression. That philosophy is embodied by the iconic Fiat 500 or Cinquecento – a small car that lives big. Italian at heart and rooted in a rich heritage, the 500 is sold in more than 100 countries and is synonymous with modern, simple design blending form, function, technology and a pride of ownership that is genuine.

In North America, the Fiat 500 was introduced in March 2011 and was soon followed by the Fiat 500c (Cabrio), the high-performance Fiat 500 Abarth and Abarth Cabrio, the fully electric Fiat 500e, the five-passenger Fiat 500L and the all-wheel-drive 500X crossover. The FIAT brand continues to expand with the introduction of the Fiat 124 Spider, a revival of the iconic roadster that combines Italian style, performance and engaging driving dynamics.

Follow Fiat brand and FCA US news and video on:
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Media website: http://media.fcanorthamerica.com
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FIAT blog: blog.fiatusa.com
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Instagram: www.instagram.com/fiatusa or www.instagram.com/FiatChrysler_NA
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