Carbon-fiber parts and a software fix help create a lighter, faster Fiat

Chrysler Group's Mopar parts brand and Italian supplier Magneti Marelli have teamed up on a design exercise based on the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth that shaved weight and added horsepower. The vehicle, called the Venom, has a number of carbon fiber components -- hood and side mirrors, for example -- that makes it about 200 pounds lighter than the 2,512-pound Abarth. The Venom uses software updates and additional exhaust components to boost the Abarth's standard 160-hp 1.4-liter turbocharged engine's output by as much as 25 percent. The coupe's roof is decorated with a large matte-black Scorpion, the historic symbol for the Abarth. The Venom was shown to journalists in Las Vegas to demonstrate off-the-shelf customizing options available to European customizers from Mopar and Magneti Marelli, which is part of Fiat Group in Europe. The parts are not currently available in the United States.