Abarth has a history of cranking up the level of insanity to 11. Never has it been so apparent than in the new Abarth 695 biposto; a stripped-out, track oriented crazy uncle of the Fiat 500 family.
The car commemorates the 50th anniversary of the original lightweight Abarth 695. The new version produces 190hp from a turbocharged 1.4L powerplant, a considerably larger amount of oomph than the puny 30hp from the original. All that power goes to the front wheels via a race-inspired dog ring gearbox.
Abarth has shed a significant amount of weight to allow for all of this nimble performance – perhaps maybe too much. The rear seats have been ditched, along with electric windows, air-conditioning, a radio, and even fog lights. In place of those luxuries Abarth has substituted data-logging systems, adjustable shocks, racing harnesses, bespoke exhaust, and a front-mounted intercooler. This makes it the fastest street-legal Abarth, ever.
Though, it does seem like an odd move. In designing a car that supposedly will race on Sunday and take you to work on Monday, Abarth has made a car that probably won’t do either very well. Instead, you’ll get passed by every rear-wheel-drive track car on Sunday, and wish you had A/C on Monday. No word yet on pricing, but expect it to be extravagantly high.
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[via Abarth]
