Abarth has unveiled today the 500 R3T, their rally car for 2010. The car is based on the Abarth 500 model and is approved for Group R3T, the category for turbocharged cars up to 1600 cm3 in capacity.
Its turbocharged 1368 cm3 engine delivers 180 hp at 5500 rpm and is mated to a sequential, front meshing with 6 speeds gearbox.
The car sits on Brembo brakes are all disc, ventilated at the front with 4 callipers, solid disc at the rear with brake distributor and governor.
Press release after the jump.
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While the entire auto world is drooling with anticipation for the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, those who’ll be participating at the year’s biggest car fest are putting in the finishing touches on what cars are going to make this year’s trip to Germany.
One automaker who’s making a comeback of sorts in the spotlight of Frankfurt is Abarth, and if their promises are any indication, we just might all be bitten by the return of the Scorpion.
As it stands, Abarth is scheduled to unveil three special-edition vehicles: the Abarth 695 “Tributo Ferrari”, the Abarth Grande Punto “Super Sport” and the Abarth 500 “Assetto Corse”.
The car that’s getting the most attention from auto scribes the world over is the limited edition Abarth 695 “Tributo Ferrari”. The car, as you can probably notice by its name alone, was co-created by Abarth and Ferrari with the intention of celebrating the Italian racing tradition, passion for performance, attention to detail and technical innovation that both brands express. Suffice to say, it’s the ultimate collaboration of two Italian racing icons.
Click after the jump for the press release.
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The Italian automotive conglomerate Fiat has just revealed a special edition exclusively made for the Dutch market: the Abarth 500 Competizione - this tuned car is a limited edition that celebrates the return of the historic Abarth division that traditionally prepared the automaker’s race cars. The 500 Competizione will be limited to only 10 units, and will carry a price tag of €24,995 each.
This special edition Fiat is based on a standard Fiat 500 Abarth: a compact that is powered by a turbocharged 1.4 Liter four cylinder that makes a maximum output of 135 HP and 152 lb-ft of torque.
The Abarth 500 Competizione will feature a a blacked out roof, a set of 17 inch blacked out alloys and a set of matte black Abarth graphics on either side. The inside of the Competizione has been stuffed full of the latest technologies and creature comforts like GPS navigation, climate control, premium audio system and leather sport seats. Don’t let the size of this special edition Fiat fool you, this well tailored compact racer will definately give you a run for your money.
The ‘small but terrible’ term has been thrown around over the course of history way too many times. Sometimes, the description is justified, but more often than not, it veers towards hype and exaggeration.
In the auto industry, very few cars can lay claim to this title, but if there was one that truly personifies it, it is without question Abarth. The miniscule muscle car, which is owned by Fiat Automobiles SpA, was re-launched in Europe back in 2007 after almost 2 decades in hibernation, and with the merger between Fiat and Chrysler, there’s that possibility that Abarth could be headed to American soil in the foreseeable future.
It’s safe to say that apart from racing aficionados, not a lot of Americans are familiar with the Abarth brand so a brief history lesson might be in order.
Back in the 60’s, Abarth made a name for itself in hill climbing and sports car racing – competing against two of most legendary sports racing vehicles in history, the Ferrari Dino and the Porshce 904. Apart from their affiliations in auto racing, Abarth also produced compact yet powerful sports cars with the likes of Porsche and Simca. These cars, borne from the tradition of innovation, power and adrenaline, made Abarth a hot item in the 70’s and 80’s.
Continued after the jump.
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The FIAT tuner Abarth has released a new sport buckets, the "Abarth Corse by Sabelt." These racing seats are inspired by the units found in the classic Abarth 595 and 695 from the 1960s, and feature some nice touches like red stitching to match the interior of the Abarth models, the scorpion logo on the reclining adjuster and an opening in the headrest suitable for a racing harness to pass through. The new Sabelt seats weight about 20 pounds less than production seats and are available in a frau black leather and Alcantara combination.
The new seats won’t be exclusive to the Scorpion badged vehicles, they can also be found in the Fiat 500 and Fiat Grande Punto as well.
Press release after the jump.
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Fiat likes to add extra spice to their cars, even after their in-house tuner Abarth gets its hands on them. A good example is the 500 "essesse" shown in Paris last year. Now for the Geneva Motor Show, Fiat will come with another hotter Abarth: the Grande Punto Abarth "SuperSport".
The 16-valve 1.4-liter turbocharged engine now delivers 180 hp (up 25 hp from the standard Grande Punto Abarth). With this amount of power the Grande Punto Abarth SuperSport’s top speed is raised 4 mph to 133 mph and makes the 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 7.5 seconds (shaving about half a second off Grande Punto Abarth’s time).
Performance also benefits from a number of changes that the “esseesse” kit makes in ride height and trim attitude, giving the car a more solid stance with firmer, shorter springs, 215/40 R18 tires and specially designed 7.5 J X 18 alloy wheels. The kit puts the car into a real sprinter’s crouch, dropping its roll center by 20 mm. Just as important, the brake system features cross-drilled discs all round, together with high-performance front brake pads.
Press release after the jump.
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Abarth has never produced its own car before. Karl Abarth cut his teeth on plenty of European cars, especially Fiats, but the bodywork has always been pretty much stock. But now that the Abarth name carries so much allure, Fiat is going to exploit its in-house tuner for all it’s worth.
We reported earlier this year that Abarth would build its own car. Now Auto Express has pics and some new info. The information suggests that Abarth’s coupe will be a lot like the Smart Roadster in execution: small, light and nimble.
The place where the Smart failed the most was that it used the engine from the ForTwo model. The Abarth will use a much better starting point with 135 hp 1.4-liter turbocharged engine from the Abarth 500. The car will also feature a removable roof panel, the traditional white and red color scheme, and, of course, plenty of the Abarth scorpion logos.
"Da 0 a 100" (From 0 to 100) special edition was launched to commemorate the memory of Karl Abarth who was born on November 15, 100 years ago (he was a Scorpio and his logo was a scorpion, get it).
The "Da 0 a 100" special edition is mechanically similar to the 500 Essesse seen at the Paris Auto show. It’s powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that delivers 160 hp - 25 more than a regular 500 Abarth. The 0 to 60 mph sprint is made in 7.3 seconds, which is almost a full second quicker then is listed for the 500 Abarth. Top speed is raised from about 127 mph to 131 mph.
The special edition also features perforated disc brakes, high performance front brake pads, special low springs, and 17” alloy wheels with Pirelli Pzero Nero 205/40 R16 ZR 17 tires. Karl Abarth actually got his start in motorcycle racing, and that is reflected in some elements of the car. Part of the performance upgrade includes a BMC air filter, which is usually reserved for the two-wheeled vehicles.
Press release after the jump.
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As we reported previously, Abarth is preparing to expand its line-up. After making performance versions of Fiat’s 500 and Grande Punto, Fiat bosses said there will be a third model that will likely carry its own sheetmetal.
One idea is to is simply to update the 500 and Punto. Another basing a special-bodied coupe off another car in the Fiat range, such as using the proposed Lancia Fulvietta as a base. The third and most enticing option is a high-performance model (the drawing above) that will compete with models from Porsche and Ferrari.
Second model to be revealed by Abarth at the Paris Auto Show will be the 500 Abarth Assetto Corse. The model will make its official début in non-European markets by the end of the year, first of all in Japan which is keenly awaiting the Scorpion’s arrival.
Paris is the perfect opportunity to really find out about the world of Abarth preparation which is already proving to be a great hit with the “Assetto” and “esseesse” kits available for the Grande Punto Abarth 1.4 Turbo T-Jet 155 CV. Over 600 kits have been sold in just a few months.
Press release after the jump.
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