The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance is located in Phoenix, Arizona and is – arguably – the best driving school in the country. It is the only purpose-built driver training facility for performance enthusiasts and is the largest of its kind in North America. The school has a fleet of more than 200 vehicles, including race-ready models, SUVs, and even open-wheel cars. It’s 60-acre facility and 1.6-mile track is about to get just a little more crowded, however, as Fiat has teamed up with the Bondurant School of High Performance and will be adding the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth and the Fiat 500 Abarth to its fleet.

Bob Bondurant, the owner and CEO of the school, said, “We’re excited that FIAT will join our team to expand our driving programs. The Fiat 500 Abarth and 124 Spider Abarth will make great additions to our amazing lineup. The capabilities of the Fiat coupe and roadster will give people the chance to get behind the wheel of balanced performance vehicles that are as fun to drive on the track as they are during a daily commute.”

That’s not all, though. As part of this partnership, the Bondurant School of High Performance will be offering the Abarth Track Experience. In short, any customer that purchases or leases a new Fiat 124 Abarth or a Fiat 500 Abarth will get a free day of high-performance instruction and track time. Customers have one year from the date they purchase or lease their new car to register and take advantage of the offer and can option for a second day of fun called “Road Rally,” that starts out at the Bondurant facility and takes a 180- to 220-mile trip down some scenic Arizona highways. The second day includes a morning coffee break and a private lunch before returning to the school.

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Why it Matters

Bob Bondurant’s School already has a huge portfolio of cars including models like the Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcats, and several Viper models as well. But the coolest part about this news is the new Abarth Track Experience. That free day of training that comes with the purchase or lease of the 124 or 500 Abarth includes things like skid control, slalom, sautocross, team rally cross, and hot laps around the track, all of which are led by a professional instructor. I’m not really sure what a day of training would set you back under normal circumstances, but it’s certainly an incentive to seat yourself in either of the new models. I would probably go for the 124, but that’s just me. At the end of the day, something tells me that a day at the school is insightful and fun regardless of what car you’re in. If you’ve already purchased a new Abarth model, or want to see if your car qualifies, you can go here to input your information and find out for yourself.