Fiat is milking a trend Porsche figured out long ago: When it comes to sporty cars with image, people will pay a whole lot more to get a whole lot less. Abarth unveiled the Fiat Abarth 695 Competizione at Frankfurt Motor Show.
The 695 Competizione, which can be considered a successor to the 2009 695 Tributo Ferrari, is powered by an upgraded version of the 1.4-litre turbocharged MultiAir engine, delivering over 134 kW, according to the Italians. The 4-cylinder engine powers the front wheels via an electromechanical gearbox with two modes: the fully automatic “Street” and the manual-shifting “Track”, in which the driver changes gears only through the steering wheel-mounded paddles.
The Abarth 695 Competizione “borrows” the Tributo Ferrari’s 305 mm Brembo brakes, specially calibrated dampers and dual-mode, sound and performance-enhancing exhaust.
Finally, the interior gets a roll bar in place of the rear seats, instruments by Jaeger, a navigation system with telemetry and two Sabelt sports seats up front.
Time will tell if it ends up a ‘nerdcore’ racer like the Megane R26.R, or a limited-edition poseur like the Citroën DS3 Racing. We are, however, happy to see that the exclusive segment of stripped-down, high-speed road and track cars is extending to more affordable fare, like this little Abarth, which is expected to cost around 35 000 Euros.
