The Journey Into The World Of Supercars Continues
After its road début in the Gumball 3000 – the non-competitive rally restricted to just 120 exclusive supercars – “the fastest Abarth ever” is ready to show off all its power in the temple of supercars: the prestigious “Goodwood Festival of Speed 2014” set for 26 to 29 June in the English county of West Sussex.
Uphill races, displays, exhibitions and parades of historic and contemporary cars: each year the event attracts more than 150,000 people, including enthusiasts, collectors and experts from all over the world. This year the spotlight is bound to be on the latest Abarth creation, which a few days ago was the ”official car” on the nearly 3,000 km of the Gumball 3000 in Europe – from Edinburgh to Ibiza – with the special #1 highly visible on the side.
Now the Abarth 695 biposto is ready for a new challenge: the demanding Goodwood Hillclimb, main attraction of the “Goodwood Festival of Speed 2014”. Nearly two kilometres of road from the southern corner of the Goodwood Estate, turning in front of Goodwood House towards the Goodwood racecourse. A highly technical and spectacular route which, with a climb (between the beginning and the end) of almost 100 metres, puts the technical characteristics of all participating cars to the test.
The ideal stage for showing off the power and the style of the Abarth 695 biposto once more: the 190 HP 1.4 T-jet engine (the most powerful ever installed in a road-going Abarth), the mere 997 kg of weight, making it one of the very few sports cars with a weight–power ratio of just 5.2 kg/HP (the best in its category), and the acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.9”, making it the fastest front-wheel-drive saloon currently on the market. All will make their presence felt in the Goodwood Hillclimb.
Genuine supercar performance, for the most Abarth of all Abarths, the first car in the world to offer the possibility of an H-pattern gearbox with dog rings, type-approved for road use, to make the driving experience even more thrilling.
The biposto perfectly encapsulates Abarth’s spirit: racing performance with the versatility of a road-going car, as demonstrated during Gumball, where it led the way on the road and on the English Dunsfold Park circuit, famous for broadcasts of Top Gear, and the French D’Albi circuit, always with ‘Small Supercar’ performance.
At just four months from launch, the Abarth 695 biposto is already an icon as far as all Abarth fans are concerned, thanks to the support of the best partners, like Selenia, Akrapovic for the exhaust system, Extreme Shox for the adjustable shock absorbers and MXL for the digital data logger. And there’s more: the 4-point Abarth Corsa by Sabelt seats, the Brembo braking system, the lightened 18-inch OZ rims and the rear titanium anti-roll bar by Poggipolini.
Abarth will also be a star attraction at the Goodwood Moving Motor Show, running throughout the weekend of the Festival Speed, where motoring enthusiasts will be able to see the most recent models up close and car manufacturers can show off their latest developments.
The 695 biposto, a 595 Competizione and a highly-specified 500C will be the beating heart of the Abarth stand, once more highlighting the brand’s unique character: through these cars, it continues its path of renewal in continuity with its history and philosophy, in which performance and technical and style customisation have always found a perfect balance.
Abarth is a brand with two spirits: it comes from the world of performance and racing, but also lives on style and distinctiveness. The brand’s presence at the Moving Motorshow summarises precisely this connection between these two dimensions of the Abarth world: the versions of the Abarth 595 updated and enhanced for 2014 represent its sports vocation which doesn‘t sacrifice style, while its more pure sports side is expressed through the Abarth 695 biposto, a genuine “small supercar”.
The two 595 Model Years present the latest from Abarth for 2014 both from a technological point of view, with the new instrument panel with 7″ digital display and TFT (Thin-Film-Transistor) technology as standard on the entire range – content that is increasingly widespread among supercars with a sports vocation – and in terms of the colour offer.
The current offer is doubled: the long-standing classics of Campovolo Grey, Officina Red, Gara White and Leggenda Light Blue are joined by Pista Grey, previously available only in two-tone combinations, and Beige Rally for the pastel colours. On the metallic side, after Record Grey and Scorpione Black, the new option is Trofeo Grey. The new choices are rounded off with Cordolo Red. There are double the two-tone options of the current range as well: Pista Grey matched with Leggenda Light Blue, Beige Rally with Cordolo Red or Trofeo Grey. Additionally, there will be an option of the new Beige Rally colour matched with beige soft top for cabrios, and the new 16-inch rim, with retro-inspired design, brings the total choice of rims to 6. The cars available in the “Competizione” and “Turismo” customisations are dedicated to those who want to feel challenge every day, looking for “everyday performance” without giving up on style.
The 2014 Abarth range (500, 595, 695 biposto) can be ordered in all European dealerships.