2015 HOLDEN MALIBU
Fiat’s fastest-ever street-legal 500 Abarth, billed by the Italian carmaker as "a race car for the road", is now available in Australia.
Its official name is the Abarth 695 Biposto, but Fiat also calls it the road-going version of the 695 Assetto Corsa that won Class F at this year’s Bathurst 12-Hour.
There’s plenty of evidence to back-up the "race car" claim, not the least of which is the race-style H-pattern gearbox with dog rings for (skilfully) slammin’ home each upshift without requiring the clutch.
Power from the 1.4 litre turbocharged ‘T-jet’ engine has been boosted to 140kW and 250Nm, giving the Biposto a power-to-weight ratio of 5.2kg/HP but still returning a consumption figure from as low as 6.5 l/100km.
The Biposto tips the scales just under the tonne at 997kg, and can hit 100km/h from rest in 5.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 230km/h.
In comparison, Fiat’s recently-introduced Abarth 595 range in Australia offers up 118kW/230Nm from its 1.4 litre turbocharged engine, and a 0-100km/h time of 7.4 seconds for the manual-equipped model.
The similarly-priced limited edition 695 Edizione Maserati is good for 132kW and the same 250Nm torque output, with a 0-100km/h time of “under seven seconds” (says Fiat).
Performance features include a front-mounted intercooler, Akrapovic dual-stage exhaust system, adjustable shocks, Brembo brakes and lightweight 18-inch OZ wheels.
Inside, the Biposto gets Abarth Corsa by Sabelt seats with four-point seatbelts, a titanium roll bar in the rear, fixed front windows with sliding panels and a data logger from MLX.
Three customisation packages are available for the Biposto, with an ‘Exterior Kit’ and ‘Carbon Kit’ focusing on outward appearance, while the ‘Racing Kit’ includes racing overalls, shoes, gloves and helmet with the opportunity to personalise them with your initials.
The Fiat 500 Abarth 695 Biposto is available now but only on a per-order basis, priced from $65,000 plus on-road costs.
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