Little did Carlo Abarth know when he began tuning Fiats in the 50’s that he was creating a true legend. The Fiat Group now own the brand, having bought it in 1971, and for many years it was used for accessories and some go faster bits. Happily, the chaps in Turin have realized the power of the scorpion badge and introduced some stunning road cars, namely the Grande Punto Abarth and Fiat 500 Abarth. Unsurprisingly, these models have found their way onto both the rally stages and racetracks of Europe.
The latest development is the introduction of the Fiat Trofeo Abarth 500 in the UK. Last month at a wet and windy Silverstone Stowe circuit, the series was launched. With support from Fiat Abarth UK, the series will be well promoted and the organizers are confident that when they announce their calendar in the coming weeks, they will support some of the top series in the country, BTCC included.
Now to the important bit, the spec! The factory built cars have almost 200bhp, full integral cages and run on 17” Michelin slick tyres. The cars, as you would expect are identical and superbly presented. One might think that putting that kind of power through the front wheels of a Fiat 500 would be a handful but the car seems remarkably sorted, even out of the box. The 1400 turbocharged engine pulls strongly in all gears and both brakes and suspension are well up to the job. Some former Clio Cup racers sampled the cars on the day and were immediately impressed. It all bodes well for an exciting series in 2010 and some top Irish drivers have already made subtle enquiries so watch this space……..
http://www.trofeoabarth500gb.com/
LEO NULTY