Abarth at 2012 Geneva Motor Show
Abarth brand at the Geneva Motor Show is going to have spectacular presence! There will be presented some of the highly anticipated models by the brand. The all new Abarth 695 Assetto Corse is a small super-sports car designed for racing on the track, which will make its world debut at the show. In addition, the new model Abarth Punto Scorpione will also make a debut. This is a Limited Edition and is dedicated to all those who love high speed and performance. Another milestone on the "road to performance" is the new Abarth 595 which actually is a remake of the popular 595 model that Karl Abarth presented in 1963. It now carries enhanced performance features of a "basic" car, offering a power upgrade to 160 HP (118 kW) as standard. The new Abarth 595 is going to be offered in two variations: "Competizione" and "Turismo".
First of all Abarth 695 Assetto Corse is designed for track racing and depicts the continuity of the historic 695 brand that came into being in 2009 with the 695 Tributo Ferrari. The car also appears to be a continuation of the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse. Furthermore the 695 Assetto Corse is characterised by an aggressive front decorated with a badge bearing the Abarth logo and, underneath, a broader bumper complete with aerodynamic spoiler and screen-printed grilles instead of the plastic masks of the standard version. Under the bonnet there is a 1368 cm3 turbocharged engine that delivers 205 HP (151 kW). The rear of the car features a winged spoiler, a badge bearing the Abarth logo and a twin exhaust pipe. The 695 model sits on 17" light forged racing wheels, enriched with new floating, perforated and self-ventilated front disc brakes and perforated rear disc brakes. More importantly, there is included the Sadev sequential gearbox with a specific ratio that when combined with a metal-ceramic twin plate clutch reaches absolutely top performance in its category.The interior of the car contains all of the safety equipment required by FIA regulations, including a roll-bar welded to the body that has been further optimised to improve its torsional stiffness.
The next Abarth which will be on display in Geneva is the new Punto Scorpione, which expresses the Abarth Punto's sporting characteristics. The Limited Edition Scorpione is intended for a more mature audience that wishes to express their sporting spirit more discreetly and elegantly, but with no intention to settle for less. Only 199 examples of the model are producesed. The exterior is distinguished by a ton-sur-ton livery where the Scorpione Black of the body becomes matt on the bonnet and roof. The glossy black "passband" element stands out on the latter, with a hand-polishing treatment carried out at Abarth&C. itself, with a view to ensuring customisation with genuine craftsmanship. Moreover, it is equipped with a 1.4 MultiAir engine boosted to 180 HP (132 kW) at 5750 rpm and with a maximum torque of 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) at 2500 rpm, the Abarth Punto Scorpione reaches a top speed of more than 216 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.5 seconds. The car has glossy black 18" alloy wheels and front and rear Koni shock absorbers with FSD (Frequency Selective Dumping) valve and specially lowered springs. The exhaust pipe, oversized in the central section, is taken from the now famous "Esseesse" kit. The interior of the special Abarth Punto Scorpione features "Abarth Corsa by Sabelt" black technical fabric seats, with red and yellow stitching and matt black backrest, type-approved and lightened in keeping with the car's sporting spirit.
Next the attention will be put on the two new models featured in the Abarth 500 Range: "Turismo" and "Competizione". In both customisation options, the car is fitted with a 1.4 Turbo T-Jet engine whose power has been increased to a good 160 HP (118 kW) thanks to the standard engine tuning kit. The car has 4-cylinder 16-valve 1,368 cm3 engine (with fixed geometry IHI turbocharger), which delivers thrilling torque of 230 Nm (170 kW) at 3000 rpm in Sport mode, top speed of 211 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.4 seconds. These results are due to the overboost function, activated using the "Sport" button, which modulates control unit mapping and turbo pressure, in addition to load on the steering wheel. Yet this trademark Abarth performance accompanies fuel consumption: 6.5 l/100 km in the combined cycle. Furthermore, in the both models is included the TTC (Torque Transfer Control) device as standard, which by enhancing the transfer of drive torque to the wheels, improves the car's road holding without compromising fun at the wheel. The vehicled is equipped as standard with Xenon headlights with dipped and driving light functions for improved light emission and excellent performance in all weather conditions. These devices deliver three times the light intensity and duration of standard halogen-lamp headlights. The "Turismo" model sits on magnesium-coloured 17" alloy wheels with GranTurismo-inspired design, which contributes to the car's elegance. It also comes with electrically operated manual Abarth Competizione gearbox with controls on the steering wheel as standard. The second model "Competizione", is dedicated to more extreme sports enthusiasts, to the true "racing purists", and for this reason it has 5-speed manual gearbox which improves personal driving style through a more direct relationship with the car. This version sits on 17" titanium-coloured alloy wheels, with yellow Brembo brake calipers. As for the "Turismo" version, side and tailgate respectively are enhanced by the 595 and 595 "Competizione" logo, both in aluminium, just as the front bumper grille and extractor are titanium grey. How about the interior: they also have sporty and aggressive personality, thanks to the "Abarth Corsa by Sabelt" leather and leather-coloured Alcantara seats, bearing the 595 logo embroidered on the integrated headrest. At last, the gear lever knob, sill plate, pedal unit and aluminium kick plate are all decorated with the Abarth motifs. The complete style of the cars is finished with matt titanium side stripes, which also feature on the mirror covers.
Source: Abarth