DRIVING ABARTH’S BIRTHDAY PRESENT
It’s a 695, which means a 180bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre four, though with a five-speed stick or automated manual shift, and no sign of the dog-ring transmission that was optional in the more hardcore Biposto I tested nearly five years ago (see Octane 140). No, here the desire to tweak and tease has concentrated on the Spoiler ad Assetto Variabile: a manually adjustable wing above the rear window, inspired by the raised engine lids of older Abarth racers, that can be moved through 12 different positions between zero and 60º. In the maximum setting, the spoiler increases downforce by up to 42kg at 124mph.
The 695’s feisty compactness found its match in the twists between the cones on this temporary circuit. The engine delivered boosty punch through the gears, allied with the five-speed manual that allows you to snatch first with a dab of heel-and-toe into the tightest corners so you can stab your way out and find that the standard limited-slip diff does its best to contain the front end as you do so.
Sure, there was torque steer: this isn’t a purist racer’s car; it’s too lofty for that. But work with it and you’ll barely be able to stifle your laughter, while your right foot is encouraged by the fruity bark from the Record Monza exhaust.
Out on the road you’ll notice the pitchy ride, which bounces off the bump-stops over speedhumps, yet it flattens out and feels stable and planted at higher speeds. Turn-in isn’t the sharpest, and the steering is a little numb, but the wheelrim is tactile and chunky, roll contained and the whole car feels indomitable.
At £29,695, this is not an inexpensive car: you can get the same performance for £6000 less, and Abarth 595s begin at around £17,000. But only 1949 of this edition will be built, and that spoiler marks it out as something a little different: these things are all about personalisation, after all. It’s rare to see 900 cars assembled that look so similar yet differ so greatly in detail, as did those in Milan.
With this captive audience, it seemed inevitable that Abarth would instantly find a few customers keen to own a car with potential collectability. Its Monza 1958 grey-green livery is a tribute to the colour of the first 500 Abarth, which set six international records at Monza – and that car was present. Despite the claims that ‘We laaahve the heestory’, many of the assembled throng seemed oblivious to the heritage cars on display. But they clearly loved the latest. And that, of course, was the reason behind this celebratory weekend.