|
It is only a few months since the 500
Abarth was launched, but there is no stopping Abarth &
C. S.p.A. as they bring several more new products to the
Paris Motor Show. The major new developments include a
world preview of the “esseesse” kit for the 500 Abarth,
the Assetto Corse Abarth and a new collection of
technical equipment produced in partnership with Basic
Net (owner of the prestigious Kappa, Robe di Kappa,
Superga and K-way brands).
In particular, the spotlight will be on
the “esseesse” kit for the 500 Abarth, which evokes the
glorious history of the Scorpion. Carlo Abarth always
concentrated his efforts on developing the performance of
standard-production cars, but it was only after a meeting
with Vittorio Valletta (President of Fiat from 1946-1966)
that the conditions were put in place for development of the
famous conversion kit. In 1958, the year in which Abarth &
C. Spa was recognised as a solid international company, an
important agreement was sealed which allowed Abarth & C. to
use the semi-finished bodyshells of cars on which they could
design their conversions using special parts.
This link to a major car manufacturer
allowed the company, based in Corso Marche (Turin) to
develop and fine-tune its preparation of small vehicles.
Carlo Abarth’s aim was to design a simple, standardised
performance enhancement technique so that any workshop,
mechanic or even the customer himself could fit the parts to
their vehicles.
The new Abarth – underlining its desire
to carry on the historic work of Abarth&Co by bringing it up
to date – now brings us the first conversion kit dedicated
to the 500 Abarth. The whole concept of the Paris stand is
based on car preparation, with the presentation of the 500
Abarth “esseesse” kit and the Assetto Corse Abarth version.
The public will be able to see the various levels of Abarth
“empowerment”, through which everyone can find their ideal
performance level. From the entry-level car, the range
continues with a specific kit, through to the “assetto corse”
racing set-up which represents the ultimate Abarth
performance.
Original and extremely eye-catching, the
display area is characterised by those elements of the
Scorpion philosophy that have made it so unique and popular
worldwide: the tough spirit, speed, and an innate desire to
win. Compared to previous shows, nothing has changed as far
as the brand’s distinctive identity is concerned: the colour
red, a great passion for cars, the red and white chequered
flag used to signal the end of endurance races (the
competitions in which Abarth has notched up its greatest
achievements), and the yellow and red shield with the black
scorpion, representing the stinging zodiac sign of this
mechanical genius. The beautiful polished white floor only
adds to the dynamic look of the stand, while the materials
and finishes almost fade into the background in order to
show off the car and the kits – the real protagonists of the
stand.
500 Abarth and the “esseesse” kit are
sharing the Paris stage with another star: the 500 Abarth
Assetto Corse, to represent the coming together of two
worlds: racing and ordinary road driving. Each draws
strength from the other in a mix of past and present, the
historic and the contemporary, tradition and technology – an
integral part of the Abarth story. The stand also makes room
for technology, with interactive features like the car
configurator so that visitors can view the different
versions of each model. The parts look so real you can
almost reach out and touch them. There is also a series of
interactive screens which brings the Abarth world to life: a
way to discover, hear and share that empowerment – the
capacity to make a normal product into something outstanding
– which makes Abarth unique.
Paris is the perfect opportunity to
really find out about the world of Abarth preparation which
is already proving to be a great hit with the “Assetto” and
“esseesse” kits available for the Grande Punto Abarth 1.4
Turbo T-Jet 155 CV. Over 600 kits have been sold in just a
few months. The distribution network, unique in its class
and steadily growing, has been a key factor in achieving
these significant results. The European target has been
achieved, with 100 dealers now operating in Italy, Germany,
the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Austria, the
Netherlands, Greece, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Poland.
There are 100 official converters and about 200 workshops.
By year-end Abarth will make its début in non-European
markets, first of all in Japan which is keenly awaiting the
Scorpion’s arrival.
From the racing world:
Technology,
performance and safety
Abarth’s aim - to
bring the technology and values of the racing world to the market is not just
about producing road going cars and conversion kits. It also includes vehicle
preparation services for customers, organising single-make championships, direct
participation in national and international competitions through to the creation
of clothing and accessories in the Abarth style. These are all areas which the
public will be able to discover and appreciate at first hand on their visit to
the Abarth stand in Paris.
The 500 Abarth “esseesse” kit
In line with the philosophy which has
distinguished Abarth for half a century – to bring its
racing experience to the market for road going cars and open
up the world of motor sport – the 500 Abarth with the
“esseesse” kit is another important piece of the jigsaw in
the already ambitious project of Fiat Group Automobiles.
True to Abarth tradition, the "esseesse” kit comes in an
elegant wooden case and can only be sold and installed by
the official network of Abarth converters, guaranteeing
compliance with the highest testing and safety standards.
In detail, the kit allows the 1.4 16v
Turbo T-Jet engine to achieve a maximum power of 160 CV (147
KW) at 5750 g/min with peak torque of 230 Nm at 3000 g/min
in “Sport Mode”. The result is a truly thrilling
performance: top speed is 211 km/h with acceleration from
0-100 kph in just 7.4 seconds. In line with the Abarth
concept of preparation, the “esseesse” kit uses perforated
and ventilated front brake discs (diameter 284mm x 22mm),
perforated rear brake discs (diameter 240mm x 11mm,
high-performance front brake pads, springs that are
specially lowered in comparison to the original car and
Abarth “esseesse” 7” x 17” ET35 alloy wheels, finished in
white or titanium, teamed with 205/40 ZR 17 Pirelli Pzero
tires. The 500 Abarth “esseesse” kit is topped off by the
specific air filter powered by BMC, four tire pressure
sensors, “esseesse” badges for the engine hood and the
tailgate, and a specially designed, highly original key
cover.
Back on the track: “500 Abarth Assetto
Corse”
Almost 43 years after Carlo Abarth drove
his last record-breaking car, Abarth is making its racing
comeback with the new “500 Abarth Assetto Corse”, the
ultra-sporty little Scorpion designed by Fiat Group
Automobiles Styling Centre and developed by Abarth’s team of
engineers and designers. It looks like a true racing car as
can be seen from the 1400 cc engine (16 valves and 200 bhp),
wide tracking, ultra-light 17’’ white racing alloys, lowered
suspension, racing mirrors and numbers down the sides.
Available in pastel grey with red Abarth
side stripes, the “500 Abarth Assetto Corse” has an
aggressive front end complete with Abarth badge, below which
are the oversized bumper, aerodynamic spoiler and screen
printed grilles, replacing the plastic ones on the standard
version. On the engine hood, apart from the traditional
hooks, we find the two carbon air intakes complete with
scorpion. The rear of the vehicle has a white spoiler,
Abarth badge and double exhaust. Last but not least, in true
Abarth style, down the sides is the sword logo which
represents the brand's racing image, and the roof with its
red stripe and four white checks, just like the winning
Abarth 850TC of the 1960s.
Inside, the “500 Abarth Assetto Corse”
has a racing-approved roll-bar, hollowed out to make it
faster and lighter (the car weighs about 120 kg less than
the road going version). The ergonomically-designed seat,
special racing steering wheel and carbon door panels make
the 500 Abarth Assetto Corse a true racing car – tiny but
with a tough character. However, it has something extra: it
has been designed to be cheap to run. Abarth has once again
made racing affordable by promoting a “democratic” approach
to the sport, demonstrated by the single-make 500 Abarth
Challenge Trophy.
500 Abarth Challenge
In the best Scorpion tradition, in 2009
Abarth will be organising a single-make trophy featuring the
500 Abarth Assetto Corse: the car will be produced directly
by Abarth and will be sold to drivers "race-ready", through
the dealer network. The Italian round of the Trophy will be
held together with the prestigious Ferrari Challenge: free
qualifying, official qualifying and two races each of 30
minutes, the tried and tested weekend racing formula.
Meanwhile, abroad, drivers can choose from the trophy
competitions in several countries (Portugal, Spain, Germany
and Great Britain have already been confirmed), or an
international challenge to be held in conjunction with the
World Touring Car Championship, according to the same
technical and racing regulations as the Italian trophy.
The participants will test each other’s
skills on the most famous circuits of Europe: Monza,
Vallelunga, Brno, Paul Ricard, Imola and Mugello for the
series paired with the Ferrari Challenge; Valencia, Porto,
Brands Hatch, Brno, Oschersleben and Monza for the WTCC
(World Touring Car Championship) series. At the end of the
season, the winners of the national and European series will
meet in a grand finale. The technical characteristics of the
car, and the racing formula, have been specifically
designed in order to make participation in the trophy
extremely affordable.
Abarth partners
Still with the aim of borrowing all the
useful performance and safety features from the world of
racing, Abarth has set up a network of partners including
Brembo, BMC, Sabelt, FPT and Magneti Marelli, with whom it
will design and develop dedicated products for its own
models. One example is the Blue&me™ MAP with telemetry
function, developed by Magneti Marelli. This is a highly
innovative extra, which combines service and sporting
performance with the benefits of the Blue&me™ MAP – all
thanks to the experience gained in the racing world.
The special features of this device
include: the monitoring function, which displays the
vehicle's key settings (engine rotation speed, vehicle
speed, current gear). The TRACK function, accessible if the
driver is on one of the tracks stored in the SD memory,
displays extra information such as the car's position on the
track (thanks to GPS) and lap time. The configuration
function stores the telemetry data from a given route, and
matches it to a personalised session.
Apart from the partners drawn from the
automotive world, many partnerships have been formed with
the aim of expanding Abarth’s business opportunities and
reaching objectives to secure the brand’s image and
positioning by expanding potential for customer contact. The
Abarth stand at the Paris Motor Show will present the first
“prototypes” of the collection to be worn by the racing
teams in 2009. The kit will be sold by the Kappa
distribution network and in exclusive Abarth showrooms
throughout Europe.
One of the most recent partnerships to be
sealed was in the field of sports clothing, with Basic Net,
owner of the prestigious brands Kappa, Robe di Kappa,
Superga and K-way. Kappa is concentrating on several key
assets such as the all-Italian styling and design,
cutting-edge materials and technology, sportiness and
product quality.
The partnership agreement with Abarth is
designed to promote these strategic assets. Abarth is an
Italian brand that symbolises technology, cutting-edge
performance, and compact, high-end vehicles with a strong
racing tradition. The business agreement between the two
companies is based on this sporting element. Kappa has
always favoured winning brands with a strong sporting
tradition, and Abarth, with its unique collection of
trophies, is a clear demonstration of this. The project will
start with the sponsorship of the racing team and will
continue with a licence agreement, with the aim of providing
end customers with state-of-the-art clothing coupled with
the most exciting aspects of the motor racing world. The
clothes have all been made from innovative technical
materials, favouring concepts which are closely linked to
the racing world, such as lightness, strength and
breathability.
The flagship products of the Kappa
collection designed especially for Abarth will be on show in
plexiglass cases at the Paris Motor Show. One of the most
hi-tech garments is the Kombat, a jersey which has
revolutionised the concept and style of football strips but
has been adapted to incorporate the technical requirements
of other sports such as cycling, sailing, rugby and now also
motor racing.
The racing team
Racing has always been an important part
of what Abarth is about. Now in its third year of
competition, the Grande Punto Abarth S2000 will be entering
the Intercontinental Rally Challenge with Giandomenico Basso
and Anton Alen. It is a prestigious championship which
launched the Grande Punto Abarth S2000 onto the
international scene - Basso won the first edition in 2006 as
well as the title of European Champion. In Italy, after
winning the 2006 and 2007 drivers’ championships and the
2007 constructors’ title, the Abarth team has continued to
notch up awards and top-level results, with the drivers
Navarra and Travaglia. The competitiveness of the Grande Punto
Abarth S2000, created and developed by the technicians at
Abarth, has been underscored by the many victories which the
drivers and private teams have won in various Italian and
international championships, out of more than 200 entries
during the 2008 season.
In tandem with the activities of the
first team, Abarth is continuing its commitment to the
single-make trophies – another established part of the
brand’s sporting tradition. This is demonstrated by the
“API-IP ORO DIESEL”, now in its second edition and reserved
for the Fiat Grande Punto R3D.
|
