Abarth
is presenting a number of important new products at
Geneva in response to intense public interest, and
to confirm the Fiat Group’s investment in Abarth. In
particular, at this year’s Geneva show, the house of
the scorpion will be presenting the Abarth Punto Evo
and the Abarth 500C, the latest two performance cars
based on already popular and acclaimed Fiat models.
The
Abarth Punto Evo is the sporty, high-tech version of
the Punto Evo that Fiat introduced last September.
Abarth is aiming, with this model, to reinforce its
standing with young enthusiastic drivers, a process
begun with the Grande Punto, which has sold best to
customers in the 18 to 30 age group.
A great
deal of curiosity has also been built up ahead of
the launch of the Abarth 500C, the first convertible
to be launched by the renewed Abarth company. This
elegant and dynamic car is packed with Abarth racing
spirit and the latest performance technology. The
Abarth 500C is more than just a developed version of
its Fiat counterpart. On the contrary, it represents
a strategic choice by Abarth. With it, the company
is making clear advances towards those members of
the female public who are seeking not only design
and elegance but a good dose of sports performance
too.
Both new
models will go on sale over the next few months
through Abarth’s official dealer network in Europe
and Japan, closely followed by other markets, and
boosting the company’s already excellent results for
2009.
Proof
that the direction taken by Abarth is the right one
comes from the statistics. These announce quite
clearly that the brand is experiencing continuous
growth: from 2008 to the present day, Abarth has
sold 20,000 cars, including 8,400 Abarth 500s and
2,700 Abarth Grande Puntos, to say nothing of 3,300
performance kits. So it is no wonder that this
impressive commercial success has led to an equally
rapid growth in the number of dealers and official
performance centres associated with the marque.
As well
as consolidating its existing markets, Abarth is
also extending its network in strategic European
towns and cities like Amsterdam and Paris, and
expanding into east European markets like Rumania,
as well as Mediterranean basin markets like Israel.
The
Abarth distribution network is already unique,
boasting 141 showrooms, 140 official performance
centres and 300 service centres in Europe. These
figures do not take account of the recently
established “Abarth Racing” performance tuning
network, which already boasts 6 centres holding
exclusive sales and assistance rights for customers
purchasing Abarth’s race-ready models.
The
stand at the Geneva show
Abarth’s
stand at the 2010 edition of the Geneva motor show
has been completely redesigned to provide a worthy
stage for the international debut of two new models.
The
concept behind the new stand is one of simplicity:
the stand’s design is not a means of communication
in itself, but serves only to drawing attention to
the values of the Abarth brand. Wherever its cars
are found, Abarth is such a clearly recognised
protagonist that it can afford to present itself to
the public without frills, in its most essential
form. This year’s more essential stand helps focus
on the two new Abarths making their world debut in
Geneva and destined to enrich the Abarth range.
Abarth’s
stage for presenting itself to the world consists of
a spacious stand divided into two main illuminated
areas, each focusing on one of the new cars. A huge
pane of glass in the centre of the space carries the
instantly recognisable Abarth logo, while a large
LED display creates a backdrop to the new cars and
functions as a central feature in the stand’s
design. The entire stand is based on symmetric,
straight lines, right angles and neutral, almost
unnoticeable materials. White structural components
and an abundance of transparent materials eliminate
visual “noise” and focus clearly on content.
Technical drawings of Abarth vehicles are displayed
under the glass floor. This intelligent solution
makes the drawings easily visible to all visitors,
reflecting the era when Abarth cars used to have
partly raised engine covers to display their
performance parts.
Intangible content like light, sound, and digital
media is used not as a mere accessory, but to help
identify the stand’s focal points in a more
integrated and coordinated manner, and to create a
sense of dynamism and movement. The neutral and
minimalist space is filled and coloured by scenes
representing a sequence of Abarth values: challenge,
passion, ingenuity, Italian style, participation,
determination, and authenticity. The stand creates a
fascinating and warm welcome to the world of Abarth
and provides an ideal context for presenting the two
latest expressions of the marque of the scorpion:
the Abarth Punto Evo and the Abarth 500C.
Abarth Punto Evo
Abarth 500C