The Fiat Abarth 695 Biposto, before you think to yourself, “yet another fast Fiat 500?”, yes, there has indeed been a whole metric tonne of fast Fiat 500s, the Esseesse, the 595 Tributo Ferrari, and so on and so forth. But, bear with me here, I promise that this 500 will be one hell of a cracker. Compared to the other endless limited edition Fiat 500s that have already been.
Fiat guarantees that this WILL be the definitive fast 500, even claiming it as the ‘smallest supercar’. And I trust them, because this is essentially a road legal version of the track spec Fiat 695 Assetto Corsa. Is that enough to grab your attention? Read on.
Small, This Is Not!
The Biposto isn’t really that small, per se. It’s light, definitely, at 997 kg curb weight, but can you really call something like this small? It has 18-inch Oz wheels for God’s sake. But I’m not complaining here, it’s absolutely littered with carbon fibre bits, performance parts and wild bulges.
One could be forgiven for thinking that this Fiat is a direct competitor to cars like the Renault Clio Cup and the JCW Minis. And tripping the 0-60 mph timer at sub-6 seconds is nothing to scoff at, that’s for sure.
Fiat Abarth 695 Biposto – Pricey
I don’t normally talk about prices, but this one just can’t be ignored. It’s pretty ludicrous. For £33,000, you get the standard car. That includes the 18-inch Oz rims, exterior carbon bits, Akrapovic exhaust system, Brembo brakes and Goodyear tyres. But once you start ticking the options…ouch!
It all begins to rack up, to get carbon fibre in your little Fiat, expect to pay £3,700. For the race pack, which gives more telemetry readout access and four-point harnesses, it’s also £3,700. Want those fancy polycarbonate windows? Pay £1,775.
In fact, if you are careless, your own Fiat will start to trespass the Porsche Cayman territory, way out of it’s mad hot hatchback neighbourhood. I can’t really justify paying over 50 grand for a Fiat, and I’m not sure if others will either.
Making Sense Isn’t A Priority, After All
But then again, this thing isn’t expected to shift millions. It’s going to be on a very exclusive and special production run. And most probably appeal to the market of the ‘richer audience’, so to speak. Which means it’s in the market for people that already own a pretty respectable car, like the 458 Speciale, GT3 RS, Gallardo Superleggera, etc.
Another thing is, this little car is a proper looker. I love the look of it, especially how vicious it looks even though it has a ‘cutesy’ history. Not many cars can pull of a dark, deep matte colour successfully, and the Biposto is a rare exception. It does look ferocious when paired with flared wheel arches, 18-inch rims, and contrasting red brake calipers hiding behind those Ozs.
The Abarth Spirit
Will I ever get the purpose of those ridiculously stripped yet more expensive road-race-cars? Probably not. But I’m sure peeps with big wallets will appreciate them, simply because there just isn’t many racebred road cars nowadays. And we need them to remind us what driving is all about. It’s not about practicality, it’s about the pure, genuine, unhindered experience. You know what the drivers say, driving isn’t about getting from point A to point B, it’s the point.
Sure, it’ll not be a comfy ride there, but at least you’ll enjoy the journey, maybe, depending on the road condition. But every now and then, you just got to be grateful that manufacturers sometimes let their hair down and go wild, and instead of bland, typical 4 door saloons, they replace it with mad, furious 2 door coupes.
Well then, what do you think about the Fiat 695 Biposto? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!
