Abarth has introduced a race-prepared version of the Abarth 500, which is like the meaner and punchier version of the standard issue Fiat 500. Abarth is an Italian-tuning company fully-owned by Fiat. This new car named Abarth 500 R3T will be used for rallying next year onwards, and is not road legal.

The R3T class restricts the size of engines to below 1.6 liters and allows the use of turbochargers. Further, the weight of the car has to be fixed at 1080 kilograms. The Abarth 500 R3T complies to all the required R3T-class regulations, making it ready to be entered in a rally event. It has a 1.4 liter engine, with a fixed geometry Garret GT 1446 turbocharger that forces air into the engine using the energy from the exhaust gases. The power output from this tiny engine is an impressive 180 horsepower. The engine will feature an inter cooler to keep the engine temperature in the operational region all the time. The engine is mated to a six-speed, sequential gearbox employing two clutch plate and self locking differentials. The beefed up suspension can be adjusted for various parameters to suite the prevailing conditions and the likes of the driver.

The other features in the car include a 17 inch rally spec wheels made by OZ. The car uses fade –free Brembo brakes with ventilated discs up front, which arms the car for the demanding rally conditions and abuses it will have to receive. Car also uses rally seats, with six-point race harnesses, and welded roll-cage to keep the driver and the navigator safe in the event of a crash, something that can never be ruled out in the world of rallying.

The car will be released in a few weeks, and will be sold only to selected individual racers or teams so as to be entered in rally events across the globe.

Source: [WCF]