THE MOST ABARTH OF ALL ABARTHS: THE ABARTH ‘695 BIPOSTO’

With 190 hp, 997 kg, a 1.4 T-Jet engine, the Abarth ‘695 Biposto’ offers the best weight-to-power ratio in its category (5.2 kg/hp) as well as the best acceleration, at 0-62 mph (just 5.9 sec). A fusion of street and race car: it’s the road-going reinterpretation of the Abarth 695 Assetto Corse, competitor on the most famous European racetracks It’s the first road-going car in the world, currently in its category, equipped with H-pattern gearbox with dog rings.

The ‘695 biposto’ inherits the following from the world of racing: front intercooler, Akrapovic exhaust system, Extreme Shox adjustable shock absorbers, MXL digital data logger, Abarth Corsa by Sabelt seats with 4-point seat belts, Brembo braking system, lightened 18-inch OZ rims and rear titanium roll bar by Poggipolini.

Breathtaking style for an ‘essential’ two-seater dedicated to performance: fixed front windows with polycarbonate sliding panels and specific styling kit – bumpers, side skirts, wheel arches and spoilers – with carbon inserts produced by Zender according to the instructions of the Abarth Style Centre Performance in complete safety: ABS, ESP and TTC, self-locking clutch-plate differential, racing-derived Brembo braking system and Extreme Shox shock absorbers.

Special kits to ensure maximum customisation.

Abarth 695 biposto is not a “Limited Edition”, but it is certainly a “special” car. A perfect fusion that shows what it’s made of starting with the exhilarating performance: with a weight of just 997 kg and the 1.4 T-Jet engine, brought to 190 hp for the first time on a road-going car, the Abarth ‘695 biposto’ is the car with the best weight-to-power ratio (5.2 kg/hp) and the best acceleration (0-62 mph in 5.9 sec) in the category, reaching a top speed of 143 mph.

It’s the first time that a ‘street legal’ car, currently in its category, is offered with a gearbox featuring dog rings with controls and disc and clutch self-locking differential derived from racing, making upwards gear changes so rapid that expert drivers don’t need to use the clutch. The driver interface is a genuine work of art: an all-aluminium turret with H-configuration gear selection, worthy of a true supercar. This is unique, exclusive content, created from the racing car transmission expertise of Bacci Romano, suited to expert drivers and offered as an alternative to the 5-speed manual gearbox, teamed with 190 hp for the first time.

Abarth’s challenge was to find the perfect balance in the formula required to bring a car that guarantees the performance and feel of the track to the road, in accordance with its rules: ‘distilling’ the essence of Abarth through careful selection of high-performance materials, advanced technology and superior partners.

Everything about the Abarth ‘695 biposto’ talks racing. Starting with the intercooler, positioned at the front with specific pipes inspired by race cars, moving on to the dynamic aspiration filter casing with carbon finish by BMC, world leader in the sector of filters and air intake devices intended for racing, and arriving at the dual-stage exhaust system with titanium tail pipes by Akrapovic, a company which produces competition exhaust systems for Moto GP, Superbike, Supersport, Supermotard, Motocross, Enduro and rally raid. Pressing the SPORT button on the dashboard completely opens the exhaust valve, contributing to improved performance and enhancing the car with a powerful, unmistakable sound.

Supercar performance matched by just as much reliability and safety: ABS, ESP and TTC, disc and clutch self-locking differential and the racing-derived Brembo braking system with front floating, ventilated and perforated discs (305×28 mm) and four-piston one-piece calipers (4×38 mm). The car is also equipped with shock absorbers with hydraulic and height adjustment by Extreme Shox, leading European provider of dynamic solutions for vehicles used from F1 to Rally, as well as “Le Mans series” and the WTCC.

Its racing impulse is completed by the front fixed windows with polycarbonate sliding panels and, together with 215/35 R18 tyres, lightened 18-inch rims by OZ. This company symbolises Italian manufacturing quality through the creation of excellent products for customising cars and bikes and can boast numerous international successes in F1, Rally, DTM and Indy car. It shares with Abarth Italian taste, racing tradition and certified quality.

For real racing fans, who always want their performance under control, there’s the data logger from MLX, world leader in data acquisition and display technology for motorsport and racing.

For a balanced ‘formula’, the aesthetics can’t be neglected. This is demonstrated by certain exterior elements – such as the front and rear bumpers, side skirts, wheel arches and spoiler – which are more pronounced, ‘muscular’ and enhanced by carbon inserts. Made by Zender, a company known for creating high-quality aesthetic design components, according to the instructions of the Abarth Style Centre, these particular aesthetic solutions make the ‘695 biposto’ stand out at first glance.

The bodywork is characterised by a brand-new textured-effect Matt Grey colour, as if the car were created straight from the road, and further enhanced by titanium finishes for the front bonnet trim, door handles and tailgate and rear handle. The metal, known for its resistance, also characterises the hub caps, wheel bolts and water, oil and fuel caps.

The bonnet has a specific design with two bumps, inspired by the classic 124 Abarth, and is made of aluminium, in homage to the cars of the past and as a technical solution to reduce the weight of the car.

The mirror and post covers are made of carbon, as on the most prestigious supercars: this is a particular feature created in collaboration with the historic partner Adler, world leader in the sector of design, processing, production and commercialisation for high-quality plastic materials intended primarily for the automotive sector.

Carbon provides an aesthetic link between exterior and interior, characterised by dashboard fascia inserts, front and rear panels, flat as in race cars, central tunnel cover and handbrake made with this prestigious material.

The choice of prestigious materials and racing-derived technical decisions includes the front trim, where the mat, typical of road-going cars, makes way for an aluminium lining that associates the ‘695 biposto’ both with race cars and the most extreme supercars. The same metal characterises the brake, clutch and accelerator pedals and the driver and passenger side footrests.

The racing spirit of the ‘695 biposto’ is embodied in the rear titanium roll bar by Poggipolini, a company renowned for extremely high-precision machining and for structural and weight-reduction solutions, through the use of special alloys, to the extent of being a point of reference in the Automotive, F1 and Aerospace sectors.

The rear compartment, which is distinguished by the absence of seats, is characterised by a lining in a technical material which, as with the bodywork, recalls the colour and texture of asphalt. An ‘anti intrusion’ net for securing luggage and the four-point seat belts are also attached to the roll bar, in both cases with a racing flavour and made by Sabelt, major producer of seat belts and seats for race cars in Italy and reference brand for technical clothing and racing sportswear.

The same is true of the Abarth Corsa by Sabelt seats with carbon shell, with upholstery comprising electro-welded Alcantara and titanium-coloured leather with brand-new colours and finishes for an Abarth. The steering wheel is marked by the same colours. Finally, the door handle and oddment net enhance the front door panel and lend the final, emphatic touch to the racing feel of the interior.

Abarth has created a car that seemed impossible. By striving for the essential, it found superlative performance and style. As in 1964, when Abarth put a series of accessories intended to enhance aesthetic and dynamic characteristics as well as safety on the price list at launch for the 695, today Abarth breaks down the offer into three customisation kits.

The ‘Exterior Kit’ brings together all the ‘resistant and light’ materials that characterise the car’s exterior: aluminium bonnet with specific design, hub caps and wheel bolts and water, oil and fuel caps in titanium. With the ‘Carbon Kit’, you can give the ‘695 biposto’ the look of a supercar in a higher category: carbon is added to the mirror and post covers on the outside, and to the dashboard fascia, front door panel and rear-view mirror on the inside.

For those with racing in their blood, Abarth has designed a ‘Racing Kit’ with accessories that derive directly from the world of racing, like the digital data logger and the four-point seat belt attached to the seats with carbon shell. The dream of feeling like a racing driver every day, also courtesy of the technical equipment provided: suit, shoes, gloves and helmet of a real Abarth driver, with the chance to personalise them with your initials.

Text and photos courtesy of Abarth.