Abarth 695 Biposto makes its UK debut at Goodwood

Featherweight Fiat track machine pumps out 187 hp

The Abarth 695 Biposto is set to go on sale in Europe at the end of the year. Photo by Abarth.

One of the most track-focused street-legal versions of the Fiat 500, the Abarth 695 Biposto, made its U.K. debut at theGoodwood Festival of Speed last weekend. That's right: as quick as the production Abarth version of the Fiat 500 might be, there are a few levels above that, and Abarth has brought its latest creation to Goodwood to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Carlo Abarth's original 695.

While the Fiat 500 Abarths you might have seen zipping through traffic are very civilized machines designed to deliver extra oomph, the 695 Biposto is unapologetically a track machine first and a street machine second. Abarth has completely reworked the interior, ditching the back seat and installing a titanium roll cage, while the door windows have been replaced by polycarbonate to save weight. Abarth has also gotten rid of most of of the interior for the same reason, installing lightweight carbon-shell sport seats by Sabelt. Abarth has also added some titanium trim to the door and tailgate handles, as well as the hood.

On the inside, the 695 Biposto's dash fascia has been made out of carbon fiber, while aluminum inserts have been added to the floor mats, pedal board, and footrests. Lightweight Oz 18-inch alloy wheels complete the package. The result is a curb weight of only 997 kilograms or 2,198 pounds, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 1 hp per 11.4 pounds.

Powering the 695 Biposto is a 1.4-liter turbo engine making 187 hp, mated to a quick-shift "dog ring" sequential-manual gearbox. That's enough to send the tiny hatch to 62 mph in 5.9 seconds. An Akrapovic exhaust system and Brembo brakes round out the major mechanical modifications.

Abarth 

The interior has been completed reworked. 

At Goodwood, the 695 Biposto took a bow before the crowd and made a sprint up the hill. The 695 Biposto is scheduled to go into production very shortly, and it will be built by Abarth as long as there is demand for it, so it's not a limited edition. But what it will be limited to is delivery to markets that don't include North America. That's right: it's different enough from the other production versions created for the U.S. market that it cannot be federalized very easily. And given the thin market for something like this, we understand.

The 695 Biposto is set to go on sale in the U.K. at the end of the year, and it will reportedly be priced just north of £30,000, which translates to approximately $51,500. That's a hefty premium over the hottest Abarth version on sale in the U.S., but all that carbon fiber and titanium doesn't come cheap.