Fiat 500 Abarth Assetto Corse

Fiat’s performance devision has released the first details of its new 147kW Fiat 500 race car.

Developed by a team of Abarth engineers and designers, the ‘500 Abarth Assetto Corse’ will campaign on race tracks across Europe in 2009.

The Abarth version sports a full racing kit with a wider track, white 17’ special ultralight racing wheels, low ride, sports racing mirrors and a place for a number on the sides.

It also receives a new, more aggressive front end with an aerodynamic chin spoiler, a white winged spoiler, dual exhaust outlets and Abarth branding.

The Abarth heritage is also expressed with a thunderbolt logo on the side representing the brand’s racing image and a red band and four white checkers on the roof, just as on the winning Abarth 850TC version of the 1960s.

Inside the ‘500 Abarth Assetto Corse’ gets the full race-spec roll-cage treatment, sports steering wheel, racing harness and an optimised racing position, shifting the racing seats closer toward the centre of the car.

These changes add up to a 180kg weight reduction over the standard 500 – which was no porker to begin with.

The ‘500 Abarth Assetto Corse’ is powered by a 1.4-litre engine which has been boosted by a Garrett GT 1446 fixed geometry turbocharger developing 147kW at 6500rpm and 300Nm at 3000rpm. This is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, naturally.

Abarth has also provided a racing outfit for the drivers, including overalls, helmets, gloves and shoes, all branded with the ultra-new ‘Assetto Corse’ logo produced for the limited edition of the car.