We're not sure exactly how cheap this 'good value' rally car will be - Abarth doesn't say - but anything that looks this cool while going like the clappers gets our vote. This is the 500 Abarth R3T, which will race in a one-make rallying trophy in 2010 and is, according to Abarth, 'ideal for privateers and young drivers wishing to showcase their talent at the wheel of a high-performance car.'
It takes the
standard Abarth's 1.4-litre Fiat block and straps a Garrett fixed geometry turbocharger to it, sending power to 180bhp at 5,500rpm. It's linked to a six-speed sequential gearbox with a double plate clutch too. Stopping power comes from Brembo discs (the front ones ventilated), and the suspension is adjustable to accommodate the various surfaces encountered on gruelling rally stages.
The diminutive rally car, which weighs just over a tonne, also has an integrated FIA spec roll cage and six point harnesses in place of regular seatbelts.
The R3T is the latest in a long line of Abarth single-make rallying conquests, which has in the past included the Fiat Uno, Cinquecento, Seicento, Stilo and Panda.
Mark Nichol - 30 Sep 2009