Frankfurt hot hatch: Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari
This is what happens when car conglomerate employees get bored during a company retreat; Fiat and Fiat-owned Ferrari have joined forces to create the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari, which is supposed to be a cheap runabout for Ferrari owners. Or a very posh hot hatch for everyone else.
What's all the fuss about?
This would perhaps be more shocking if Aston hadn't unveiled a tiny slice of miniature supercar in the form of the startling Cygnet a few months back. Unlike said Toyota-Aston mash-up, this looks simply like a very beefy version of the car on which it's based; there's no Ferrari nose grafted onto the 500. It's more a special edition than a new model, then. Still cool though, especially the interior, which is swathed in carbon fibre and has a flat-bottomed wheel. Oh, and two buttons where the gear lever should be...
Anything that stands out?
It's finished in Scuderia Red with black 17-inch Ferrari-designed alloys and carbon mirror caps, though our favourite feature is the quad tailpipe arrangement. And this thing isn't just for show either: there's a cooking 180bhp 1.4-litre T-Jet engine under the bonnet, and it has an automated manual gearbox with paddle shifters. The damping is stiffened and stopping power comes from big Brembo discs and callipers.
When can I buy one?
Fiat hasn't confirmed it yet, but given the Ferrari association and the fact it will probably be built in limited numbers, Fiat can charge what it likes for this thing. Factor a few grand over the price of an Abarth esseesse and contact your Fiat dealer later this year.
Frankfurt hot hatch: Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari pictures
