Before
Abarth was the inhouse tuning and racing division of
Fiat, it was an independant automaker and racing team.
Fiat purchased the company in 1971 and, if our research proves sound, the last
Abarth model by
Fiat was the 1984
Ritmo 130 TC Abarth. The rebirth of the
Abarth name and a new "Scorpion" logo will be spearheaded by this car, the
Grande Punto Abarth Preview, a production version of which will go on sale in September. The show car that will be unveiled in Geneva features a turbocharged 1.4L petrol engine producing 150 bhp, which is 50bhp less than what we originally thought. At some point later, however, an even more powerful version with 180bhp, twice as much as the base
Grande Punto, will be released.
No word on pricing or any deeper details than we've already discussed are available, so you'll have to wait until we touch down in Geneva to learn more. Also on the stand with this car will be the
Grande Punto Abarth S2000, a racing version of the production model that will be entered in the
2007 Italian Rally Championship and the
Intercontinental Rallye Challenge. It's powered by a much more potent 2.0L engine producing 270bhp and driving all four wheels.
Source: Fiat