The 50th Anniversary Abarth gets a smidge more power than the 500 Abarth, the
1.4-litre T-Jet engine gaining 20bhp under its tiny, scorpioned bonnet to
deliver a 178bhp maximum at 5,500rpm. It’ll do 0-62mph in just under seven
seconds and 140 flat-out.
This being a hot Fiat, there’s plenty of trinketry too. The 50th Anniversary
differentiates itself from standard 595s with some hand-finished badges, more
leather inside and flat white paint outside, as well as Brembo brakes and the
obligatory plaque telling you which of the 299 made you own. Oh, and that
scorpion on bonnet, is, like David Dimbleby’s recent body art, a tattoo rather
than a sticker.
