BOLD RIDE
Copyright © 2016 Bold Ride LLC.
Picking favorites at this year’s Geneva Motor Show is sort of like picking the MVP of the NBA All-Star Game… they’re pretty much all winners. Alas, as the days and weeks pass, some of these shapes will linger longer than others. And this one? Well it’s just plain unforgettable.
First things first—holy light pods, Batman! As you might expect, this is the rally racing version of the much-lauded Fiat 124 Spyder, and it debuted at this year’s Geneva event next to its direct road-going sibling—the 2017 Abarth 124 Spider. But whereas that car sports a punchy 170 horsepower from its 1.4-liter turbo, this rally star can do a bit better.
Frankly a lot better. The Abarth Racing Team has equipped the Abarth 124 Rally with a 1.8-liter turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder, which now cranks out a punishing 300 horsepower. Given the massive exhaust fitted at the racing coupe’s rear… it ought to sound absolutely punishing too.
Power flows solely to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox, commanded via shift paddles, and it fights with terra firma using a limited-slip rear differential. Find yourself behind the wheel of one of these beauties and you should have no problem staying sideways for days.
The rally-spec recipe continues with a fixed coupe (no more “Spider”), installed roll cage, four-way adjustable dampers, a pair of Sabelt racing seats, gorgeous OZ racing wheels, and a claimed thorough weight loss regimen, which has given the Abarth 124 Rally a slightly rearward weight bias. Remember, sideways for days.
If you need one in your life more than anything else, you’re in luck. The Abarth 124 Rally has been homologated for the FIA’s R-GT rally class, and Abarth will open its order books at the close of the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. The price is a big one however, a reported €150,000. By comparison its Abarth 124 Spider sibling costs €40,000 (about $43,400). But that doesn’t have light pods.
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