Fiat unveils rally-spec Abarth 500 R3T in San Remo

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Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Europe, Hatchback, Fiat, Specialty

Abarth 500 R3T - Click above for high-res image gallery

The little brand that could, Abarth, secures whatever few items from the growing Fiat empire it can get its hands on and takes them to the extreme. The performance division was designated to handle Fiat's rally activities, and took the IRC title in its formative year with the Punto Abarth S2000. Then they turned around and put their hot Punto on the road with the 155 horsepowerPunto Abarth and 180 hp Punto Abarth EsseEsse.



But since the scorpion brand got its hands on the Fiat 500, they've been churning out more performance variants than Porsche. The 500 Abarth debuted with 133 hp, launched with the special Opening Edition. Then the 500 got an EsseEsse version of its own with 160 ponies. The track-bound 500 Abarth Assetto Corse followed with 200 horsepower, and at the recently concluded Frankfurt show they unveiled the 695 Tributo Ferrari. More versions were interspersed, and even more are said to be on the way - but not before the rally team has had a chance to debut the new Abarth 500 R3T.



Built to Group R3T specifications, a rally formula for turbocharged cars up to 1.6-liters in engine displacement, the rally-prepped 500 packs a 1.4-liter four with a Garret GT 1446 fixed-geometry turbocharger, good for 180 horsepower and driving through a six-speed sequential transmission with twin-plate clutch and a locking differential. 17-inch OZ alloys are mounted to an adjustable suspension and pack Brembo discs all around supplemented by a hydraulic handbrake. Inside, the 500 R3T has been fitted with a full roll cage and FIA-spec racing buckets with six-point harnesses, while dry weight comes in at 1080kg (2380 lbs), the minimum for the category.



The vehicle was introduced this past weekend at the Sanremo rally, where Abarth has won two of the past three years running, and it will be used in special promotional events as part of the Assetto Corse program. Check out the details in the press release after the jump and the pair of high-res images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Abarth 500 R3T

[Source: Abarth]

Continue reading Fiat unveils rally-spec Abarth 500 R3T in San Remo

Fiat unveils rally-spec Abarth 500 R3T in San Remo originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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