The new Abarth F595 celebrates the brand's motorsport history. The highlight is the exhaust system in the extravagant stack design.
For ambitious young racing drivers, Formula 4 as the link between karting and single-seater racing is an important intermediate step on the single-seater career ladder. Anyone who is successful here has the chance to rise to the top. Today's Haas Formula 1 driver Mick Schumacher, for example, drove in the racing series in 2015 and 2016. In the second year in parallel in the German and Italian championships, where he was runner-up in each case. The title sponsor of the Formula 4 competitions is Abarth and the racing cars are powered by engines from the Italian manufacturer.
The 1.4 liter turbocharged petrol engine is derived from the aggregates of the Abarth road models. Or vice versa, as the Stellantis brand is now propagating with the newly introduced special model F595, which is available as a sedan and convertible. But Abarth does not push the unit to its limits here: With 165 hp and a maximum of 230 Newton meters, the four-cylinder is slightly weaker than, for example, the new limited hardcore model 695 Esseesse . The F595 also lags a little behind its stronger brother in terms of performance (7.3 seconds from zero to one hundred, 218 km/h top speed).
A little slower with an automatic
The power transmission to the front wheels is usually provided by a manual five-speed gearbox. Abarth also offers an optional sequential five-speed automatic with shift paddles for the F595; however, that slows the zero-to-100 acceleration by a tenth of a second. A highlight is the Record Monza "Sovrapposto" sports exhaust system: its two pairs of tailpipes are arranged one above the other. Pressing the corresponding button opens an active exhaust valve, which is supposed to transform the "gentleman driver" sound into a "darker, typical Abarth roar".
The chassis has selectively working Koni dampers on the rear axle. The brake system includes 284 millimeter discs at the front and 240 millimeters at the rear, into which black brake calipers bite. The driver can use a selector switch to influence the performance from the cockpit: in Sport mode, the power steering, throttle response and maximum torque output are sharpened and optimized.
Blue accents on the outside, black on the inside
The design package is characterized by blue accents on the exterior mirror caps and the front and rear spoiler lips. Abarth provides the colors Gara White, Campovolo Gray, Pista Gray, Scorpione Black, Record Gray and Asfalto Gray as matching paint finishes for the F595. The matt black sports alloy wheels in 17-inch format match this. The standard fog lights and the F595 badge on the rear round off the special look.
The interior features of the special model include a leather steering wheel and the matt black dashboard, which also has other black elements. For example, the frame of the seven-inch infotainment screen, which allows the integration of smartphones via Android Auto and Apple Carplay. The standard sports seats can be exchanged for Sabelt racing seats if desired. The standard DAB+ radio provides entertainment.
Base price? 23,990 euros!
Prices for the Abarth F595 start at 23,990 euros. The Italians have not yet officially communicated the price of the convertible. However, since the surcharge for any other 595 model is 2,600 euros, the tariff for the open special model should be 26,590 euros.
Conclusion
Although the Abarth model range consists of only one series based on the Fiat 500, it is currently almost overflowing with special series. With the F595, another one is now being added, which is visually and dynamically sharpened a little, but without going completely to the limit.
