Abarth special edition hot on roads… and pocket!

THE price has been announced of Abarth’s latest hot hatch, and it’s not cheap.
Only 499 of the limited edition Abarth 695 Maserati will be produced and buyers will have to fork out £32,000 to put one on the road.
The 180bhp supermini comes with a 1.4-litre turbocharged power unit and a whole host of goodies as standard, including a set of Tramontano leather luggage.
Due to reach the UK market at the end of the year, it follows the hugely successful Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari project of three years ago — but this time the collaboration with a sporting legend has resulted in a limited edition epitomising the elegance and comfort of a Gran Turismo with the handling of a car fit to take on the road every day.
The Abarth 695 Maserati Edition (Edizione Maserati) features exclusive style details and special technical features developed by Abarth engineers for Maserati. The 1.4 Turbo T-Jet 16v engine is linked to an electrically-operated manual Abarth Competizione gearbox with steering wheel controls, while performance tyres on 17-inch Maserati-inspired Neptune design alloy wheels also improve acceleration.
The chassis has also been engineered to cope with the extra power. Front brakes feature Brembo monobloc callipers with floating 305mm discs while special Koni shock absorbers guarantee high performance in complete safety. A variable back-pressure ‘dual mode’ exhaust improves engine performance and delivers an inspiring sound above 3,000 rpm.
The car is finished in Pontevecchio Bordeaux — a colour from Maserati which is achieved with special three-layer paintwork to reflect light and accentuate its shine. The same paintwork is added to the door mirrors while the electrically controlled soft top is made of grey fabric.

You can even blow your top on those hot summer days!

Inside, the seats are upholstered in sand beige leather, with a 695 logo embossed on the headrests. The dashboard and gearbox trim are distinguished by a special matt-finish carbon lining, further enhanced with the 695 logo, while the door panels and rear panels undergo a special UV-LUX treatment, to give an elegant grey ‘flocking’ effect.
The black leather steering wheel is characterised by beige leather inserts and tricolour hub and houses the steering wheel gearbox controls, while the instrument panel has been specifically produced by the Jaeger brand. Other details include the aluminium pedal unit and sill plates, the carbon fibre kick plate with customised Abarth 695 Maserati Edition graphics, and a plate with the car’s series number from 1 to 499.
Standard equipment includes special ‘Pontevecchio Bordeaux’ paint from Maserati, Xenon headlights, Titanium Grey soft top, automatic climate control. leather steering wheel with radio controls, Blue&Me TomTom satnav, beige leather seats, dashboard, fascia and gearbox trim in matt carbon, door panels, console and tunnel in ‘Flocked’ UV-Lux, dual mode exhaust with Maserati-inspired design, JBL hi-fi system and the aforementioned bag set by Tramontano.