Abarth 595 Turismo | Spotted
The Abarth EV is imminent - is now the time for a rowdy original?
Over the coming years, all the enthusiast focused brands will have to contend with the lack of sound produced by EVs. Some will embrace the silence, and aim to ramp up the excitement elsewhere, while others will try their very best to replicate the thrill a great noise can bring to the fast car experience. It’s been easy to scoff at some early attempts, but then we also know how quickly car technology can progress, so you wouldn’t bet against a convincing rework coming in time.
It's not just the supercar makers dealing with this, either - think about Abarth. From the dawn of its 21st century reawakening with the Abarth 500 (now 15 years ago), sound has been as central to the appeal as beef is to steak frites. In 500s, Puntos and 124s, the gargle, gurgle, rasp and rip of the 1.4-litre MultiAir turbo has always been able to raise a smile. That it’s also endowed the small cars with more than ample performance has only increased the affection towards it. Small cars with big character have always sold Abarth quite well, and that neatly summed up the powertrain as well.
Only now we live in a world without a 124 or Punto; the newest product (and surely setting out the stall for future cars) is the 500e. And there’s only one side of the debate Abarth was going to fall down on with its first EV; a standard Sound Generator is apparently capable of ‘faithfully reproducing the sound of an Abarth petrol engine’. Which really would be some achievement given the mixed success so far. It’d help justify the near-£40k asking price of the Scorpionissima launch edition, too, and begin winning over some of the die-heard fans.
Not only would it be hard to overstate the commercial importance of the last Fiat and Abarth 500, they really were (and seemingly, still are) as popular as you might think. They’re everywhere. Which is great news for those not sold on an electric Abarth, however well received the standard 500 has been as an EV. There are 500s, 595s and 695s out there in different bodystyles, with a choice of gearboxes, offered in every colour imaginable and with a baffling array of specifications, from £5k. Anybody who wants an Abarth pocket rocket with an engine, thanks to that incredible popularity, is spoilt for choice.
This one looks cool, even more so than every other 500 does, thanks to some choice modifications. White with white wheels is almost always a great choice for a small hot hatch, because it makes them look like rally cars waiting for a livery, and it’s no different here for this Bianco 595 Turismo and its Bola B1s. Colour coded seats inside is another nice touch, as is the Megane Trophy-R style netting. Even if it will trigger the two-seat hot hatch crowd. A Forge carbon intake and Bombardone exhaust should ensure this 595 will sound even better than the very best EV imitation.
Despite now being seven years old, this one has only covered 44,000 miles, with the advert mentioning a full service history with a cambelt change. It’d be worth banking on another one soon, though, as every four years is the suggested replacement interval. Won’t have to worry about any annoying maintenance of that kind with an EV, at least. If the new Abarth 500e can really replicate the effervescence and fun of the old car without an engine, it’ll be a landmark hot hatch. Until we know for certain, this looks like £11,995 very entertainingly spent.
SPECIFICATION | ABARTH 595 TURISMO
Engine: 1,368cc inline four 16v turbo
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 165@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 170@3,000rpm
0-62mph (secs): 7.3
Top speed (mph): 130
Weight (kg): 1,120
MPG 42.2
CO2 (g/km): 154
Price new: £15,090 (2015, standard car)
Yours for: £11,995
Before the free verse hipsters came along
Now there are no rules or scope
It’ll all turn into chats about cars, we haven’t a hope
Lovely cars though. I would say that an original ultra low mileage 500 Essesse may be a good investment for the future.
An R56 would be at least 2 years older and the reliability was absolutely shocking.
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