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Abarth EVs will spawn new special editions

Abarth chief also says a Formula E entry would ‘make sense’

Abarth 500e - front

The Abarth range of EVs currently consists of the 500e and 600e, and according to the performance car brand, we could see several new special editions join the line-up.  

In a recent interview with Auto Express, Abarth’s European boss, Gaetano Thorel, declared the brand would continue to build model based off Fiats and nothing bespoke – and now Fiat and Abarth’s Head of Product, Guillaume Clerc, has announced we can expect Abarth to double-down on the 500e and 600e. 

There were plenty of limited and special editions of the old petrol-powered Abarth 595 – including the 695 70th and 75th Anniversary, the 595 Scorpionero and the 595 Yamaha Edition – and Clerc told us it was possible that this trend of limited editions could continue with EVs: “It’s part of our soul. Our customers like to have special editions and we will animate these cars in the future.” 

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As for what we can expect of these new editions, Clerc said, “the brand values performance and driving enthusiasm with a hint of nuttiness.” Pushed on what kind of ‘nuttiness’ Abarth will embed into its EVs, Clerc continued, “nuttiness is a state of mind. Abarth is like the black sheep of the Stellantis group.” 

There is the possibility of Abarth taking some of its knowledge from the newer 600e – particularly the all-new electric motor and mechanical limited-slip differential – and applying it to the 500e. Head of Product Marketing, Francesco Morosini said: “In the future we will see what we want to apply.”

As for Abarth’s motorsport hopes, it appears that Formula E might be the brand’s ideal choice. The company is familiar with the racing series, given that the 600e’s new electric motor was tested on the Formula E test bench with a real track simulator, and the car’s tyres and brakes were also inspired by Formula E. Clerc said, “Abarth is rooted in the world of competition. We wouldn’t say no [to a Formula E] entry.” DS and Maserati already race in the series, but when asked if Abarth was a more natural fit for the sport than luxury-focused DS, Clerc said, “I agree, it would make more sense.”

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Senior news reporter

A keen petrol-head, Alastair Crooks has a degree in journalism and worked as a car salesman for a variety of manufacturers before joining Auto Express in Spring 2019 as a Content Editor. Now, as our senior news reporter, his daily duties involve tracking down the latest news and writing reviews.

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