Abarth EVs will spawn new special editions
Abarth chief also says a Formula E entry would ‘make sense’
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.”
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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