Abarth 595 esseesse and 124 Rally Tribute continue 70th anniversary celebrations
Abarth reveals new 595 esseesse hot hatch and 124 Rally Tribute special edition at Geneva Motor Show
2019 marks 70 years of Fiat’s performance sub-brand Abarth, and following the release of the company’s 70th anniversary special editions in January, two more cars have joined the lineup.
Harking back to the original esseesse tuning kit offered by Abarth in the 1960s, the new 595 esseesse sits above the Competizione at the top of the 595 food chain. Performance figures remain unchanged with 178bhp and 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds for the manual, and 6.9 for the robotised automatic, but plenty of extra kit is thrown in as standard.
The esseesse gains an Akrapovic dual exit exhaust and white 17-inch lightweight alloy wheels, while the BMC air filter, Brembo brakes and Koni sport suspension remain unchanged.
To match the white alloys, all esseesse models are dressed with white side stripes, door mirrors and front splitter. Inside, special versions of the Competizione’s carbon fibre-backed Sabelt sport seats are added with ‘70’ embroidered into the headrests. Along with some carbon pedals, a 7-inch infotainment screen is also included with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Joining the 595 esseesse at Geneva is a special edition version of the 124 Spider called the Rally Tribute.
Celebrating the success of the Abarth 124 rally car in the FIA R-GT Cup rally series, just 124 Rally Tributes will be built, each one fitted with a numbered metal plaque inside the cabin. Each car will get exclusive interior and exterior badging, a carbon fibre hard top and the traditional matte black bonnet and boot lid.
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