Abarth 695 Biposto to take on Goodwood hill climb

While most manufacturers make a beeline to this British event to display their goods, it’s the event’s hill climb that’s the star attraction at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England. And one more contender to the hill climb is the Abarth 695 Biposto.

The 695 Biposto has the familiar Fiat 1.4-litre T-Jet petrol engine under the hood but don’t mistake it for slow car by any means. The Biposto is the most powerful road-going Abarth ever dishing out 193PS of power and 250Nm of torque from the small 1.4-litre unit. It can do the 0-100kmph sprint in 5.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 230kmph. And since the car weighs just 997kg, it has a power to weight ratio of just 5.2 kg per PS. That makes for a seriously nimble hot hatchback. 

The 695 Biposto gets a dual-stage exhaust system, 18 inch wheels, Brembo brakes, adjustable shock absorbers and racing seats with four-point seat belts. It is the most extreme Abarth we’ve seen and there’s no better combination for the road than a light and fast car.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is scheduled to fit into the motor racing calendar to avoid a clash with the Formula One season. It happens in late June or early July every year and attracts close to 1.5 lakh visitors during the event. Cars participating in the hill climb vary from F1 cars to classics to even a soapbox race.