The story of David versus Goliath is well known to Abarth and its friends, but with a very special model the brand exceeded all expectations. This is the story of the Abarth 695 biposto, the smallest supercar in the world.

The birth of Abarth in 1949 is closely linked to a story from the childhood of its founder Carlo Abarth. Before he was even in his first decade, little Carlo (still Karl) had managed to dominate the races between the narrow streets of Vienna, managing to beat kids much older than his age with the skate he had converted. This "revival" of the David versus Goliath story would dominate Abarth's philosophy until the end of his life, giving him the reputation of creating "giant killers".

The brand's revival in the 21st century faithfully continued this Carlo Abarth philosophy, with models that produced thrills inversely proportional to their size. The most extreme expression of this philosophy was revealed in 2014, exactly 50 years since the creation of the legendary Fiat Abarth 695ss of 1964. The Italian company had accustomed the public to constructions that could exhibit the performance of much larger and more expensive cars, but with in the 695 biposto Abarth dared to raise this contrast of size and performance to a new level.

The recipe was once again based on the FIAT 500, but this time the ingredients were more provocative than ever. The basis was the 16-valve Turbo T-Jet engine of 1,368 cc, which, however, was treated by the brand's engineers to reach 190 hp at 5,500 rpm, a performance that is still a record for the specific set in street version.

With a specific performance of 139 hp/liter, the breathing of the engine of the 695 biposto was ensured by the BMC kit that, through a large intercooler, supplied air to the GARRETT GT 1446 turbocharger, with the extraction of exhaust gases - with an addictive sound - from the exhaust by Akrapovic.

In addition to being the most powerful, the 695 biposto was also the lightest model of the series, with a curb weight of just under one ton (997 kg). The absence of rear seats (a choice that also imposed the name "biposto"), the use of extremely light 18" diameter OZ rims, the extensive use of materials such as aluminum and carbon fiber, and also the titanium rollbar contributed significantly to this. by Poggipolini.

For the most diehards there was the option of equipping the car with fixed front windows made of polycarbonate material and small openings... to pay the toll in style. All of the above contributed to a weight/horsepower ratio of just 5.2 kg/hp and top performance with 0-100 km/h acceleration in 5.9” and a top speed of 230 km/h.

The low weight combined with the wider tracks, adjustable suspension, Brembo brakes and short wheelbase made for an extremely agile and fun sports car. The muscular body with the aggressively designed front and rear bumpers and the larger spoiler completed the image in terms of aesthetics and performance.

In case all these thoroughbred features could leave some unmoved, Abarth made sure to offer with the 695 biposto -for the first time in a road-legal car- a manual "dog ring" transmission, so that experienced drivers can they can change gears with great speed and without using the clutch.

The process, apart from being extremely fast, mainly offered an enjoyable experience that one could only live in racing constructions until that moment. The "dog ring" gearbox was accompanied by a mechanical limited slip differential ("block"), while the selector was as impressive in appearance as it was in use.

Finally, for those who could not resist the temptation to test the 695 biposto on the track, the available track kit included Abarth Corse by Sabelt seats, 4-point safety belts with type approval for racing use, the special 695 biposto helmet , also type-approved and Aim's MXL2 digital instrument panel / computer for continuous monitoring / recording of every aspect of the car's performance.