Gargour Automotive Company (GAC), the only authorised distributor of FCA’s Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep®, Ram and Mopar® brands in Lebanon, has unleashed the power of the scorpion in the form of the latest Abarth line-up, the very best expressions of the principles of performance, craftsmanship and technical upgrade that characterise the brand with the scorpion badge.
It was in 1949 that Carlo Abarth, after a career racing motorcycles and cars, founded Abarth & C with Guido Scagliarini. The first vehicle produced was the 204 A Roadster, based on the Fiat 1100. It immediately won the 1100 Sport Championship as well as Formula 2. Alongside racing, the company started to produce tuning kits that improved performance, power and speed of standard vehicles.
Abarth vehicles were renowned for their high performance and power, but first and foremost for being small and agile just like the Scorpion. Carlo Abarth’s performance modified cars achieved success in every competition and with him at the wheel, set many records. In the 1950s and throughout the 60s, the Abarth brand became synonymous with sport, tuning and performance, and changed the sports car world.
“Today, the Abarth brand still maintains its unique DNA, and is renowned for performance, great driving pleasure and sporty appeal,” said Negib Debs, General Manager of GAC. “The story of the Scorpion continues, facing new challenges, creating unique vehicles and giving great emotion to whoever has the honor of driving these vehicles.”
Visitors to GAC’s showrooms can now admire the latest Abarth line-up, including the 595, 595 Turismo and 595 Competizione.
“With a strong focus on premium performance, iconic Italian style and craftsmanship expressed in every product plus a constant programme of technological upgrades, the latest Abarth 595 is the natural heir of the car that was originally launched in 2008,” said Debs. “This latest development of an iconic model with the scorpion badge features more powerful engines, even richer standard equipment and plenty of product innovations.”
The new 595 Abarth line-up, which now includes two body types (sedan and convertible), three trim levels (595, 595 Turismo and 595 Competizione) and as many engine power and tuning levels, is designed to satisfy today’s increasingly discerning and competent customers. Many of the upgrades are the result of experience gained with the development of the 695 Biposto, the smallest supercar that offers the thrills and technology of a real racing car in a street-legal vehicle.
The distinctive yet affordable 595 version, with its 145hp of power, is the Abarth entry level model, but still offers all the standard equipment needed to ensure the typical enjoyment and driving pleasure expected from the brand.
The 595 Turismo and the 595 Competizione express two more distinctive aspects of the Abarth identity. The former, with its 165hp of power, expresses the typical values of an Italian GT, but in a compact form ideal for urban use. The latter, on the other hand, is more radical and adrenaline packed. With180hp and racing-derived contents, it is designed for drivers that have a real passion for performance and uncompromising sportiness. Both versions can be customized and tuned with a complete catalogue of kits and accessories.
The 595 Competizione is equipped with a powerful 1.4 T-jet 180hp engine developing torque of 250 Nm at 3000 rpm via its Garrett GT 1446 turbine. The car is ideal for adrenaline junkies looking for racing performance and technical features: 0-100 acceleration in 6.7 seconds and oversized Brembo braking system with four-piston aluminum fixed calipers to bring it to a stop in total safety.
And with a high performance Record Monza exhaust with dual mode system, the engine outputs a specific power of 132hp/L. The exclusive feature is available, on request, on the rest of the range, together with the Record Modena exhaust that ensures the same performance but with a less aggressive looking tailpipe. As standard, all variants of the 1.4 T-jet engine are paired with a mechanical five-speed gearbox but they can be fitted with an Abarth robotized sequential gearbox with shift paddles.
Inside are Corsa by Sabelt seats, which provide extraordinary lateral support and are perfect for sporty driving due to their ability to accurately transmit every minimum load shift to the driver. For more effective sporty driving, the car has a flat-bottomed steering wheel with viewfinder made of carbon fiber and Alcantara.
The innovations continue with a brand-new sports instrument panel and new graphics that characterize the "sport" mode and improve readability. Moreover, the pressure gauge light is now white, making it easier and more immediate to read.
The 595C Turismo boasts a 1.4 T-jet with and 165hp, delivering a top speed of 218 km/h. The convertible model also features developments and innovations created to improve performance. For example, the front end has been redesigned with an increased air intake: this improves heat management in the engine compartment and also boosts cooling capacity by 18%. So, performance and regularity of engine delivery are increased, even in the case of more extreme racing tuning.
Abarth engineers also worked on the rear bumper creating a more pronounced and effective diffuser. Specific bumper inserts have also been created for each trim level - matte black for the 595, matching body color on the 595 Turismo and tar cold grey finish on the 595 Competizione.
The front and rear light clusters are also new, and are equipped as standard with polyelliptical headlights and LED daytime running lights on the entire range. Xenon headlights are available on demand.
The new 17" wheels fitted as standard on the 595 Turismo are 7% lighter and have over 50% more ventilating surface, guaranteeing better heat dissipation, resulting in enhanced and more consistent braking system performance.
The New Abarth 595 is also the only car in its segment with a mechanical limited-slip differential (called Abarth D.A.M.), an exclusive performance feature derived directly from the experience gained with the 695 Biposto.
The Abarth mechanical limited-slip differential exploits the full potential of the 595 Competizione and improves grip in extreme conditions. The mechanical limited-slip differential ensures adequate torque transfer between the front wheels when either has less grip (a typical example is the different speed coming out of curves taken with high lateral load). This ensures that it holds the line with even greater precision for greater sporty driving efficiency.
The Abarth mechanical limited-slip differential is part of the new Performance Pack - available only on the New Abarth 595 Competizione with manual transmission - that includes 17" Supersport wheels, Sabelt leather/Alcantara seats with carbon fiber shells, 595 carved aluminum badge on the roof and the glossy red, white or black customization pack to personalize the look of the car.
595 Infotainment
Standard equipment includes UconnectTM 5" Radio with touchscreen and, for the first time on the line-up, UconnectTM HD, a fast device with high-definition screen and navigation. The Uconnect 7" HD system also incorporates Abarth Telemetry, an integrated system that measures the driver's performance on preloaded circuits to analyze lap times, study driving techniques and improve them.
It is also customizable, allowing new tracks to be recorded and stored for later retrieval to compare performance. And the 595’s Uconnect system means that drivers can safely and quickly access all the functions and contents of their smartphones using the touchscreen.
Finally, the powerful and sophisticated BeatsAudioTM system with seven speakers is available on the new Abarth 595. Developed in collaboration with Beats by Dr. Dre, the BeatsAudioTM system boasts an impressive total output of 440 watts and features a digital eight-channel amplifier integrating an advanced equalization algorithm capable of recreating the entire sound spectrum that an artist experiences during studio recording and is sure to win over even the most demanding music lover.
For further information, please contact:
Krystel Ghossoub
Marketing Specialist– Gargour Automotive Company S.A.L. - Lebanon Office
t: +961 1 877222, e: [email protected]
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