Abarth

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The bipolar Biposta… Is it a Fiat supercar or what?

The madness of this particular Biposta is that it’s a car that doesn’t quite know what it is.

On the one hand, it’s £37,000 of uncompromising, full-fat rally car, minus proper door handles, sat nav, air con – or even a radio.

On the other, our test car doesn’t come with the bonkers dog ring gearbox – you have to pay extra for that pleasure.

So instead, our test car features a fairly conventional, dash stick like a normal Fiat 500. Surely you’d expect that for this sort of money?

Just who is going to buy a Biposta remains to be seen. I think the enthusiast will want ALL the extra lightweight, slick gearchange kit included in the price.

Seems a bit rich charging £37k then asking for more for the fun bits!

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The Fiat 500 handbag finally gets a brick to give it some clout

 

A car with a 1.4-litre turbo engine has no right to be this fast. But because the stripped out Biposta weighs just 997kg, Fiat would claim it can provide enough thrills to justify costing more than a BMW M235i.

Less is more in this case. Which explains the lightweight Oz alloy wheels and carbon-fibre shells for the two seats. There’s even a titanium frame where the back bench normally sits in a Fiat 500.

Sadly, our May test car isn’t fitted with the track-inspired, dog-ring gearbox. That’s an option enthusiasts would go for. Me? I prefer a gearstick that actually works properly on the road.

The best bits so far? Overtaking a bemused Golf GTI driver and the sound from the Akrapovic exhaust. Especially meaty when the ‘Sport’ button is pressed.

Why would you buy a tiny car costing this much when there are better options out there for the same money? Simply – it’s bloody great fun.

 

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Fiat 695 Biposta – madness on four wheels

Flipping cars today from a Morgan to a Fiat 500 might seem the more relaxing option. Except when it is the Abarth 695 Biposta.

Created as the world’s smallest supercar, the 695 is pretty exciting in ‘standard’ form. Then you can start personalizing with a dog ring gearbox (the only car with such a road legal option), a five-point rally harness – or what about polycarbonate windows to save weight? Soon the price can top £50k.

We’ve been sent the model with a normal, five-speed gearbox. It still lacks some basic kit (radio, air con) and is also delivered minus the back seat and proper door handles.

The suspension isn’t too harsh, the noise from the twin exhausts is sublime and once the turbo kicks in, it’s impossible not to drive this Fiat fast…