Last year, Fiat’s Abarth updated the 595 range once again, and continued the trend of special editions with the 695 Esseesse and the F595. Now, the Italian company presents another special model – called the 595 “Spa-Francorchamps” – with 150 units reserved for Belgium only. Obviously, the 595 “Spa-Francorchamps” was created to honor the Belgian track, so it sounds logical that the model is exclusively available in Belgium. What doesn’t sound so great is that the special edition doesn’t include any performance upgrades. At least the automaker included a “Circuit Experience” with every purchase, allowing owners to enjoy their 595 on the famous track during a special event in 2022.
The 595 “Spa-Francorchamps” is available
in both hatchback and convertible bodystyles. Since it is based on the F595, it
gets the Record Monza Sovrapposto exhaust with the vertically-stacked quadruple
tailpipes. It is also available in three exterior shades – Rosso Abarth, Giallo
Modena, and Nero Scorpione – with the Contrasting Colori kit (matching bumper
inserts, brake appliers, and mirror caps), Abarth side stickers, black-finished
17-inch wheels, plus special badges on the front fenders and tailgate with the
outline of the circuit.
Inside there is a numbered
“Spa-Francorchamps” badge on the dashboard, red seatbelts, a 7-inch touchscreen
for the infotainment, and the Scorpio Mode button on the instrument panel which
makes everything sharper and ready for the track. Whoever drove the Abarth 595
“Spa-Francorchamps” on the homonymous track during the press photoshoot must
had a really good time as proven by the battle marks on the lower part of the
front bumper – possibly from touching the curbs.
Under the bonnet lies the turbocharged
1.4-liter T-Jet engine producing 163 hp, which is identical
to the F595 and Turismo trims. The mill is mated to a five-speed manual
transmission sending power to the front axle, with the paddle-shift robotic
sequential transmission offered as an optional extra. We don’t know why Abarth
didn’t choose the more powerful unit from the Competizione and Essesse variants
which produces 178 hp, but maybe it had to do with pricing. Speaking
of which, each of the 150 units of the Abarth 595 Spa-Francorchamps costs
€ 24,990 (US$ 28,395), including the Circuit Experience.
