The Fiat 500-based Abarth 595/695 is almost ready to bow out of production, but a new project from an independent Italian company wants to breathe new life into the hot hatch. Enter the Giannini Spettacolo, decked out with extravagant visual and mechanical tweaks, all packed into a modest 200-unit production run. But brace yourself for the sticker shock: it commands a jaw-dropping € 133,000 (US$ 144,360). That’s a boatload of cash for what’s essentially a city car, no matter how wild the modifications. We’re talking top-tier sports car territory or even dipping into the realm of used supercars.
Giannini Automobili, an Italian tuner
dating back to 1917, earned its stripes by tweaking and racing Fiats until the
mid-80s. Now, the brand is making a comeback through a joint venture between
Impero, based in Rome, and Groupo Maestri in Turin. Impero holds the rights to
the Giannini name, while Groupo Maestri handles design and production of the
Spettacolo, taking place at the former Pininfarina plant in Turin. Visually,
the Spettacolo looks like no other Abarth thanks to the bespoke body panels
giving it a more aggressive stance. Up front, the redesigned nose features a
new grille, enlarged intakes, and a prominent splitter. The aluminum hood boasts
F1-inspired vents and integrated headlight covers, adding to its distinctive
appearance.
The profile has been beefed-up with wider
fenders, extended side skirts, and a set of 18-inch wheel covers made from
carbon fiber. Furthermore, the doors open upwards, showing that this is no
regular Fiat 500. At the rear, standout features include side inlets
reminiscent of the Renault 5 Turbo, complemented by a sizable spoiler and a
custom rear bumper housing dual exhaust pipes mounted above the diffuser. The
official website for the Giannini Spettacolo has a configurator, allowing
prospective buyers to customize the exterior. In addition to various colors,
there’s an array of optional stickers available, lending the hot hatch a racing
aesthetic. Inside, the rear seat bench is replaced by a pair of lightweight
carbon monocoque seats.
The development of the Giannini Spettacolo
took 150 days from start to finish. The man responsible is Paolo Mancini who is
the co-founder of FV Frangivento Automobili. The first example was unveiled
earlier this month at a private event in Rome, based on a 2012 Abarth 595.
Under the hood lies the familiar turbocharged 1.4-liter T-Jet four-cylinder
engine that has been tuned to produce 247 hp and 360 Nm of
torque. These numbers surpass any production offering by Abarth, including the
upcoming fully electric Abarth 600e and all of the roadgoing versions of the
595/695 series. Power is transmitted to the front wheels through an automated
manual gearbox, although a proper manual option is available. With the
vehicle’s weight reduced to 985 kg, the power-to-weight ratio is
further enhanced. Consequently, the 0-100 km/h sprint is
accomplished in a brisk 5 seconds flat, with the top speed reaching an impressive
280 km/h.
Giannini Automobili has already started
accepting orders for the 200 units of the Spettacolo. Due to its hand-built
nature, the waiting period for each unit is five months. It remains to be seen
if enough buyers will be willing to part ways with at least € 133k (US$ 144k) for
this limited-production pocket rocket. The company also announced its return to
racing, and will participate at the 2024 Time Attack Italia Championship.
