After a laborious four years, Mercedes-AMG’s Formula 1-powered Project One hypercar is finally set to hit the road later this year.
However, thanks to recent efforts by Abarth, it won’t be the only Formula-engined car when it lands.
Hungry for a slice of Mercedes’ market, Abarth recently unveiled their new Abarth F595 hot hatch: “a car derived from Formula 4 technology and a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Formula Italia single-seater designed by Carlo Abarth.”
This is clickbait of the highest order.
Alright, I may have exaggerated slightly.
Essentially, the F595 is the 595 hot hatch we know and love albeit with a 123 kW (165 hp), 230 Nm 1.4-litre Euro 6D-Final-compliant T-Jet engine that is similar to the unit employed by the Tatuus single-seaters used in the Italian and German Formula 4 championships.
There is literally nothing special about that engine. It’s the same engine used in the base 595.
Awkward…
Except it has slightly more power here.
I thought the 595 produced 132 kW (180 hp) AND 250 Nm (170 lb-ft)?
No, that’s the more expensive 595 Competizione model. The base 595 makes do with a paltry 108 kW (145 hp) and 206 Nm (152 lb-ft).
Do keep up.
What transmission does the F595 use?
The F595 employs the same transmissions used in the rest of the 595 range. You can have it with either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed automated manual transmission.
Is it any quicker than the base 595?
As a matter of fact, it is.
Abarth claims the F595 can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 7.3 seconds when equipped with the manual transmission and 7.4 seconds when paired with the sequential automatic (compared to 7.8 for the manual 595).
Real talk: it’s not exactly a brand new model, is it?
*Sigh*
No, it is not.
But LOOK, it has a new Monza Sovrapposto exhaust with vertically stacked tips! Fruity.
You’re not fooling anyone. This reads like a marketing scheme.
Joy killer.
No official word on Australian pricing yet, but considering UK on-the-road pricing starts at £20,305 expect the F595 to hit the shelves somewhere in the AUD$35k region.
Considering the AMG’s AUD$5 million price tag, the F595 looks like an absolute steal…
