Abarth 500 / 595 / 695 History
The modern Scorpion — a turbocharged hot Fiat 500 in 500, 595, and 695 forms that made Abarth a genuine volume performance brand again.
Photo: “Abarth - London, UK - DSC05171” by Daderot / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0. Cropped to 16:9.
History
Unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show one year after the revival of the Fiat 500 nameplate, the Abarth 500 applied a turbocharged 1.4-litre MultiAir engine to the retro-styled city car, producing 135 hp in base form. The recipe was instantly recognisable as a spiritual successor to the original Fiat-Abarth 595 of the 1960s: small car, tuned engine, Scorpion badge.
The range quickly expanded. The Abarth 595 nameplate was revived for the next tier up, offering 145 hp in standard form and up to 180 hp in the 595 Competizione. The 695 occupied the top of the naturally aspirated (and later further tuned turbocharged) range, with the 695 Tributo Ferrari (2010) and the 695 Biposto (2014) — a stripped, two-seat track-focused variant — among the most extreme road-legal versions. The 695 Biposto Record edition held the sub-750 kg production-car Nürburgring record at the time of its introduction.
A convertible cabriolet joined the hatchback body style, and the car gained successive updates in 2012 and 2018. By the late 2010s the 595 and 695 were effectively the entire Abarth road-car lineup in Europe, and the brand held a rare niche as a mainstream manufacturer selling only hot versions of one platform.
Generations
First generation · Abarth 500 / 595 / 695 (312 platform)
Photo: “Abarth - London, UK - DSC05171” by Daderot / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0. Cropped to 16:9.
The original turbocharged Fiat 500-based range — 135 hp base 500 through to the 180+ hp 695 Biposto extremes.
2010 Photo: “2010 Abarth 595” by Calreyn88 / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0. Cropped to 16:9.
2016 Photo: “Abarth 595 (2016) (52025118147)” by Charles from Port Chester, New York / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
2017 Photo: “2017 Abarth 595 Trofeo 1.4 Front” by Vauxford / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Body styles
- 3-door hatchback
- Convertible (cabriolet)
Notable special editions & performance variants
695 Tributo Ferrari
A 695 collaboration with Ferrari Gestione Sportiva — Scuderia Ferrari red paint, 180 hp, and carbon-fibre details; limited production.
695 Biposto
A stripped two-seat track variant making 190 hp, a racing harness, and a sequential gearbox option; held the Nürburgring lap record for sub-750 kg production cars at launch.
595 Yamaha Factory Racing
A limited-edition 595 in Yamaha MotoGP livery, celebrating Abarth's role as official car of the Yamaha Factory Racing team.
Related models
Collect the nameplate
Find a scale model of the Abarth 500 / 595 / 695
Search Amazon across available years, colors, and scales. Exact releases vary, so confirm the listing before ordering.