Fiat 500 racecar for the road from $65K

From humble Fiat 500 origins, the Abarth 695 Biposto has been stripped bare of its rear seats, air-conditioning and stereo, and injected with weight-saving parts.

It weighs just 997kg and utilises a 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder engine with 140kW and 250Nm – up 22kW/20Nm on the $35K, 1035kg Abarth 595 Turismo. For nearly double the ask of that hot-hatch, the 0-100km/h sprint is lowered 1.5 seconds to 5.9sec and a five-speed manual is very nearly your only choice.

Optional for $15,000 is this country’s only road-legally-available five-speed dog-leg gearbox complete with light flywheel and copper racing clutch.

There are more options beyond the standard addition of OZ racing alloy wheels, Akrapovic exhaust, Brembo brakes and EXT manually adjustable front and rear suspension.

Available for $9000 is a ‘carbon kit’ that includes the application of that material to the mirrors, dashboard fascia, front doors and inside rear-view mirror.

Slightly less, at $7000, is a ‘track kit’ that includes a digital data logger and four-point seat belt harness integrated into carbonfibre-clad buckets. For the same amount you can individually add polycarbonate windows with sliding-opening panels – perfect for grabbing drive-thru Macca’s.

The least expensive package option at $5000 is the ‘special kit 124’ inspired by the old 124 Abarth – it adds an aluminium bonnet, and hub caps, wheel bolts, and water/fuel/oil covers in titanium.

Add them all up in and you’ll have a $108,000 Fiat 500. Only 14 are coming to the country so far, but Fiat Chrysler Australia is hoping for more if demand is sufficient.

Even the Renault Sport Megane 275 Trophy-R has air-conditioning and a stereo for our market, and lacks dog-leg gearbox or data-logger capabilities. Whatever you think of the price, it leaves the Abarth 696 Biposto to haul-up a trophy for being the most hardcore new car available on the market today.