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Tested: Abarth 595 Yamaha Factory Racing
by Alessandro Marrone
Just recently unveiled, the new 595 Yamaha Factory Racing, marks the collaboration between Abarth and Yamaha: a special edition that comes with a number of interesting innovations and designed to make the driving experience even more engaging. A warm but windy morning therefore represent an opportunity to carefully evaluate whether the work done by the Team from Turin on the natural evolution of the most sporty 500, represents the best compromise between usability in everyday life and a racy character that can put together its detractors, that rather than choosing a Fiat product, would use the bus.
The 595 tested is white, “Bianco Gara” to be precise, and is fitted with a set of 17” Formula alloy wheels finished in matte black, behind which we can see the flashy red brake calipers. Details that characterize it are scattered here and there and just like the “Yamaha Factory Racing” back plate on the trunk, but also inside the car, always modern and welcoming. The Abarth scorpions, however, are everywhere, to emphasize that your sister’s 500 is only a distant relative; otherwise everything is very familiar, except the gearbox, a nice 5-speed manual that will delight old school fans. I jump in, set the mirrors and my driving position, noting that the seat, despite being relatively shaped, makes you sit too high, boosting the feeling of height of the center of gravity of the car itself. Then I start the engine unleashing the “Record Monza” exhaust, sounding nicely loud right inside the cockpit. Putting in “Sport” is a must, so as to make the steering wheel stiffer and suspension, Koni with FSD valve, sharpest, useful for communicating with our back. The clutch pedal is rather soft, maybe too much, but the 160 hp 1.4 T-Jet makes you forgive these minor flaws. It drives well even at low engine revs and gear ratios, despite a bit ‘long (especially the second and third), combine low power consumption to a great fun. The torque of 230 Nm is available from approximately 3,000 rpm and understeer acts only if you ask impossible things for a front-wheel drive car. Suspension, and with this the right response of the steering wheel, are among the best episodes of this 595, which only asks to be brought to the rev limiter, exploiting the best out of the little turbo engine, and then to leave the throttle and enjoy the crackling of the tailpipes behind you.
We’ve heard all kind of things about Abarth, but the excellent sales made a statement and not only in Italy, where it should be obvious and predictable, but also abroad. For about € 21,000 you can take home a small hatchback, but that can accommodate 4 people and small bags in the back, useful for having enough fun without being pretentious, but also suitable for urban context (in this case the soft clutch pedal can become useful, just like the average rigidity of the frame). It should be driven and read as a small three-door, probably the smallest, that can make you smile, without costing as many of its direct rivals of the segment, definitely easy to monetize the day that you’ll get bored and customizable with countless gadgets.
ABARTH 595 YAMAHA FACTORY RACING (2015-)
Layout – front engined, front wheel drive
Engine – 4 cylinder 1368cc – turbo
Transmission – 5-speed manual gearbox
Power – 160 hp @ 5500 rpm
230 Nm @ 3000 rpm
Weight – 1150 kg
Acceleration – 7,4 sec.
Top Speed – 210 kph
Price – from 21.850 €
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