What's the news?
Abarth's stand for the Geneva Motor Show will be dominated by the new 124 GT model, which features a carbon hard-top roof to allow the two-seater sports car to switch from being a roadster to a 'coupe' and back again.
Finished in Alpi Orientali Grey, the Geneva show Abarth 124 GT takes all that's good about the regular 124 Spider and builds upon it with the 16kg hard-top, plus 17-inch OZ Ultra-Light alloy wheels (these are 3kg lighter than the standard Abarth 124 rims), as well as a gunmetal finish for the front splitter and door mirrors. The fixed roof features a large glass rear window and an electric defroster to clear it in less than three minutes on bitter-cold mornings, while the rear spoiler, mirror caps and the roof itself can be optioned in an exposed carbon-fibre finish.
Like the regular Abarth 124, the bonnet can be painted matte black and the mirrors red, if you so choose, while the engine of the GT is the same 170hp/250Nm 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol unit, leading to a 232km/h top speed and a 6.8-second 0-100km/h time. A six-speed manual is standard on the Abarth 124 GT, with a Sports Sequential Esseesse gearbox offered as an option. The Abarth 124 Spider's Record Monza exhaust is retained on the GT.
Abarth is also keen to talk about its 2018 motorsport exploits, where it will be using an Abarth 124 Rally for the FIA R-GT Cup, the European Championship and various national rally championships, while the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse and 695 Assetto Corse circuit racing cars will compete in the Abarth Selenia Trophy, as well as the Italian and German F4 championships. The Selenia Trophy, in particular, has a focus on young drivers, as competitors from 16 to 18 years of age can take part with special dispensation.
Anything else?
Alongside the Abarth 124 GT, there will also be the Abarth 695 Rivale, about which we've reported before. Not that we're trying to gloss over a 180hp junior supercar in a Fiat 500 body, you understand...