Abarth 695 XSR Yamaha: more power, more carbon fibre and better sound

The Abarth 695 XSR Yamaha was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show and is the result of an exclusive collaboration between the scorpion brand and Yamaha, which has also produced a motorcycle with a similar upgrade: the Yamaha XSR900. The XSR versions of these special two- and four-wheeled models share the body colour, red accents, the use of carbon fibre and an Akrapovič exhaust.

The Abarth 695 XSR Yamaha follows in the footsteps of other special editions of the Fiat 500 presented previously: Abarth 595 Yamaha Factory Racing and 696 Biposto Yamaha Factory Racing.

This model receives several mechanical and design modifications that slightly increase its sportiness compared with the standard Abarth 500. This exclusive edition will be offered with a hard top and a soft top; 695 units will be allocated to each body style, meaning a total of 1,390 examples will go on sale.

At first glance, this limited edition does not look very different from the standard Fiat 500 Abarth. It is true, however, that it incorporates a series of modifications that give the vehicle a more aggressive appearance. These include the exclusive Pista Grey body colour (the only shade in which this model is available). This dark grey contrasts beautifully with the red finish of the brake calipers, the mirrors and the Abarth scorpion badge. In addition, the Abarth 695 XSR introduces carbon fibre on the mirrors and exhaust tips; the interior also features this material prominently.

As for the mechanics, it uses the same 1.4-litre turbocharged engine as the standard model, but develops 165 CV (compared with the 157 CV of the regular version). This slight power increase is further enhanced by an ultralight Akrapovič exhaust system. This component not only improves the vehicle’s performance but also its sound compared with the standard exhaust. And if all of this still falls short, Abarth offers a power kit that raises output to 180 CV, a figure that is quite impressive given that this car weighs just over 1,100 kg.

The dynamics of the Abarth 695 XSR have been improved thanks to optimised Koni suspension at the rear axle. At the front, the same damping as at the rear can optionally be fitted, in which case the car would also feature a frequency selective damping system (FSD: frequency selective damping) derived from Formula 1. This technology distinguishes between high and low frequencies when the car passes over a pothole, softening the suspension calibration at specific moments.