The Giannini Spettacolo, the 250 PS Super 500, went on track for the first time. After the official presentation in May, the company chose the Vallelunga circuit to carry out the first circuit tests of its project, which took place on Saturday 7 September and in which I also participated.
At the test day, albeit as a passenger, I was able to witness first-hand the great work done by the company's engineers to further refine the handling of the production 500 Abarth. Here's how it went.
Born for the road, but also for the track
Let's start off by saying that the Giannini Spettacolo is designed to be used every day, not just during furious track days. In fact, just by climbing aboard in this first contact on tarmac, I noticed first of all how the designers and engineers have gone to great lengths to maintain all the comforts typical of a standard Fiat 500.
Apart from the special monocoque seats made especially for the Spettacolo and upholstered in leather and Dinamica fabric, the interior has remained that of a 'sporty' 500, with all the typical comforts combined with the MTA robotised gearbox, which can also be used in 100% automatic mode.
The Giannini Spettacolo at the Vallelunga circuit
But that's not all. Speaking of pure mechanics, in fact, right from the first few metres of my test drive as a passenger it was clear to me that the set-up of this new super citycar has also been stiffened not in an exasperated but 'just right' manner. The suspension, in fact, is not excessively stiff, just a little firmer than that of, say, a normal 500 Abarth, which makes the Giannini suitable for track driving, but still comfortable enough to be used in the city.
Apart from this, the other big difference with the tuned car is certainly the braking system with four-piston front callipers, which on the finished models, according to the company, will be combined with 18-inch alloy wheels and sports tyres.
The Giannini Spettacolo at the Vallelunga circuit
Up to 250 hp
The star of the Spettacolo is naturally the 1.4 T.JET turbo, modified with many homologated components and now capable of delivering up to 250 PS, for a top speed of 174 mph.
A number, the latter, also obtained thanks to lightness: the Spettacolo, in fact, weighs only 985 kg (unladen mass), thanks to extreme aesthetics obtained with front and rear bonnets in aluminium and carbon wheel covers with a a patented single nut centre caps, combined with bumpers designed exclusively for it and a lightened exhaust system with central tailpipes.
The Giannini Spettacolo at the Vallelunga circuit
The car is on display at the Turin Motor Show and will soon take to the track again in an even more definitive guise.
During the track day Fabrizio Grandi, CEO of Impero, licensee Giannini, commented:
"Three months after the presentation of the Giannini Spettacolo and a commercial launch that has been very successful, we wanted to let journalists and customers experience the thrill of the track at the historic Vallelunga circuit, where Giannini has reaped so many successes since the 1970s."
"With the start of production of the first customer cars, the Spettacolo project comes into its own and confirms in fact the resounding reception given to the car of the Giannini relaunch."
The passion of Abarth:
Gallery: Giannini Spettacolo
