Performance
All that option-deletion has worked a treat, the 695 Record now weighs just 997kg, which means that it produces nearly 200bhp per-tonne, despite still carrying the Fiat 500's little 1.4-litre four-pot motor. Those four cylinders have been turbocharged heavily (as you can see from the very prominent boost gauge which sits in the middle of the dash) to produce 190PS (188bhp) and 250Nm (184lb ft) of torque. Stick your toe to the floor and the tiny Abarth will be past 60mph in under six seconds, before furiously pulling itself along to a top speed of 143mph.
As you might expect that power routed through the front wheels comes with its fair share of torque steer, and out on country roads, the 695's track focused setup really shows itself. This is not a car for your daily commute, the rock-hard seats may have found near perfection in the art of balancing support an comfort, but the 695's ride will let you know about every single bump in the road in detail.
But seriously, who is going to buy a 695 and then spend every day commuting in it? This is a car you get out to take to a track, and thankfully we've experienced the Abarth on its chosen surface as well. Pull out of the paddocks and onto the smoother stuff and the 695 makes absolute sense. That smash of turbocharged power rockets this little car out of every corner with the eagerness of a cheetah that's spotted a lone gazelle. Through the corners, the steering's weight in sport mode is perfect – that trait of letting you know absolutely everything that's going on goes from being a potential irritant to being your best friend. The 695's mechanical LSD helps bring a grin-inducing ability to chuck the car into any bend and not worry too much about the dreaded front-wheel-drive understeer. Should some arrive you can tug your right foot away from the throttle and initiate a great lovely dollop of lift-off rear-end fun.