This Abarth, based on a Fiat 500, is powered by a 1.4L 4-cylinder engine tuned to 600 HP, with all that power sent to the front wheels

We had already introduced you to this Abarth completely unreasonable a few months ago. It’s back, and this time a new video puts us right in the driver’s seat. On the Franciacorta circuit, during Time Attack Italia 2026, Cesare Bassanini’s little Italian car proves that you don’t necessarily need a V8, V10, or V12 to impress on the track. Its 1.4-liter Fiat four-cylinder engine produces up to… 600 HP.

The new footage posted by the YouTube channel NM2255 offers a particularly good look at the car in full-throttle action. Onboard camera footage, shots from the track side, and close-ups in the pits show just how far this vintage Abarth 695 Biposto has strayed from its original configuration.

From a 190 HP Abarth to a 600 HP monster

When it was first released, however, the 695 Biposto was already a particularly radical Abarth. Its 1.4L engine produced 190 HP for a curb weight of just 997 kg, allowing it to reach 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds. Abarth marketed it at the time as «the smallest of the supercars.».

Cesare Bassanini and Old School Garage have clearly taken this concept literally. The small four-cylinder turbo engine has been completely rebuilt, featuring forged internal components, a redesigned fuel system, and a larger turbocharger. The advertised output now reaches 600 HP, more than three times the power of the original Biposto.

And the most surprising thing is that all this power is sent to the front wheels. A seven-speed Kotouc sequential transmission and reinforced driveshafts are responsible for transferring that power to the road. In the in-car video, the gear shifts actually give this little 500 a whole new personality.

A body that has become almost unrecognizable

You only have to look at the car to realize that the engine is just one part of the equation. The body has been widened by about 40 cm and features gigantic fenders, a massive front splitter held in place by struts, and a rear wing whose dimensions seem almost out of proportion to the car.

Yet this is not merely an aesthetic exercise. This Abarth was developed for Time Attack, a discipline where the stopwatch takes precedence over everything else. A reinforced chassis, racing suspension, adjustable Öhlins shocks, and 370-mm front brakes with AP Racing four-piston calipers round out the transformation. Weight reduction is equally significant, with fiberglass body panels and plexiglass windows.

Always ready to hunt something much bigger than herself

This project isn’t just spectacular in the pits, by the way. This Abarth already won the Italian Time Attack title in the Pro 3000 class in 2023. In 2026, it continues to hit the tracks and go head-to-head with cars that, on paper, are in a completely different league.

The new video is probably the best way to understand this car: the acceleration, the shifts through the sequential transmission, and even a few flames shooting from the exhaust quickly make you forget that, originally, hidden beneath this outrageous body was a tiny Fiat 500.