{"id":54019,"date":"2026-09-08T11:33:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T09:33:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.italpassion.fr\/?p=54019"},"modified":"2026-09-07T09:59:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T07:59:18","slug":"this-fiat-is-competing-in-a-championship-against-toyota-and-chevrolet-except-that-its-engine-isnt-a-fiat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.italpassion.fr\/en\/fiat\/cette-fiat-mene-un-championnat-face-a-toyota-et-chevrolet-sauf-que-son-moteur-nest-pas-un-fiat\/","title":{"rendered":"This Fiat is leading the pack against Toyota and Chevrolet\u2026 except that its engine isn't a Fiat"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Italian cars have disappeared from official Super Touring championships in Europe, with Romeo Ferraris\u2019 Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR being the last of its kind. It\u2019s simple: the last Italian championship title won by an Italian car dates back to 2004, with Adriano de Micheli and his Alfa Romeo 147<\/a>. For the past few years, Honda, Audi, Cupra, and Volkswagen have been sharing the honors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every market counts!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Latin America, however, a region where FIAT<\/a> is well established, and a few die-hard fans continue to compete, as the Turin-based manufacturer has just officially entered Uruguayan motorsports through the Sevel Group<\/em>, the importer and exclusive representative of the Stellantis Group's brands in Uruguay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grupo Sevel has become a sponsor of the\u2019AUVO<\/em> (Asociaci\u00f3n Uruguaya de Volantes), in conjunction with the commercial launch of the Abarth sports division in Uruguay in 2025. Building on this first step, the importer supported the creation of a full-fledged factory team for the Supertourisme championship. Fiat has signed a two-year contract with Facundo Ferra, 24, who is none other than the 2025 reigning champion of the category. In addition to racing, Ferra will serve as the official ambassador for the Fiat and Abarth brands in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fiat Argo, unknown in our country<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The car\u2019s construction was entrusted to Cooper Racing, a team renowned in the region for its technical excellence, with support from DUCSA (the state-owned company that manages fuel distribution), which sponsors the team through the Lubricantes Ancap brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The race car is based on the Fiat Argo, a key model in the brand\u2019s modern history in South America. Launched in 2017, the Fiat Argo was designed at the R&D center in Betim, Brazil, with a monumental goal: to simultaneously replace the highly popular Fiat Palio and Fiat Punto in the South American market. Built on the group\u2019s MP1 platform, it underwent a major facelift (MY2023) to modernize its front end. It is this dynamic front bumper, flanked by the large textured Fiat logo on the grille, that gives the race car its aggressive look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The consumer models sold by Fiat Uruguay are primarily the Fiat Argo Trekking (adventure-style with raised ground clearance) and the Fiat Argo Endurance (designed for efficiency) with a fuel-efficient 1.3L Firefly engine producing 99 chevaux, paired with a 5-speed manual transmission or a CVT automatic transmission with 7 virtual gears. Quite remarkably, the Argo has sold more than 600,000 units in less than ten years in the Brazilian market alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An engine that isn't made by FIAT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although it resembles the civilian version, the Fiat Argo race car complies with the strict regulations of Uruguayan Supertourismo. Only the bare steel shell of the original body is retained. Everything else has been stripped away. Visually, the car combines the lines of the street-legal Fiat Argo (notably its redesigned front bumper) with the sporty visual identity of the Abarth division. The livery features an aggressive red-and-black color scheme, emblazoned with the official Fiat logos and the famous Abarth scorpion. The fenders are widened to accommodate a wider track and specialized racing tires. The front features an aerodynamic splitter to press the front end to the ground, while a discreet rear wing stabilizes the rear during hard braking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the engine\u2014and no, unfortunately, it\u2019s not a Firefly tuned by the wizards at Abarth like in the good old days\u2026\u00a0The Fiat Argo race car is powered by a 2-liter engine producing 225 chevaux, standardized and homologated by the series to ensure a level playing field, based on a Cosworth-tuned Duratec.\u00a0To ensure absolute technical parity between the official Fiat Argo and the other brands, all engines are managed, sealed, and maintained by a company directly commissioned by the drivers\u2019 association. No mechanic from Fiat Squadra Corse is permitted to open the engine or modify its internal components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A promising start<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2026, after the first third of the season, the results of the Fiat Squadra Corse project far exceeded expectations for a rookie team. Facundo Ferra sits in first place in the championship, leading the pack against the official Toyota and Chevrolet teams. At the season opener in April at the Aut\u00f3dromo del Pinar, the team made a dream debut. After putting the car on the track for the first time just the previous Thursday, Ferra dominated the season-opener with pole position, the fastest lap in the race, and a victory in the second race of the weekend, giving Fiat its first-ever win in the series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Due to its leading position, the Fiat Argo has had to carry the maximum regulatory handicap ballast in the most recent races. Despite the extra weight, Ferra has consistently finished in the points (including another podium finish in 3rd place), maintaining an 8-point lead over his closest rival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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