Abarth 500 Acicsai

[Road&Track]

Abarth hopes to launch its low cost single sjedala Abarth 500 Acicsia race series in the States in 2012, kaže customer racing manager Giorgio Ferro.

Talking to exclusively Road & Track at the Geneva Auto Show, Ferro explained that the race car – which sells for 50,000 Eura – is designed to act as bridge from karts to more powerful single seaters for aspiring race drivers from 16 years old.

The series was launched last year in conjunction with the Italian motor sports federation, and was an immediate success with 40 cars on the grid, encouraging Abarth to export the series across Europe so that it now embraces races in Italy, Belgium and Austria. This year also sees the launch of a Swedish race series and possibly one in the UK. However, Ferro did confirm a series for central and South America for 2011.

The package is made all the more attractive as it combines with the successful Abarth 500 Trofeo race serije.

Power comes from a sinkroniziran version of the Abarth 500 engine producing 180 bhp mounted in a Tatus manufactured carbon fiber chassis, Its a very safe car designed along F1 lines. We could increase the power, but decided to limit it so as the youngsters got a feeling for higher powered cars after leaving karts explained Ferro. Its fitted with a six-speed sequential gearbox, discs all round and Kumho dry or wet weather tires.

The cars all come with their own aerodynamic package so these junior race jockeys can learn all about the intricacies of aerodynamic balance as well as setting up springs and dampers. With a weight of only 600Kgs the car can reach speeds of 220 km/h at least and reaching 250 on the faster circuits.

A season, kaže Ferro, would cost about 200,000 Eura depending on the number of test sessions undertaken.