Quick!  Give us a call on 0844 561 8275 or visit our showroom at Silverlink (address is to the right).

The stars will climb into a fleet of specially race-prepared Abarth 500 road cars and take to the famous Silverstone Historic Grand Prix circuit on Friday (23 July), with the race starting at 7.30pm.

Richard Hardie are supplying one of these very Special Abarth 500’s which will be driven by an undisclosed Geordie Celebrity driver!

More star names for this unique Silverstone Celebrity Race Challenge are set to be announced in the lead-up to the event, but already confirmed are BBC Radio 2 DJs ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris, Johnnie Walker and Richard Allinson.

BBC Sport journalist Jonny Saunders, from the Chris Evans breakfast show, will also be on the grid along with the nation’s favourite radio traffic reporter, Sally ‘Traffic’ Boazman. The radio personalities will be joined by a host of other celebrities including renowned chef Heston Blumenthal and Strictly Come Dancing’s Brendan Cole.

However, the early contender from the names confirmed to date is rocker Rick Parfitt Jnr, who has a very useful kart racing pedigree and will be aiming to convert that into front-running pace on the Silverstone Historic Grand Prix circuit.

Rick can expect tough opposition though. All the celebrity drivers will receive training from Silverstone Drive experienced professional racers to prepare them for the challenge and obtain an official MSA ‘National B’ racing licence before they take to the Silverstone track.

The 15 identical cars they’ll be driving are road-going versions of the fabulous Abarth 500. Although very much a car for the modern day, it remains true to the Abarth brand tradition of being ‘Small but Wicked’ and like the original Abarth products of the 1950s and 1960s, the Abarth 500 has a fine heritage and is a true sporting classic.

After the race, the cars – branded as ‘Abarth 500 Silverstone Classic Celebrity Very Limited Edition’ – will be autographed by the drivers. The Celebirty Challenge Abarth 500 will then be available at Richard Hardie to buy from Monday 26th July. The race will be run in support of Cancer Research UK, the Bobby Moore Fund, in memory of one of Britain’s best-loved footballers, the Fund raising money for research into bowel cancer.

“This is an exciting addition to the Silverstone Classic,” said event director Nick Wigley. “It will be a lot of fun for everyone and will raise money and awareness for a very good cause.”

The Silverstone Celebrity Race Challenge will get underway with qualifying at 6.45pm on Friday to determine start positions on the grid. The half-hour race starts at 7.30pm; two celebrities will share each car with a mandatory ‘Le Mans style’ driver change in the pits at the half-way stage.

At the end of the race the winners will enjoy a traditional ‘champagne celebration’ on the podium before the focus of the evening switches to the live concert featuring The Yardbirds and Dr Feelgood.

Full details of the Abarth Punto Evo offers from Richard Hardie coming soon.

Quick!  Give us a call on 0844 561 8275 or visit our showroom at Silverlink (address is to the right).

This Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari was launched recently at the Frankfurt motor show.

Fiat hopes that the car will appeal to Ferrari owners who want a small everyday car, tapping a similar market that Aston Martin is eyeing with its Toyota iQ-based Cygnet.

However, the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari will have more performance than the Cygnet, as it is powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged T-Jet engine with “more than 177bhp”. This is linked to an electromechanical paddle-shift gearbox.

The suspension and braking systems have been strengthened to cope with the extra power; 284mm Brembo discs with four-piston calipers provide stopping power.

It also has performance tyres, which are fitted to 17-inch alloy wheels that ape a Ferrari design, and a variable back-pressure exhaust that changes the engine sound above 3000rpm.

The Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari is only available in red, with carbonfibre door mirrors, grey inserts around the front air intakes and a grey rear diffuser. Xenon headlights are also standard; Abarth says they are three times as intense as standard halogen units.

The interior is also heavily modified, with black leather racing-style seats, a leather steering wheel and aluminium pedals.

Abarth says the car has been produced because of shared values between the brands that include “a passion for performance, a racing soul, attention to detail and Italian style”. It also says the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari has been developed jointly by Abarth and Ferrari technicians.

No prices or on-sale dates have been released.

Source: www.autocar.co.uk

The ‘SS’ upgrade kit means the car is powered by a 177bhp 1.4-litre 16v engine with 199lb ft of torque, and has a top speed of 134mph. It his 62mph in 7.5sec.

The Abarth Grande Punto SuperSport sits on harder springs, performance 215/40 R18 tyres and a special design of 18-inch alloy wheels.

It also has performance brakes, with perforated discs front and rear and uprated pads up front.

Inside, the car gets leather racing seats and a Magneti Marelli designed sat-nav system that also provides telemetry.

The sat-nav display can show engine revs, vehicle speed and the gear engaged. It can also be set to ‘Track’ mode, so that – if the car is on a circuit in the SD card’s memory – the screen display’s its position on the track. It will also story speed and other telemetry, which can be downloaded later.

The car is available in all standard Abarth colours, including Airfield Grey, and comes with a motorsport inspired livery.

The Abarth Grande Punto SuperSport will go on sale on 12 September.

No prices have been released.

Source: www.autocar.co.uk

Low deposits and low repayments on all Abarths at Richard Hardie

Abarth 500 Offer Details

Buy a brand new Abarth 500 at Richard Hardie from only £14,155… what are you waiting for!

Low deposits and low repayments on all Abarths at Richard Hardie

Abarth Grande Punto Offer Details

Buy a brand new Abarth Grande Punto at Richard Hardie from only £14,400… what are you waiting for!

With the Fiat 500 still selling like hotcakes, the Italian automaker’s performance division is reportedly working on a new combination to further bolster interest in the retro hatch. Melding the best elements of the 500 Abarth and the new 500C convertible, Fiat is said to be preparing a 500C Abarth for launch overseas in time for the next sunny season.

Porting over the engines from the fixed-roof 500 Abarth, the cabrio would be offered with the 133hp 1.4-liter turbo four, upgradable to 157hp with the optional Esse-esse kit. But while most convertibles loose their rigidity and gain weight when the top is lopped off, the 500C’s unique roof rail structure keeps torsional twist at bay – to say nothing of the Cinquecento’s iconic profile.

Pricing would be competitive with the new Mini Cooper Cabrio, and with both the Abarth and convertible variants expected to appear Stateside by 2011, there’s a good chance Fiat will throw this one into the mix, too.

Top Gear gave the Abarth 500 a respectible verdict of 16/20.

Comfort – 9/20

The 500 is small, so the back seats are also in the tiny way. But up front you’ll be fine, although a bit bounced to death thanks to tightened up suspension – possibly not the car for a transcontinental jaunt. You can get away with the Abarth most of the time though – especially in town where you can scoot about like a maniac. Did we mention the scorpions? Scorpions are good.

Performance – 15/20

It’s a relatively tiny 1.4-litre turbo but with a decently frothy 135bhp and 133lb ft of torque. A ‘Sport’ button gently raises the torque available, but not by a huge amount; it goes up to 152lb ft for overtaking purposes. It means that the little 500 isn’t blistering, but an exceptional joy to thrash. This is not a car to win drag races in, but through the twisties it’s great fun.

Cool – 17/20

If big cars make people think you have sub-standard nethers, the Abarth should be the opposite. It might not be as wilfully mental as the 60s cars (it’ll start when you want it to, and it has an engine that’ll last more than 2000miles), but there’s that cutesy-with-teeth thing going on that makes it. If it doesn’t make you smile by the way it looks, it’ll make you laugh in the way it drives.

Quality – 13/20

S’OK. The 500 generally has some nice touches that punt it up above average (we like fake Bakelite), but the quality has been shaved in parts. Not to say that it’s actively bad, but start poking around and you’ll find some marginally ropey finishes.

Handling – 14/20

It’s lower, tighter and harder than the stock version and has a tendency to bounce a little on the average British B. Find some smooth tarmac and you’ll be pleasantly surprised though – this thing is a laugh. The ‘Sport’ button also drops out some of the steering’s power-assistance, so there’s more feel when you go fast – not quite a Mini Cooper, but pretty good.

Practicality – 9/20

Don’t be daft. The new sports seats (both front and back) take up more room in the car than the standard ones, so that cuts space even further. The boot’s small and you’d have to tow a dinky trailer to transport anything big.

Running costs – 13/20

You should still get 40mpg from an Abarth. It’s a touch on the pricey side, but you’re paying for smiles-per-mile. Insurance is OK, too – it’s ‘only’ a 1.4-litre don’t forget. The way forward for performance motoring.

Source: Top Gear