It’s a little lighter and a little flashier, but the latest hotted-up Fiat 500 won’t be making the trip to Australia.
The Abarth 695 Esseesse is limited to just 1390 units: 695 painted Scorpion Black, 695 painted Campovolo Grey.
The special edition’s name might be a bit tricky to spell, but simply means ‘SS’. It’s been used before on special Abarths, and this latest special edition pays homage to the 1964 Abarth 695 Esseesse.
It packs a turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine under its pert bonnet, producing 134kW of power and 250Nm of torque.
That means a 0-100km/h time of 6.7 seconds with the five-speed manual or 6.9 seconds with the five-speed automated manual transmission.
These times are identical to last year’s 695 70 Anniversario special edition.
While you’ll never experience this in Australia, its top speed is 225km/h when the adjustable spoiler is at a zero-degree angle.
It can be adjusted from zero to 60 degrees and provides up to 42kg of downforce.
Koni FSD shock absorbers are standard.
Other modifications include a new aluminium bonnet, said to be 25 per cent lighter than a normal steel bonnet, plus an Akrapovič exhaust with twin outlets.
The lighter bonnet and exhaust have resulted in an overall weight 10kg lower than that of an Abarth 595 Competizione.
The 695 Esseesse is distinguished from lesser 595 models by its white 17-inch alloy wheels with red centre caps, behind which sit red Brembo brake calipers.
There are also white side stripes and mirror caps, plus white on the front and rear spoilers.
Inside, there are Sabelt seats with ‘one of 695’ written on the headrests. There are red seat belts and white highlights in the cabin, plus an Alcantara dashboard fascia with 695 Esseesse laser-cut into it.
Finally, there’s carbon fibre trim on the shifter and steering wheel.
The 695 Esseesse comes standard with a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay plus DAB digital radio.
While we won’t be getting this special edition, the 595 Competizione available here features the same powertrain and identical 0-100km/h times, as well as adaptive suspension with Koni dampers and a dual-mode exhaust.
MORE: Abarth 595 news, reviews, comparisons and videos
