Abarth 500C EsseEsse & Punto Evo EsseEsse at Paris

Abarth are producing an EsseEsse version of the Abarth Punto Evo and the Abarth 500C, both of which will be at the Paris Motor Show.

Abarth do a very good job of warming up the odd Fiat or two (well, they have been doing it for quite a long time), the most recent offerings being the Abarth 500C and the Abarth Punto Evo which we saw when we trollied off to Goodwood in July.

But there is a second flavour of Abarth. Best to think of it as the ‘Chilli’ Abarth; Abarth call it EsseEsse. And it certainly warms the cockles. And Abarth have been playing EsseEsse with both the Abarth 500C and the Punto Evo.

With the EsseEsse kit fitted the 500 Convertible delivers 160hp from its 1.4 litre turbo, with 170lb/ft torque on offer. The extra power shifts the 0-62mph in the right direction – down to 7.5 seconds – with top speed rising to 130mph.

All of which is roughly the same as the tweaks Fiat did to produce the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari. Hopefully, Abarth won’t be looking for a £30k price tag to match that of the 152 695s heading to the UK (the regular Abarth 500C is £17.5k, so it should in effect be a bargain 695).

The Punto Evo EsseEsse gets a jump of 30 horses over the standard car (now 180 horses) with a drop in the 0-62mph to the same as the 500C – 7.5 seconds. Top speed is 134mph.

The EsseEsse kit includes new alloys and will doubtless include tweaks to the brakes, suspension and body. But Abarth, not unreasonably, are keeping some of the detail for the Paris Motor Show.

Although we’re bound to find out before then.