Background
Shortly before Aston Martin developed the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet to appeal to owners of its rather more exclusive offerings, FIAT were tempting Ferrari owners (who might have wanted a ‘matching’ small, everyday car) with the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari iteration of the FIAT 500.
But the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari came with considerably more performance than the Cygnet, powered as it was by a 1.4-litre turbocharged T-Jet engine delivering 180bhp through an electromechanical paddle-shift gearbox.
It also came with strengthened suspension and braking systems, performance tyres (fitted to 17-inch alloy wheels based on a Ferrari design), and a variable back-pressure exhaust that altered the engine sound above 3000rpm.
Carbon-fibre door mirrors, grey inserts around the front air intakes, a grey rear diffuser, Xenon headlights and Ferrari colour-palette paint options completed the exterior look.
The interior featured a lot of black leather, Alcantara, aluminium and carbon-fibre.
Abarth, who claimed that the car had been developed jointly by themselves and Ferrari, said that the car reflected shared values including, "a passion for performance, a racing soul, attention to detail and Italian style".







