24.06.2004 The latest in a long line of exciting Fiat rally cars, this week, the innovative Multijet turbodiesel powered Panda Rally, headed to the UK

The Panda Abarth Rally, first shown in public at Bologna last December, is a concept for a small cost-effective, yet purposeful, rally car.

In the flesh, the rally car, based on the 'Car of the Year' award winning Panda, is small and cute, while at the same time chunky and aggressive.

While it becomes the latest in a strong tradition of Fiat rally cars, it also breaks fresh new ground, as it is a diesel but with bags of power.

N-Technology's brief was to turn the Panda into a low-budget, entry-level rally car, that would rigidly adhere to the Panda's philosophy, which above all, is to be a 'fun' car for the driver in true Fiat tradition. The engineers certainly have got it right.

Fiat Auto UK shipped this competition Panda over from Italy for their rally get together this week, the first time it has been seen on these shores. Sitting with its bigger brothers, the Punto and Stilo, as well as established legends including the Fiat 124 Abarth and Lancia 037 Rally, this cheeky little car held its own and attracted attention all day.

Welsh Fiat Stilo Cup UK driver Paul Tod was one of the first to try it for size, commenting, "It's a very compact little car, the driving position is quite comfortable, a very different animal to the Stilo which I am used to, although they do appear to share rear view mirrors!"

The Panda is branded with Abarth's legendary scorpion trademark, the car's exclusive kit includes special spoilers at front and rear, and sideskirts. The wheels adopt 7x16 rims, and additional wheelarch moulding, incorporated into the front spoiler and sideskirts, is necessary to fit them. Inside, the car has a cage roll-bar in steel and chrome-molybdenum alloy (complying with FIA regulations for 2005) and the usual accessories adopted on racing versions.

An assertive car, and not only for its looks, but also its performance, thanks to the new 1.3 Multijet 16v engine which develops an amazing 102bhp at 4200rpm. The engine power has been boosted by the addition of a slightly larger, variable geometry turbo, a racing exhaust complete with catalytic converter, and modifications to the mapping of the standard ECU. The revolutionary Multijet engine is combined with a new 5-speed gearbox derived from the one on the Punto JTD. This device has been modified for the higher torque and can also accommodate a self-locking differential with viscous joint.

Where the suspension is concerned, the car adopts the system used on other Abarth rally versions, racing trim, Bilstein oil-air dampers, and Eilbach double springs that can be adjusted for the height and camber.