The public at the Bologna Motor Show next week will be able to admire the Fiat Grande Punto Rally Super 2000 which recently won the 2006 Italian Rally Championship with Paolo Andreucci and Anna Andreussi, with victories in 7 of the 11 events on the programme. Nor can we forget the excellent season of their team mates Andrea Navarra and Guido D’Amore who took third place. This extraordinary success recognises the superiority of the car, which has 4-wheel drive and an aspirated 2000 cc engine that delivers a maximum of 280 bhp. The Grande Punto Rally Super 2000 will obviously contest the various domestic and international Rally Championships next year.

Alongside the rally winner will be a very special racing car also based on the Grande Punto, known as the R3D/VK. Developed on the basis of a standard production car equipped with the 1.9 Multijet engine, the Grande Punto R3D/VK was prepared to meet the regulations of Group R which will come into force in 2007, permitting racing clients to compete in rallies in Italy and abroad. The novelty lies in the Diesel engine. This was prepared by Fiat Powertrain Technologies to maintain and actually increase the good power delivery achieved on the standard model: 185 bhp at approximately 4500 rpm and peak torque of 36 kgm at 2500 rpm. Changes were also made to the brakes and suspension to adapt them to the increased stress that a rally entails.

From motor sports to everyday roads: the Grande Punto Sport is proving to be the ideal car for drivers who like a sporty everyday driving style. The best demonstration of this is the presence at the Motor Show of a new sport version equipped with the powerful 130 bhp 1.9 Multijet engine. The constant novelties where the Grande Punto is concerned, confirm its primary goal: to be the new benchmark in its segment.
 

This benchmark is in terms of its design, introducing the important concept of ‘dimensions’, of class-leading safety standards and of superior quality, as the highly prestigious five-star Euro NCAP rating underlines. As well as the best range of diesel engines and a very competitive price/content ratio.

Fiat Grande Punto R3D/VK - Technical Specifications: Engine: 4 cylinders in line, turbodiesel, 1900 cc; Power output: 185 bhp at approx. 4500 rpm; Peak torque: 36 kgm at 2500 rpm; Transmission: 6-speed gearbox with sequential control; Single-plate metal-ceramic clutch, diameter 200 mm; Self-locking friction-plate differential; Special drive-shafts; Suspension: MacPherson layout at front; Interconnected links at rear; Adjustable 2-way shock absorbers front and rear; Larger anti-roll bars; Uniball ball joints; Reinforced stiffening elements; Brakes: Front calliper with 4 pistons; Front brake disc ø 350 mm for paved roads and ø 300 mm for dirt roads; Rear calliper with 1 piston; Rear brake disc ø 250 mm; Wheels: Asphalt rims: 7’’ x 17’’; Dirt rims: 6.0” x 15“; Asphalt tyres: 19/63-17; Dirt tyres: 17/65-15.