Early in 2008, the Grande Punto Abarth range will be completed with the “esseesse” (Super Sport) kit. The “esseesse” kit is reserved especially for the Grande Punto Abarth, and can only be installed at the official Abarth service centres. The car can be converted at the time of sale, up to 1 year after purchase, or after 20,000 km on the road. Once the work has been done, the tuner will deal with the administration required to have the vehicle approved: a small service, but one that provides customers with extra security.

With the “esseesse” kit, the Grande Punto Abarth has almost twice the power of the basic Fiat model (a statistic repeated throughout Abarth’s history: the Fiat 500 from 1958 had 13 hp, while the Abarth-modified car reached 26). When fitted with a 1.4 16v engine enhanced to 180 hp (at 5750 rpm) and with a maximum torque of 272 Nm, the Grande Punto Abarth “esseesse” can achieve a maximum speed of 215 km/h, accelerating from 0-100 km/h in just 7.7 seconds. The kit also offers several exclusive features such as the stickers with the “esseesse” logo, and the chequered flag. The finishing touches include 18” alloy wheels and various mechanical modifications to alter the car’s dynamics, for example the special set up (both the front and rear suspension has been lowered by a further 20 mm compared to the Grande Punto Abarth), and the enhanced braking system (the front discs are perforated and fitted with high-performance pads).
 

An integrated product, the “esseesse” kit is also safe, since the engine cannot be tuned unless the brakes are enhanced and the set up is modified at the same time. All this will only be possible at Abarth tuning centres.

Merchandising & Licensing

To support the brand’s re-launch strategy, Abarth & C. is working simultaneously on two fronts. On the one hand, a series of licence agreements is being developed with leading companies in various lines of business, while on the other, the company is directly involved in designing and producing merchandising items. Obviously, the distribution policy will reflect the Abarth image.

As far as licensing initiatives are concerned, to date various agreements have been signed with top-level partners in sectors ranging from publishing to technical products, performance enhancers and model car building. Finally, other important agreements are envisaged in the short term, related to clothing and the Abarth “total look”.