The fastest street-legal car Abarth has ever built, the 695 Biposto, has proved to be a big success so far.

Available to order since June of this year, the hardcore hot-hatch has already acquired a number of orders “far exceeding the production capacity for this year,” according to Abarth.

As the first deliveries are scheduled for the end of this year, Abarth has released full details and a big photo gallery of the 695 Biposto, which had its presentation to the international press on December 2 at the “Riccardo Paletti” racetrack in Varano de’ Melegari (Parma, Italy).

Unveiled at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show, the Abarth 695 Biposto is powered by a 1.4-liter T-Jet engine producing 190hp at 5,500 rpm and a maximum torque of 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) at 3,000 rpm. It is the most powerful engine ever installed on a road-going Abarth, with a specific power of 139hp/liter – an absolute record for this engine category, according to Abarth.

Since the 695 Biposto has an unladen weight of just 997kg (2,198lbs), the weight-to-power ratio is just 5.2kg/hp, allowing it to sprint from 0 to 100km/h in just 5.9 seconds and to reach a top speed of 230 km/h (143 mph). The car’s low weight is due to the removal of the rear seats, the xenon headlights, fog lights, climate control, electric windows and radio system.

Weight-saving measures also include the addition of fixed front windows with polycarbonate sliding panels, bumpers, side skirts, wheel arches and spoilers with carbon inserts, lightened 18-inch OZ rims and rear titanium roll bar by Poggipolini.

The Abarth 695 Biposto is the first street legal car in its category fitted with an H-pattern gearbox featuring dog rings with controls and disc and clutch self-locking differential derived from racing. With this type of gearbox made by Bacci Romano, upwards gear changes are so rapid that expert drivers don’t need to use the clutch.

Other racing components are the Akrapovic exhaust system, Extreme Shox adjustable shock absorbers, MXL digital data logger, Abarth Corsa by Sabelt seats with 4-point seat belts and Brembo braking system. The Abarth 695 Biposto also features a disc and clutch self-locking differential.

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